diff --git a/piker/_cacheables.py b/piker/_cacheables.py
index d15e7c45..87b700f5 100644
--- a/piker/_cacheables.py
+++ b/piker/_cacheables.py
@@ -31,13 +31,11 @@ from typing import (
 )
 from contextlib import (
     asynccontextmanager,
-    AsyncExitStack,
 )
 
 import trio
 from trio_typing import TaskStatus
 import tractor
-from tractor._portal import maybe_open_nursery
 
 from .brokers import get_brokermod
 from .log import get_logger
@@ -86,8 +84,11 @@ class cache:
     '''
     lock = trio.Lock()
     users: int = 0
-    values: dict[tuple[str, str], tuple[AsyncExitStack, Any]] = {}
-    nurseries: dict[int, Optional[trio.Nursery]] = {}
+    values: dict[Any,  Any] = {}
+    resources: dict[
+        int,
+        Optional[tuple[trio.Nursery, trio.Event]]
+    ] = {}
     no_more_users: Optional[trio.Event] = None
 
     @classmethod
@@ -100,15 +101,15 @@ class cache:
     ) -> None:
         async with mng as value:
 
-            cls.no_more_users = trio.Event()
+            _, no_more_users = cls.resources[id(mng)]
             cls.values[key] = value
             task_status.started(value)
             try:
-                await cls.no_more_users.wait()
+                await no_more_users.wait()
             finally:
                 value = cls.values.pop(key)
                 # discard nursery ref so it won't be re-used (an error)
-                cls.nurseries.pop(id(mng))
+                cls.resources.pop(id(mng))
 
 
 @asynccontextmanager
@@ -128,13 +129,12 @@ async def maybe_open_ctx(
 
     ctx_key = id(mngr)
 
-
     value = None
     try:
         # lock feed acquisition around task racing  / ``trio``'s
         # scheduler protocol
         value = cache.values[key]
-        log.info(f'Reusing cached feed for {key}')
+        log.info(f'Reusing cached resource for {key}')
         cache.users += 1
         cache.lock.release()
         yield True, value
@@ -146,14 +146,15 @@ async def maybe_open_ctx(
         # checking the cache until complete otherwise the scheduler
         # may switch and by accident we create more then one feed.
 
-        # TODO: vaoid pulling from ``tractor`` internals and
-        # instead offer a "root nursery" in 
+        # TODO: avoid pulling from ``tractor`` internals and
+        # instead offer a "root nursery" in piker actors?
         service_n = tractor.current_actor()._service_n
 
         # TODO: does this need to be a tractor "root nursery"?
-        ln = cache.nurseries.get(ctx_key)
+        ln = cache.resources.get(ctx_key)
         assert not ln
-        ln = cache.nurseries[ctx_key] = service_n
+
+        ln, _ = cache.resources[ctx_key] = (service_n, trio.Event())
 
         value = await ln.start(cache.run_ctx, mngr, key)
         cache.users += 1
@@ -170,10 +171,11 @@ async def maybe_open_ctx(
         if value is not None:
             # if no more consumers, teardown the client
             if cache.users <= 0:
-                log.warning(f'De-allocating feed for {key}')
+                log.warning(f'De-allocating resource for {key}')
 
                 # terminate mngr nursery
-                cache.no_more_users.set()
+                _, no_more_users = cache.resources[ctx_key]
+                no_more_users.set()
 
 
 @asynccontextmanager