diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index ca18f2c4..f799bc22 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -42,13 +42,16 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
+      - name: Build DB container
+        run: docker build -t piker:elastic dockering/elastic
+
       - name: Setup python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v3
         with:
           python-version: '3.10'
 
       - name: Install dependencies
-        run: pip install -U . -r requirements-test.txt -r requirements.txt --upgrade-strategy eager
+        run: pip install -U .[es] -r requirements-test.txt -r requirements.txt --upgrade-strategy eager
 
       - name: Test suite
         run: pytest tests -rs
diff --git a/dockering/elastic/Dockerfile b/dockering/elastic/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f497a7a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dockering/elastic/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+FROM elasticsearch:7.17.4
+
+ENV ES_JAVA_OPTS "-Xms2g -Xmx2g"
+ENV ELASTIC_USERNAME "elastic"
+ENV ELASTIC_PASSWORD "password"
+
+COPY elasticsearch.yml /usr/share/elasticsearch/config/
+
+RUN printf "password" | ./bin/elasticsearch-keystore add -f -x "bootstrap.password"
+
+EXPOSE 19200
diff --git a/dockering/elastic/elasticsearch.yml b/dockering/elastic/elasticsearch.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fdaa905f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dockering/elastic/elasticsearch.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+network.host: 0.0.0.0
+
+http.port: 19200
+
+discovery.type: single-node
diff --git a/piker/_daemon.py b/piker/_daemon.py
index f4acf9f3..8983eccc 100644
--- a/piker/_daemon.py
+++ b/piker/_daemon.py
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ from .log import (
 )
 from .brokers import get_brokermod
 
+from pprint import pformat
+from functools import partial
+
 
 log = get_logger(__name__)
 
@@ -313,6 +316,7 @@ async def open_piker_runtime(
 
 @acm
 async def open_pikerd(
+
     loglevel: str | None = None,
 
     # XXX: you should pretty much never want debug mode
@@ -320,6 +324,10 @@ async def open_pikerd(
     debug_mode: bool = False,
     registry_addr: None | tuple[str, int] = None,
 
+    # db init flags
+    tsdb: bool = False,
+    es: bool = False,
+
 ) -> Services:
     '''
     Start a root piker daemon who's lifetime extends indefinitely until
@@ -349,12 +357,54 @@ async def open_pikerd(
     ):
         assert root_actor.accept_addr == reg_addr
 
+        if tsdb:
+            from piker.data._ahab import start_ahab
+            from piker.data.marketstore import start_marketstore
+
+            log.info('Spawning `marketstore` supervisor')
+            ctn_ready, config, (cid, pid) = await service_nursery.start(
+                start_ahab,
+                'marketstored',
+                start_marketstore,
+
+            )
+            log.info(
+                f'`marketstored` up!\n'
+                f'pid: {pid}\n'
+                f'container id: {cid[:12]}\n'
+                f'config: {pformat(config)}'
+            )
+
+        if es:
+            from piker.data._ahab import start_ahab
+            from piker.data.elastic import start_elasticsearch
+
+            log.info('Spawning `elasticsearch` supervisor')
+            ctn_ready, config, (cid, pid) = await service_nursery.start(
+                partial(
+                    start_ahab,
+                    'elasticsearch',
+                    start_elasticsearch,
+                    start_timeout=240.0  # high cause ci
+                )
+            )
+
+            log.info(
+                f'`elasticsearch` up!\n'
+                f'pid: {pid}\n'
+                f'container id: {cid[:12]}\n'
+                f'config: {pformat(config)}'
+            )
+
         # assign globally for future daemon/task creation
         Services.actor_n = actor_nursery
         Services.service_n = service_nursery
         Services.debug_mode = debug_mode
+
+
         try:
             yield Services
+
         finally:
             # TODO: is this more clever/efficient?
             # if 'samplerd' in Services.service_tasks:
@@ -390,6 +440,8 @@ async def maybe_open_runtime(
 async def maybe_open_pikerd(
     loglevel: Optional[str] = None,
     registry_addr: None | tuple = None,
+    tsdb: bool = False,
+    es: bool = False,
 
     **kwargs,
 
@@ -439,6 +491,8 @@ async def maybe_open_pikerd(
         loglevel=loglevel,
         debug_mode=kwargs.get('debug_mode', False),
         registry_addr=registry_addr,
+        tsdb=tsdb,
+        es=es,
 
