diff --git a/tractor/devx/__init__.py b/tractor/devx/__init__.py
index 80c6744f..6b681d98 100644
--- a/tractor/devx/__init__.py
+++ b/tractor/devx/__init__.py
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ from .pformat import (
     pformat_caller_frame as pformat_caller_frame,
     pformat_boxed_tb as pformat_boxed_tb,
 )
+from ._debug_hangs import (
+    dump_on_hang as dump_on_hang,
+    track_resource_deltas as track_resource_deltas,
+    resource_delta_fixture as resource_delta_fixture,
+)
 
 
 # TODO, move this to a new `.devx._pdbp` mod?
diff --git a/tractor/devx/_debug_hangs.py b/tractor/devx/_debug_hangs.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ac66f94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tractor/devx/_debug_hangs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,227 @@
+# tractor: structured concurrent "actors".
+# Copyright 2018-eternity Tyler Goodlet.
+
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+'''
+Hang-diagnostic helpers for concurrent / multi-interpreter code.
+
+Collected from the `subint` spawn backend bringup (issue #379)
+where silent test-suite hangs needed careful teardown
+instrumentation to diagnose. This module bottles up the
+techniques that actually worked so future hangs are faster
+to corner.
+
+Two primitives:
+
+1. `dump_on_hang()` — context manager wrapping
+   `faulthandler.dump_traceback_later()` with the critical
+   gotcha baked in: write the dump to a **file**, not
+   `sys.stderr`. Under `pytest` (and any other output
+   capturer) stderr gets swallowed and the dump is easy to
+   miss — burning hours convinced you're looking at the wrong
+   thing.
+
+2. `track_resource_deltas()` — context manager (+ optional
+   autouse-fixture factory) logging per-block deltas of
+   `threading.active_count()` and — if running on py3.13+ —
+   `len(_interpreters.list_all())`. Lets you quickly rule out
+   leak-accumulation theories when a suite hangs more
+   frequently as it progresses (if counts don't grow, it's
+   not a leak; look for a race on shared cleanup instead).
+
+See issue #379 / commit `26fb820` for the worked example.
+
+'''
+from __future__ import annotations
+import faulthandler
+import sys
+import threading
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import (
+    Callable,
+    Iterator,
+)
+
+try:
+    import _interpreters  # type: ignore
+except ImportError:
+    _interpreters = None  # type: ignore
+
+
+__all__ = [
+    'dump_on_hang',
+    'track_resource_deltas',
+    'resource_delta_fixture',
+]
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def dump_on_hang(
+    seconds: float = 30.0,
+    *,
+    path: str | Path = '/tmp/tractor_hang.dump',
+    all_threads: bool = True,
+
+) -> Iterator[str]:
+    '''
+    Arm `faulthandler` to dump all-thread tracebacks to
+    `path` after `seconds` if the with-block hasn't exited.
+
+    *Writes to a file, not stderr* — `pytest`'s stderr
+    capture silently eats stderr-destined `faulthandler`
+    output, and the same happens under any framework that
+    redirects file-descriptors. Pointing the dump at a real
+    file sidesteps that.
+
+    Yields the resolved file path so it's easy to read back.
+
+    Example
+    -------
+    ::
+
+        from tractor.devx import dump_on_hang
+
+        def test_hang():
+            with dump_on_hang(
+                seconds=15,
+                path='/tmp/my_test_hang.dump',
+            ) as dump_path:
+                trio.run(main)
+            # if it hangs, inspect dump_path afterward
+
+    '''
+    dump_path = Path(path)
+    f = dump_path.open('w')
+    try:
+        faulthandler.dump_traceback_later(
+            seconds,
+            repeat=False,
+            file=f,
+            exit=False,
+        )
+        try:
+            yield str(dump_path)
+        finally:
+            faulthandler.cancel_dump_traceback_later()
+    finally:
+        f.close()
+
+
+def _snapshot() -> tuple[int, int]:
+    '''
+    Return `(thread_count, subint_count)`.
+
+    Subint count reported as `0` on pythons lacking the
+    private `_interpreters` stdlib module (i.e. py<3.13).
+
+    '''
+    threads: int = threading.active_count()
+    subints: int = (
+        len(_interpreters.list_all())
+        if _interpreters is not None
+        else 0
+    )
+    return threads, subints
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def track_resource_deltas(
+    label: str = '',
+    *,
+    writer: Callable[[str], None] | None = None,
+
+) -> Iterator[tuple[int, int]]:
+    '''
+    Log `(threads, subints)` deltas across the with-block.
+
+    `writer` defaults to `sys.stderr.write` (+ trailing
+    newline); pass a custom callable to route elsewhere
+    (e.g., a log handler or an append-to-file).
+
+    Yields the pre-entry snapshot so callers can assert
+    against the expected counts if they want.
+
+    Example
+    -------
+    ::
+
+        from tractor.devx import track_resource_deltas
+
+        async def test_foo():
+            with track_resource_deltas(label='test_foo'):
+                async with tractor.open_nursery() as an:
+                    ...
+
+        # Output:
+        #   test_foo: threads 2->2, subints 1->1
+
+    '''
+    before = _snapshot()
+    try:
+        yield before
+    finally:
+        after = _snapshot()
+        msg: str = (
+            f'{label}: '
+            f'threads {before[0]}->{after[0]}, '
+            f'subints {before[1]}->{after[1]}'
+        )
+        if writer is None:
+            sys.stderr.write(msg + '\n')
+            sys.stderr.flush()
+        else:
+            writer(msg)
+
+
+def resource_delta_fixture(
+    *,
+    autouse: bool = True,
+    writer: Callable[[str], None] | None = None,
+
+) -> Callable:
+    '''
+    Factory returning a `pytest` fixture that wraps each test
+    in `track_resource_deltas(label=<node.name>)`.
+
+    Usage in a `conftest.py`::
+
+        # tests/conftest.py
+        from tractor.devx import resource_delta_fixture
+
+        track_resources = resource_delta_fixture()
+
+    or opt-in per-test::
+
+        track_resources = resource_delta_fixture(autouse=False)
+
+        def test_foo(track_resources):
+            ...
+
+    Kept as a factory (not a bare fixture) so callers control
+    `autouse` / `writer` without having to subclass or patch.
+
+    '''
+    import pytest  # deferred: only needed when caller opts in
+
+    @pytest.fixture(autouse=autouse)
+    def _track_resources(request):
+        with track_resource_deltas(
+            label=request.node.name,
+            writer=writer,
+        ):
+            yield
+
+    return _track_resources