diff --git a/piker/ui/_chart.py b/piker/ui/_chart.py
index a162d76a..78aa631b 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_chart.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_chart.py
@@ -1689,8 +1689,8 @@ async def _async_main(
             # start handling search bar kb inputs
             async with (
 
-                _event.open_handler(
-                    search.bar,
+                _event.open_handlers(
+                    [search.bar],
                     event_types={QEvent.KeyPress},
                     async_handler=_search.handle_keyboard_input,
                     # let key repeats pass through for search
diff --git a/piker/ui/_event.py b/piker/ui/_event.py
index a99b3241..769d96cf 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_event.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_event.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 Qt event proxying and processing using ``trio`` mem chans.
 
 """
-from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager, AsyncExitStack
 from typing import Callable
 
 from PyQt5 import QtCore
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ async def open_event_stream(
 
 
 @asynccontextmanager
-async def open_handler(
+async def open_handlers(
 
-    source_widget: QWidget,
+    source_widgets: list[QWidget],
     event_types: set[QEvent],
     async_handler: Callable[[QWidget, trio.abc.ReceiveChannel], None],
     **kwargs,
@@ -135,7 +135,13 @@ async def open_handler(
 
     async with (
         trio.open_nursery() as n,
-        open_event_stream(source_widget, event_types, **kwargs) as event_recv_stream,
+        AsyncExitStack() as stack,
     ):
-        n.start_soon(async_handler, source_widget, event_recv_stream)
+        for widget in source_widgets:
+
+            event_recv_stream = await stack.enter_async_context(
+                open_event_stream(widget, event_types, **kwargs)
+            )
+            n.start_soon(async_handler, widget, event_recv_stream)
+
         yield
diff --git a/piker/ui/_interaction.py b/piker/ui/_interaction.py
index 4e5f8017..a14fcb97 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_interaction.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_interaction.py
@@ -273,8 +273,8 @@ class ChartView(ViewBox):
     ) -> 'ChartView':
         from . import _event
 
-        async with _event.open_handler(
-            self,
+        async with _event.open_handlers(
+            [self],
             event_types={QEvent.KeyPress, QEvent.KeyRelease},
             async_handler=handle_viewmode_inputs,
         ):