     ) as service_manager:
         # in the case where we're starting up the
diff --git a/piker/cli/__init__.py b/piker/cli/__init__.py
index 07484634..9b6f225c 100644
--- a/piker/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/cli/__init__.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ CLI commons.
 '''
 import os
 from pprint import pformat
+from functools import partial
 
 import click
 import trio
@@ -48,6 +49,11 @@ log = get_logger('cli')
     is_flag=True,
     help='Enable local ``marketstore`` instance'
 )
+@click.option(
+    '--es',
+    is_flag=True,
+    help='Enable local ``elasticsearch`` instance'
+)
 def pikerd(
     loglevel: str,
     host: str,
@@ -55,11 +61,13 @@ def pikerd(
     tl: bool,
     pdb: bool,
     tsdb: bool,
+    es: bool,
 ):
     '''
     Spawn the piker broker-daemon.
 
     '''
+
     from .._daemon import open_pikerd
     log = get_console_log(loglevel)
 
@@ -80,9 +88,10 @@ def pikerd(
         )
 
     async def main():
-
         async with (
             open_pikerd(
+                tsdb=tsdb,
+                es=es,
                 loglevel=loglevel,
                 debug_mode=pdb,
                 registry_addr=reg_addr,
@@ -90,23 +99,6 @@ def pikerd(
             ),  # normally delivers a ``Services`` handle
             trio.open_nursery() as n,
         ):
-            if tsdb:
-                from piker.data._ahab import start_ahab
-                from piker.data.marketstore import start_marketstore
-
-                log.info('Spawning `marketstore` supervisor')
-                ctn_ready, config, (cid, pid) = await n.start(
-                    start_ahab,
-                    'marketstored',
-                    start_marketstore,
-
-                )
-                log.info(
-                    f'`marketstored` up!\n'
-                    f'pid: {pid}\n'
-                    f'container id: {cid[:12]}\n'
-                    f'config: {pformat(config)}'
-                )
 
             await trio.sleep_forever()
 
@@ -213,6 +205,7 @@ def services(config, tl, ports):
 
 def _load_clis() -> None:
     from ..data import marketstore  # noqa
+    from ..data import elastic
     from ..data import cli  # noqa
     from ..brokers import cli  # noqa
     from ..ui import cli  # noqa
diff --git a/piker/data/_ahab.py b/piker/data/_ahab.py
index 218d46e0..39a5b46a 100644
--- a/piker/data/_ahab.py
+++ b/piker/data/_ahab.py
@@ -124,7 +124,9 @@ class Container:
 
     async def process_logs_until(
         self,
-        patt: str,
+        # this is a predicate func for matching log msgs emitted by the
+        # underlying containerized app
+        patt_matcher: Callable[[str], bool],
         bp_on_msg: bool = False,
     ) -> bool:
         '''
@@ -135,7 +137,14 @@ class Container:
         seen_so_far = self.seen_so_far
 
         while True:
-            logs = self.cntr.logs()
+            try:
+                logs = self.cntr.logs()
+            except (
+                docker.errors.NotFound,
+                docker.errors.APIError
+            ):
+                return False
+
             entries = logs.decode().split('\n')
             for entry in entries:
 
@@ -143,31 +152,38 @@ class Container:
                 if not entry:
                     continue
 
+                entry = entry.strip()
                 try:
-                    record = json.loads(entry.strip())
-                except json.JSONDecodeError:
-                    if 'Error' in entry:
-                        raise RuntimeError(entry)
-                    raise
+                    record = json.loads(entry)
+
+                    if 'msg' in record:
+                        msg = record['msg']
+                    elif 'message' in record:
+                        msg = record['message']
+                    else:
+                        raise KeyError(f'Unexpected log format\n{record}')
+
+                    level = record['level']
+
+                except json.JSONDecodeError:
+                    msg = entry
+                    level = 'error'
 
-                msg = record['msg']
-                level = record['level']
                 if msg and entry not in seen_so_far:
                     seen_so_far.add(entry)
                     if bp_on_msg:
                         await tractor.breakpoint()
 
-                    getattr(log, level, log.error)(f'{msg}')
+                    getattr(log, level.lower(), log.error)(f'{msg}')
 
-                    # print(f'level: {level}')
-                    if level in ('error', 'fatal'):
+                    if level == 'fatal':
                         raise ApplicationLogError(msg)
 
-                if patt in msg:
+                if await patt_matcher(msg):
                     return True
 
                 # do a checkpoint so we don't block if cancelled B)
-                await trio.sleep(0.01)
+                await trio.sleep(0.1)
 
         return False
 
@@ -285,6 +301,7 @@ class Container:
 async def open_ahabd(
     ctx: tractor.Context,
     endpoint: str,  # ns-pointer str-msg-type
+    start_timeout: float = 1.0,
 
