diff --git a/piker/ui/_forms.py b/piker/ui/_forms.py
index 5aed6f9c..38184ca4 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_forms.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_forms.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ Text entry "forms" widgets (mostly for configuration and UI user input).
 from __future__ import annotations
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 from functools import partial
-from textwrap import dedent
 from typing import (
     Optional, Any, Callable, Awaitable
 )
@@ -320,14 +319,14 @@ class FieldsForm(QWidget):
         self.vbox = QVBoxLayout(self)
         # self.vbox.setAlignment(Qt.AlignVCenter)
         self.vbox.setAlignment(Qt.AlignBottom)
-        self.vbox.setContentsMargins(0, 4, 3, 6)
+        self.vbox.setContentsMargins(3, 6, 3, 6)
         self.vbox.setSpacing(0)
 
         # split layout for the (<label>: |<widget>|) parameters entry
         self.form = QFormLayout()
         self.form.setAlignment(Qt.AlignTop | Qt.AlignLeft)
-        self.form.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
-        self.form.setSpacing(3)
+        self.form.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 3, 0)
+        self.form.setSpacing(0)
         self.form.setHorizontalSpacing(0)
 
         self.vbox.addLayout(self.form, stretch=1/3)
@@ -645,9 +644,7 @@ def mk_fill_status_bar(
     # PnL on lhs
     bar_labels_lhs = QVBoxLayout()
     left_label = form.add_field_label(
-        dedent("""
-        {pnl:>+.2%} pnl
-        """),
+        '{pnl:>+.2%} pnl',
         font_size=bar_label_font_size,
         font_color='gunmetal',
     )
@@ -674,18 +671,13 @@ def mk_fill_status_bar(
     # https://docs.python.org/3/library/string.html#grammar-token-precision
 
     top_label = form.add_field_label(
-        # {limit:.1f} limit
-        dedent("""
-        {limit}
-        """),
+        '{limit}',
         font_size=bar_label_font_size,
         font_color='gunmetal',
     )
 
     bottom_label = form.add_field_label(
-        dedent("""
-        x: {step_size}\n
-        """),
+        'x: {step_size}',
         font_size=bar_label_font_size,
         font_color='gunmetal',
     )
@@ -788,29 +780,10 @@ def mk_order_pane_layout(
     # add pp fill bar + spacing
     vbox.addLayout(hbox, stretch=1/3)
 
-    # TODO: status labels for brokerd real-time info
-    # feed_label = form.add_field_label(
-    #     dedent("""
-    #     brokerd.ib\n
-    #     |_@{host}:{port}\n
-    #     |_consumers: {cons}\n
-    #     |_streams: {streams}\n
-    #     |_shms: {streams}\n
-    #     """),
-    #     font_size=_font_small.px_size,
-    # )
-
-    # # add feed info label
-    # vbox.addWidget(
-    #     feed_label,
-    #     alignment=Qt.AlignBottom,
-    #     # stretch=1/3,
-    # )
-
     # TODO: handle resize events and appropriately scale this
     # to the sidepane height?
     # https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/layout.html#adding-widgets-to-a-layout
-    vbox.setSpacing(_font.px_size * 1.375)
+    # vbox.setSpacing(_font.px_size * 1.375)
 
     form.show()
     return form
diff --git a/piker/ui/order_mode.py b/piker/ui/order_mode.py
index 69a627fa..0c4ea9b4 100644
--- a/piker/ui/order_mode.py
+++ b/piker/ui/order_mode.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ from ._position import (
     PositionTracker,
     SettingsPane,
 )
+from ._label import FormatLabel
 from ._window import MultiStatus
 from ..clearing._messages import Order
 from ._forms import open_form_input_handling
@@ -623,6 +624,64 @@ async def open_order_mode(
 
         # setup order mode sidepane widgets
         form = chart.sidepane
+        vbox = form.vbox
+
+        from textwrap import dedent
+
+        from PyQt5.QtCore import Qt
+
+        from ._style import _font, _font_small
+        from ..calc import humanize
+
+        feed_label = FormatLabel(
+            fmt_str=dedent("""
+            actor: **{actor_name}**\n
+            |_ @**{host}:{port}**\n
+            |_ throttle_hz: **{throttle_rate}**\n
+            |_ streams: **{symbols}**\n
+            |_ shm: **{shm}**\n
+            """),
+            font=_font.font,
+            font_size=_font_small.px_size - 1,
+            font_color='default_lightest',
+        )
+
+        form.feed_label = feed_label
+
+        # add feed info label
+        # vbox.addWidget(
+        vbox.insertWidget(
+            0,
+            feed_label,
+            alignment=Qt.AlignBottom,
+            # stretch=1/3,
+        )
+        # vbox.setAlignment(feed_label, Qt.AlignBottom)
+        # vbox.setAlignment(Qt.AlignBottom)
+        blank_h = chart.height() - (
+            form.height() +
+            form.fill_bar.height()
+            # feed_label.height()
+        )
+        # await tractor.breakpoint()
+
+        # vbox.setSpacing(round(blank_h / 3) - 2*_font.px_size)
+        vbox.setSpacing((1 + 5/8)*_font.px_size)
+
+        # fill in brokerd feed info
+        host, port = feed.portal.channel.raddr
+        if host == '127.0.0.1':
+            host = 'localhost'
+        mpshm = feed.shm._shm
+        shmstr = f'{humanize(mpshm.size)}'
+        form.feed_label.format(
+            actor_name=feed.portal.channel.uid[0],
+            host=host,
+            port=port,
+            symbols=len(feed.symbols),
+            shm=shmstr,
+            throttle_rate=feed.throttle_rate,
+        )
 
         order_pane = SettingsPane(
             form=form,