diff --git a/piker/brokers/binance/venues.py b/piker/brokers/binance/venues.py
index dce0ea95..2c025fe1 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/binance/venues.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/binance/venues.py
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@ class FutesPair(Pair):
     quoteAsset: str  # 'USDT',
     quotePrecision: int  # 8,
     requiredMarginPercent: float  # '5.0000',
-    settlePlan: int  # 0,
     timeInForce: list[str]  # ['GTC', 'IOC', 'FOK', 'GTX'],
     triggerProtect: float  # '0.0500',
     underlyingSubType: list[str]  # ['PoW'],
diff --git a/piker/brokers/kucoin.py b/piker/brokers/kucoin.py
index 0f5961ae..1dda64e7 100755
--- a/piker/brokers/kucoin.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/kucoin.py
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ class KucoinMktPair(Struct, frozen=True):
     quoteMaxSize: float
     quoteMinSize: float
     symbol: str  # our bs_mktid, kucoin's internal id
+    feeCategory: int
+    makerFeeCoefficient: float
+    takerFeeCoefficient: float
+    st: bool
 
 
 class AccountTrade(Struct, frozen=True):
@@ -593,7 +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)
@@ -637,7 +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
@@ -649,9 +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:
@@ -726,6 +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)
@@ -733,7 +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(
                 (
@@ -747,20 +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
@@ -815,7 +847,7 @@ async def subscribe(
             )
 
 
-async def stream_messages(
+async def iter_normed_quotes(
     ws: NoBsWs,
     sym: str,
 
@@ -846,6 +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': [
@@ -938,7 +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]}'
                 )
diff --git a/piker/clearing/_ems.py b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
index 3f7045fa..af5fe690 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_ems.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
@@ -653,7 +653,11 @@ class Router(Struct):
             flume = feed.flumes[fqme]
             first_quote: dict = flume.first_quote
             book: DarkBook = self.get_dark_book(broker)
-            book.lasts[fqme]: float = float(first_quote['last'])
+
+            if not (last := first_quote.get('last')):
+                last: float = flume.rt_shm.array[-1]['close']
+
+            book.lasts[fqme]: float = float(last)
 
             async with self.maybe_open_brokerd_dialog(
                 brokermod=brokermod,
@@ -716,7 +720,7 @@ class Router(Struct):
             subs = self.subscribers[sub_key]
 
         sent_some: bool = False
-        for client_stream in subs:
+        for client_stream in subs.copy():
             try:
                 await client_stream.send(msg)
                 sent_some = True
@@ -1010,10 +1014,14 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
                 status_msg.brokerd_msg = msg
                 status_msg.src = msg.broker_details['name']
 
-                await router.client_broadcast(
-                    status_msg.req.symbol,
-                    status_msg,
-                )
+                if not status_msg.req:
+                    # likely some order change state?
+                    await tractor.pause()
+                else:
+                    await router.client_broadcast(
+                        status_msg.req.symbol,
+                        status_msg,
+                    )
 
                 if status == 'closed':
                     log.info(f'Execution for {oid} is complete!')