diff --git a/ai/prompt-io/prompts/subints_spawner.md b/ai/prompt-io/prompts/subints_spawner.md
index 4911a930..08d38684 100644
--- a/ai/prompt-io/prompts/subints_spawner.md
+++ b/ai/prompt-io/prompts/subints_spawner.md
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Part of this work should include,
     is happening under the hood with how cpython implements subints.
 
   * default configuration should encourage state isolation as with
-    with subprocs, but explicit public escape hatches to enable rigorously
+    subprocs, but explicit public escape hatches to enable rigorously
     managed shm channels for high performance apps.
 
 - all tests should be (able to be) parameterized to use the new
diff --git a/tractor/spawn/__init__.py b/tractor/spawn/__init__.py
index 3f363889..cb9be559 100644
--- a/tractor/spawn/__init__.py
+++ b/tractor/spawn/__init__.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ coroutine registered in `_spawn._methods`):
 - `._mp`: the stdlib `multiprocessing` backend variants — driven by
   the `mp.context` bound to `_spawn._ctx`:
   * `'mp_spawn'`,
-  * `'mp_forkserver'` 
+  * `'mp_forkserver'`
 
 Entry-point helpers live in `._entry`/`._mp_fixup_main`/
 `._forkserver_override`.
diff --git a/tractor/spawn/_trio.py b/tractor/spawn/_trio.py
index bdb97c75..3b425256 100644
--- a/tractor/spawn/_trio.py
+++ b/tractor/spawn/_trio.py
@@ -246,7 +246,11 @@ async def trio_proc(
                             await proc.wait()
 
                 await debug.maybe_wait_for_debugger(
-                    child_in_debug=get_runtime_vars().get(
+                    # NOTE: use the child's `_runtime_vars`
+                    # (the fn-arg dict shipped via `SpawnSpec`)
+                    # — NOT `get_runtime_vars()` which returns
+                    # the *parent's* live runtime state.
+                    child_in_debug=_runtime_vars.get(
                         '_debug_mode', False
                     ),
                     header_msg=(