diff --git a/piker/brokers/kucoin.py b/piker/brokers/kucoin.py
index 200943ac..1dda64e7 100755
--- a/piker/brokers/kucoin.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/kucoin.py
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ async def get_client() -> AsyncGenerator[Client, None]:
     '''
     async with (
         httpx.AsyncClient(
-            base_url=f'https://api.kucoin.com/api',
+            base_url='https://api.kucoin.com/api',
         ) as trio_client,
     ):
         client = Client(httpx_client=trio_client)
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ async def open_ping_task(
                 await trio.sleep((ping_interval - 1000) / 1000)
                 await ws.send_msg({'id': connect_id, 'type': 'ping'})
 
-        log.info('Starting ping task for kucoin ws connection')
+        log.warning('Starting ping task for kucoin ws connection')
         n.start_soon(ping_server)
 
         yield
@@ -653,9 +653,14 @@ async def open_ping_task(
 async def get_mkt_info(
     fqme: str,
 
-) -> tuple[MktPair, KucoinMktPair]:
+) -> tuple[
+    MktPair,
+    KucoinMktPair,
+]:
     '''
-    Query for and return a `MktPair` and `KucoinMktPair`.
+    Query for and return both a `piker.accounting.MktPair` and
+    `KucoinMktPair` from provided `fqme: str`
+    (fully-qualified-market-endpoint).
 
     '''
     async with open_cached_client('kucoin') as client:
@@ -730,6 +735,8 @@ async def stream_quotes(
 
         log.info(f'Starting up quote stream(s) for {symbols}')
         for sym_str in symbols:
+            mkt: MktPair
+            pair: KucoinMktPair
             mkt, pair = await get_mkt_info(sym_str)
             init_msgs.append(
                 FeedInit(mkt_info=mkt)
@@ -737,7 +744,11 @@ async def stream_quotes(
 
         ws: NoBsWs
         token, ping_interval = await client._get_ws_token()
-        connect_id = str(uuid4())
+        log.info('API reported ping_interval: {ping_interval}\n')
+
+        connect_id: str = str(uuid4())
+        typ: str
+        quote: dict
         async with (
             open_autorecon_ws(
                 (
@@ -751,20 +762,37 @@ async def stream_quotes(
                 ),
             ) as ws,
             open_ping_task(ws, ping_interval, connect_id),
-            aclosing(stream_messages(ws, sym_str)) as msg_gen,
+            aclosing(
+                iter_normed_quotes(
+                    ws, sym_str
+                )
+            ) as iter_quotes,
         ):
-            typ, quote = await anext(msg_gen)
+            typ, quote = await anext(iter_quotes)
 
-            while typ != 'trade':
-                # take care to not unblock here until we get a real
-                # trade quote
-                typ, quote = await anext(msg_gen)
+            # take care to not unblock here until we get a real
+            # trade quote?
+            # ^TODO, remove this right?
+            # -[ ] what often blocks chart boot/new-feed switching
+            #   since we'ere waiting for a live quote instead of just
+            #   loading history afap..
+            #  |_ XXX, not sure if we require a bit of rework to core
+            #    feed init logic or if backends justg gotta be
+            #    changed up.. feel like there was some causality
+            #    dilema prolly only seen with IB too..
+            # while typ != 'trade':
+            #     typ, quote = await anext(iter_quotes)
 
             task_status.started((init_msgs, quote))
             feed_is_live.set()
 
-            async for typ, msg in msg_gen:
-                await send_chan.send({sym_str: msg})
+            # XXX NOTE, DO NOT include the `.<backend>` suffix!
+            # OW the sampling loop will not broadcast correctly..
+            # since `bus._subscribers.setdefault(bs_fqme, set())`
+            # is used inside `.data.open_feed_bus()` !!!
+            topic: str = mkt.bs_fqme
+            async for typ, quote in iter_quotes:
+                await send_chan.send({topic: quote})
 
 
 @acm
@@ -819,7 +847,7 @@ async def subscribe(
             )
 
 
-async def stream_messages(
+async def iter_normed_quotes(
     ws: NoBsWs,
     sym: str,
 
@@ -850,6 +878,9 @@ async def stream_messages(
 
                 yield 'trade', {
                     'symbol': sym,
+                    # TODO, is 'last' even used elsewhere/a-good
+                    # semantic? can't we just read the ticks with our
+                    # .data.ticktools.frame_ticks()`/
                     'last': trade_data.price,
                     'brokerd_ts': last_trade_ts,
                     'ticks': [
@@ -942,7 +973,7 @@ async def open_history_client(
             if end_dt is None:
                 inow = round(time.time())
 
-                print(
+                log.debug(
                     f'difference in time between load and processing'
                     f'{inow - times[-1]}'
                 )