diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib/api.py b/piker/brokers/ib/api.py
index 67e63f70..431c889f 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib/api.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib/api.py
@@ -843,6 +843,7 @@ class Client:
         self,
         contract: Contract,
         timeout: float = 1,
+        tries: int = 100,
         raise_on_timeout: bool = False,
 
     ) -> Ticker | None:
@@ -857,30 +858,30 @@ class Client:
         ready: ticker.TickerUpdateEvent = ticker.updateEvent
 
         # ensure a last price gets filled in before we deliver quote
+        timeouterr: Exception | None = None
         warnset: bool = False
-        for _ in range(100):
-            if isnan(ticker.last):
+        for _ in range(tries):
 
-                # wait for a first update(Event)
+            # wait for a first update(Event) indicatingn a 
+            # live quote feed.
+            if isnan(ticker.last):
                 try:
                     tkr = await asyncio.wait_for(
                         ready,
                         timeout=timeout,
                     )
-                except TimeoutError:
-                    import pdbp
-                    pdbp.set_trace()
+                    if tkr:
+                        break
+                except TimeoutError as err:
+                    timeouterr = err
+                    await asyncio.sleep(0.01)
+                    continue
 
-                    if raise_on_timeout:
-                        raise
-                    return None
-
-                if tkr:
-                    break
                 else:
                     if not warnset:
                         log.warning(
-                            f'Quote for {contract} timed out: market is closed?'
+                            f'Quote req timed out..maybe venue is closed?\n'
+                            f'{asdict(contract)}'
                         )
                         warnset = True
 
@@ -888,6 +889,11 @@ class Client:
                 log.info(f'Got first quote for {contract}')
                 break
         else:
+            if timeouterr and raise_on_timeout:
+                import pdbp
+                pdbp.set_trace()
+                raise timeouterr
+
             if not warnset:
                 log.warning(
                     f'Contract {contract} is not returning a quote '
@@ -895,6 +901,8 @@ class Client:
                 )
                 warnset = True
 
+            return None
+
         return ticker
 
     # async to be consistent for the client proxy, and cuz why not.
diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib/feed.py b/piker/brokers/ib/feed.py
index a175209d..c6ed6350 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib/feed.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib/feed.py
@@ -943,6 +943,11 @@ async def stream_quotes(
             contract=con,
             raise_on_timeout=True,
         )
+        first_quote: dict = normalize(first_ticker)
+        log.info(
+            'Rxed init quote:\n'
+            f'{pformat(first_quote)}'
+        )
         cs: trio.CancelScope | None = None
         startup: bool = True
         while (