diff --git a/piker/brokers/cli.py b/piker/brokers/cli.py
index ff911edc..b1047b18 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/cli.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/cli.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import tractor
 from ..cli import cli
 from .. import watchlists as wl
 from ..log import get_console_log, colorize_json, get_logger
-from ..brokers.core import maybe_spawn_brokerd_as_subactor
+from ..data import maybe_spawn_brokerd
 from ..brokers import core, get_brokermod, data
 
 log = get_logger('cli')
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def quote(config, tickers, df_output):
 @cli.command()
 @click.option('--df-output', '-df', flag_value=True,
               help='Output in `pandas.DataFrame` format')
-@click.option('--count', '-c', default=100,
+@click.option('--count', '-c', default=1000,
               help='Number of bars to retrieve')
 @click.argument('symbol', required=True)
 @click.pass_obj
@@ -117,10 +117,11 @@ def bars(config, symbol, count, df_output):
             brokermod,
             symbol,
             count=count,
+            as_np=df_output
         )
     )
 
-    if not bars:
+    if not len(bars):
         log.error(f"No quotes could be found for {symbol}?")
         return
 
@@ -154,7 +155,7 @@ def record(config, rate, name, dhost, filename):
         return
 
     async def main(tries):
-        async with maybe_spawn_brokerd_as_subactor(
+        async with maybe_spawn_brokerd(
             tries=tries, loglevel=loglevel
         ) as portal:
             # run app "main"
diff --git a/piker/brokers/core.py b/piker/brokers/core.py
index 1250f439..67255a41 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/core.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/core.py
@@ -2,25 +2,17 @@
 Broker high level cross-process API layer.
 
 This API should be kept "remote service compatible" meaning inputs to
-routines here should be 
+routines should be primitive data types where possible.
 """
 import inspect
 from types import ModuleType
 from typing import List, Dict, Any, Optional
 
-from async_generator import asynccontextmanager
-import tractor
-
 from ..log import get_logger
-from .data import DataFeed
 from . import get_brokermod
 
 
-log = get_logger('broker.core')
-_data_mods = [
-    'piker.brokers.core',
-    'piker.brokers.data',
-]
+log = get_logger(__name__)
 
 
 async def api(brokername: str, methname: str, **kwargs) -> dict:
@@ -28,12 +20,11 @@ async def api(brokername: str, methname: str, **kwargs) -> dict:
     """
     brokermod = get_brokermod(brokername)
     async with brokermod.get_client() as client:
-
-        meth = getattr(client.api, methname, None)
+        meth = getattr(client, methname, None)
         if meth is None:
             log.debug(
                 f"Couldn't find API method {methname} looking up on client")
-            meth = getattr(client, methname, None)
+            meth = getattr(client.api, methname, None)
 
         if meth is None:
             log.error(f"No api method `{methname}` could be found?")
@@ -51,24 +42,6 @@ async def api(brokername: str, methname: str, **kwargs) -> dict:
         return await meth(**kwargs)
 
 
-@asynccontextmanager
-async def maybe_spawn_brokerd_as_subactor(sleep=0.5, tries=10, loglevel=None):
-    """If no ``brokerd`` daemon-actor can be found spawn one in a
-    local subactor.
-    """
-    async with tractor.open_nursery() as nursery:
-        async with tractor.find_actor('brokerd') as portal:
-            if not portal:
-                log.info(
-                    "No broker daemon could be found, spawning brokerd..")
-                portal = await nursery.start_actor(
-                    'brokerd',
-                    rpc_module_paths=_data_mods,
-                    loglevel=loglevel,
-                )
-            yield portal
-
-
 async def stocks_quote(
     brokermod: ModuleType,
     tickers: List[str]
@@ -139,11 +112,11 @@ async def symbol_info(
 
 async def symbol_search(
     brokermod: ModuleType,
-    symbol: str,
+    pattern: str,
     **kwargs,
 ) -> Dict[str, Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]]:
     """Return symbol info from broker.
     """
     async with brokermod.get_client() as client:
         # TODO: support multiple asset type concurrent searches.
-        return await client.search_stocks(symbol, **kwargs)
+        return await client.search_stocks(pattern=pattern, **kwargs)
diff --git a/piker/brokers/data.py b/piker/brokers/data.py
index 0b18be3f..96bfa1e1 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/data.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/data.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from ..log import get_logger, get_console_log
 from . import get_brokermod
 
 
-log = get_logger('broker.data')
+log = get_logger(__name__)
 
 
 async def wait_for_network(
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class BrokerFeed:
 
 
 @tractor.msg.pub(tasks=['stock', 'option'])
-async def stream_requests(
+async def stream_poll_requests(
     get_topics: typing.Callable,
     get_quotes: Coroutine,
     feed: BrokerFeed,
@@ -90,6 +90,12 @@ async def stream_requests(
     """Stream requests for quotes for a set of symbols at the given
     ``rate`` (per second).
 
