diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib.py b/piker/brokers/ib.py
index f081bd22..89a8fe11 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib.py
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 from dataclasses import asdict
 from datetime import datetime
 from functools import partial
-from typing import List, Dict, Any, Tuple, Optional, AsyncIterator
+from typing import (
+    List, Dict, Any, Tuple, Optional,
+    AsyncIterator, Awaitable,
+)
 import asyncio
 from pprint import pformat
 import inspect
@@ -292,12 +295,47 @@ class Client:
         df = ibis.util.df(bars)
         return bars, from_df(df)
 
+    async def con_deats(
+        self,
+        contracts: list[Contract],
+
+    ) -> dict[str, ContractDetails]:
+
+        futs = []
+        for con in contracts:
+            if con.primaryExchange not in _exch_skip_list:
+                futs.append(self.ib.reqContractDetailsAsync(con))
+
+        # batch request all details
+        results = await asyncio.gather(*futs)
+
+        # XXX: if there is more then one entry in the details list
+        details = {}
+        for details_set in results:
+
+            # then the contract is so called "ambiguous".
+            for d in details_set:
+                con = d.contract
+                unique_sym = f'{con.symbol}.{con.primaryExchange}'
+
+                as_dict = asdict(d)
+                # nested dataclass we probably don't need and that
+                # won't IPC serialize
+                as_dict.pop('secIdList')
+
+                details[unique_sym] = as_dict
+
+        return details
+
     async def search_stocks(
         self,
         pattern: str,
+
+        get_details: bool = False,
         # how many contracts to search "up to"
         upto: int = 3,
-    ) -> Dict[str, ContractDetails]:
+
+    ) -> dict[str, ContractDetails]:
         """Search for stocks matching provided ``str`` pattern.
 
         Return a dictionary of ``upto`` entries worth of contract details.
@@ -305,37 +343,22 @@ class Client:
         descriptions = await self.ib.reqMatchingSymbolsAsync(pattern)
 
         if descriptions is not None:
+            descrs = descriptions[:upto]
 
-            futs = []
-            for d in descriptions:
-                con = d.contract
-                if con.primaryExchange not in _exch_skip_list:
-                    futs.append(self.ib.reqContractDetailsAsync(con))
+            if get_details:
+                return await self.con_deats([d.contract for d in descrs])
 
-            # batch request all details
-            results = await asyncio.gather(*futs)
-
-            # XXX: if there is more then one entry in the details list
-            details = {}
-            for details_set in results:
-
-                # then the contract is so called "ambiguous".
-                for d in details_set:
+            else:
+                results = {}
+                for d in descrs:
                     con = d.contract
-                    unique_sym = f'{con.symbol}.{con.primaryExchange}'
-
-                    as_dict = asdict(d)
-                    # nested dataclass we probably don't need and that
-                    # won't IPC serialize
-                    as_dict.pop('secIdList')
-
-                    details[unique_sym] = as_dict
-
-                    if len(details) == upto:
-                        return details
-
-            return details
+                    # sometimes there's a weird extra suffix returned
+                    # from search?
+                    exch = con.primaryExchange.rsplit('.')[0]
+                    unique_sym = f'{con.symbol}.{exch}'
+                    results[unique_sym] = {}
 
+                return results
         else:
             return {}
 
@@ -345,20 +368,12 @@ class Client:
         # how many contracts to search "up to"
         upto: int = 3,
         asdicts: bool = True,
+
     ) -> Dict[str, ContractDetails]:
 
         # TODO add search though our adhoc-locally defined symbol set
         # for futes/cmdtys/
-        return await self.search_stocks(pattern, upto, asdicts)
-
-    async def search_futes(
-        self,
-        pattern: str,
-        # how many contracts to search "up to"
-        upto: int = 3,
-        asdicts: bool = True,
-    ) -> Dict[str, ContractDetails]:
-        raise NotImplementedError
+        return await self.search_stocks(pattern, upto, get_details=True)
 
     async def get_cont_fute(
         self,
@@ -1564,20 +1579,51 @@ async def open_symbol_search(
             log.debug(f'searching for {pattern}')
 
             last = time.time()
-            results = await _trio_run_client_method(
-                method='search_stocks',
-                pattern=pattern,
-                upto=5,
-            )
-            log.debug(f'got results {results.keys()}')
 
-            log.debug("fuzzy matching")
-            matches = fuzzy.extractBests(
+            # async batch search using api stocks endpoint and module
+            # defined adhoc symbol set.
+            stock_results = []
+
+            async def stash_results(target: Awaitable[list]):
+                stock_results.extend(await target)
+
+            async with trio.open_nursery() as sn:
+                sn.start_soon(
+                    stash_results,
+                    _trio_run_client_method(
+                        method='search_stocks',
+                        pattern=pattern,
+                        upto=5,
+                    )
+                )
+
+                # trigger async request
+                await trio.sleep(0)
+
+                # match against our ad-hoc set immediately
+                adhoc_matches = fuzzy.extractBests(
+                    pattern,
+                    list(_adhoc_futes_set),
+                    score_cutoff=90,
+                )
+                log.info(f'fuzzy matched adhocs: {adhoc_matches}')
+                adhoc_match_results = {}
+                if adhoc_matches:
+                    # TODO: do we need to pull contract details?
+                    adhoc_match_results = {i[0]: {} for i in adhoc_matches}
+
+            log.debug(f'fuzzy matching stocks {stock_results}')
+            stock_matches = fuzzy.extractBests(
                 pattern,
-                results,
+                stock_results,
                 score_cutoff=50,
             )
 
-            matches = {item[2]: item[0] for item in matches}
+            matches = adhoc_match_results | {
+                item[0]: {} for item in stock_matches
+            }
+            # TODO: we used to deliver contract details
+            # {item[2]: item[0] for item in stock_matches}
+
             log.debug(f"sending matches: {matches.keys()}")
             await stream.send(matches)