+    This routine is built for brokers who support quote polling for multiple
+    symbols per request. The ``get_topics()`` func is called to retreive the
+    set of symbols each iteration and ``get_quotes()`` is to retreive
+    the quotes. 
+
+
     A stock-broker client ``get_quotes()`` async function must be
     provided which returns an async quote retrieval function.
     """
@@ -327,7 +333,7 @@ async def start_quote_stream(
         # push initial smoke quote response for client initialization
         await ctx.send_yield(payload)
 
-        await stream_requests(
+        await stream_poll_requests(
 
             # ``msg.pub`` required kwargs
             task_name=feed_type,
@@ -394,15 +400,19 @@ class DataFeed:
                 # subscribe for tickers (this performs a possible filtering
                 # where invalid symbols are discarded)
                 sd = await self.portal.run(
-                    "piker.brokers.data", 'symbol_data',
-                    broker=self.brokermod.name, tickers=symbols)
+                    "piker.brokers.data",
+                    'symbol_data',
+                    broker=self.brokermod.name,
+                    tickers=symbols
+                )
                 self._symbol_data_cache.update(sd)
 
             if test:
                 # stream from a local test file
                 quote_gen = await self.portal.run(
-                    "piker.brokers.data", 'stream_from_file',
-                    filename=test
+                    "piker.brokers.data",
+                    'stream_from_file',
+                    filename=test,
                 )
             else:
                 log.info(f"Starting new stream for {symbols}")
diff --git a/piker/cli/__init__.py b/piker/cli/__init__.py
index 101f00a7..425df4af 100644
--- a/piker/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/cli/__init__.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import tractor
 
 from ..log import get_console_log, get_logger
 from ..brokers import get_brokermod, config
-from ..brokers.core import _data_mods
+from ..data import maybe_spawn_brokerd
 
 log = get_logger('cli')
 DEFAULT_BROKER = 'questrade'
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ _context_defaults = dict(
 def pikerd(loglevel, host, tl):
     """Spawn the piker broker-daemon.
     """
+    from ..data import _data_mods
     get_console_log(loglevel)
     tractor.run_daemon(
         rpc_module_paths=_data_mods,
@@ -65,8 +66,12 @@ def cli(ctx, broker, loglevel, configdir):
     })
 
 
+def _load_clis() -> None:
+    from ..data import marketstore as _
+    from ..brokers import cli as _
+    from ..ui import cli as _
+    from ..watchlists import cli as _
+
+
 # load downstream cli modules
-from ..brokers import cli as _
-from ..ui import cli as _
-from ..watchlists import cli as _
-from ..data import marketstore as _
+_load_clis()
diff --git a/piker/data/marketstore.py b/piker/data/marketstore.py
index b1c6463d..54dd0d7a 100644
--- a/piker/data/marketstore.py
+++ b/piker/data/marketstore.py
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ import trio
 import tractor
 from trio_websocket import open_websocket_url
 
+from . import maybe_spawn_brokerd
 from ..cli import cli
 from .. import watchlists as wl
 from ..brokers.data import DataFeed
 from ..log import get_logger
-from ..brokers.core import maybe_spawn_brokerd_as_subactor
 
 
 log = get_logger(__name__)
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ def ingest(config, name, test_file, tl, url):
     symbols = watchlists[name]
 
     async def main(tries):
-        async with maybe_spawn_brokerd_as_subactor(
+        async with maybe_spawn_brokerd(
             tries=tries,
             loglevel=loglevel
         ) as portal:
diff --git a/piker/ui/cli.py b/piker/ui/cli.py
index 3782a8cf..2be6d436 100644
--- a/piker/ui/cli.py
+++ b/piker/ui/cli.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import tractor
 
 from ..cli import cli
 from .. import watchlists as wl
-from ..brokers.core import maybe_spawn_brokerd_as_subactor
+from ..data import maybe_spawn_brokerd
 
 
 _config_dir = click.get_app_dir('piker')
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ def monitor(config, rate, name, dhost, test, tl):
     from .kivy.monitor import _async_main
 
     async def main(tries):
-        async with maybe_spawn_brokerd_as_subactor(
+        async with maybe_spawn_brokerd(
+            brokername=brokermod.name,
             tries=tries, loglevel=loglevel
         ) as portal:
             # run app "main"
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ def optschain(config, symbol, date, tl, rate, test):
     from .kivy.option_chain import _async_main
 
     async def main(tries):
-        async with maybe_spawn_brokerd_as_subactor(
+        async with maybe_spawn_brokerd(
             tries=tries, loglevel=loglevel
         ):
             # run app "main"
@@ -116,4 +117,8 @@ def chart(config, symbol, date, tl, rate, test):
     """
     from ._chart import main
 
-    main(symbol)
+    # global opts
+    loglevel = config['loglevel']
+    brokername = config['broker']
+
+    main(sym=symbol, brokername=brokername, loglevel=loglevel)