     **kwargs,
 
@@ -300,17 +317,20 @@ async def open_ahabd(
         (
             dcntr,
             cntr_config,
-            start_msg,
-            stop_msg,
+            start_lambda,
+            stop_lambda,
         ) = ep_func(client)
         cntr = Container(dcntr)
 
-        with trio.move_on_after(1):
-            found = await cntr.process_logs_until(start_msg)
+        with trio.move_on_after(start_timeout):
+            found = await cntr.process_logs_until(start_lambda)
+
+            if not found and dcntr not in client.containers.list():
+                for entry in cntr.seen_so_far:
+                    log.info(entry)
 
-            if not found and cntr not in client.containers.list():
                 raise RuntimeError(
-                    'Failed to start `marketstore` check logs deats'
+                    f'Failed to start {dcntr.id} check logs deats'
                 )
 
         await ctx.started((
@@ -326,12 +346,13 @@ async def open_ahabd(
             await trio.sleep_forever()
 
         finally:
-            await cntr.cancel(stop_msg)
+            await cntr.cancel(stop_lambda)
 
 
 async def start_ahab(
     service_name: str,
     endpoint: Callable[docker.DockerClient, DockerContainer],
+    start_timeout: float = 1.0,
     task_status: TaskStatus[
         tuple[
             trio.Event,
@@ -379,6 +400,7 @@ async def start_ahab(
             async with portal.open_context(
                 open_ahabd,
                 endpoint=str(NamespacePath.from_ref(endpoint)),
+                start_timeout=start_timeout
             ) as (ctx, first):
 
                 cid, pid, cntr_config = first
diff --git a/piker/data/elastic.py b/piker/data/elastic.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..43c6afd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/piker/data/elastic.py
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+# piker: trading gear for hackers
+# Copyright (C) Tyler Goodlet (in stewardship for piker0)
+
+# 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/>.
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager as acm
+from pprint import pformat
+from typing import (
+    Any,
+    TYPE_CHECKING,
+)
+
+import pyqtgraph as pg
+import numpy as np
+import tractor
+
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    import docker
+    from ._ahab import DockerContainer
+
+from piker.log import (
+    get_logger,
+    get_console_log
+)
+
+import asks
+
+
+log = get_logger(__name__)
+
+
+# container level config
+_config = {
+    'port': 19200,
+    'log_level': 'debug',
+}
+
+
+def start_elasticsearch(
+    client: docker.DockerClient,
+
+    **kwargs,
+
+) -> tuple[DockerContainer, dict[str, Any]]:
+    '''
+    Start and supervise an elasticsearch instance with its config bind-mounted
+    in from the piker config directory on the system.
+
+    The equivalent cli cmd to this code is:
+
+        sudo docker run \
+            -itd \
+            --rm \
+            --network=host \
+            --mount type=bind,source="$(pwd)"/elastic,target=/usr/share/elasticsearch/data \
+            --env "elastic_username=elastic" \
+            --env "elastic_password=password" \
+            --env "xpack.security.enabled=false" \
+            elastic
+
+    '''
+    import docker
+    get_console_log('info', name=__name__)
+
+    dcntr: DockerContainer = client.containers.run(
+        'piker:elastic',
+        name='piker-elastic',
+        network='host',
+        detach=True,
+        remove=True
+    )
+
+    async def start_matcher(msg: str):
+        try:
+            health = (await asks.get(
+                f'http://localhost:19200/_cat/health',
+                params={'format': 'json'}
+            )).json()
+
+        except OSError:
+            log.error('couldnt reach elastic container')
+            return False
+
+        log.info(health)
+        return health[0]['status'] == 'green'
+
+    async def stop_matcher(msg: str):
+        return msg == 'closed'
+
+    return (
+        dcntr,
+        {},
+        # expected startup and stop msgs
+        start_matcher,
+        stop_matcher,
+    )
diff --git a/piker/data/marketstore.py b/piker/data/marketstore.py
index 88553af7..236bcfaf 100644
--- a/piker/data/marketstore.py
+++ b/piker/data/marketstore.py
@@ -189,13 +189,20 @@ def start_marketstore(
         init=True,
         # remove=True,
     )
+
+    async def start_matcher(msg: str):
+        return "launching tcp listener for all services..." in msg
+
+    async def stop_matcher(msg: str):
+        return "exiting..." in msg
+
     return (
         dcntr,
         _config,
 
         # expected startup and stop msgs
-        "launching tcp listener for all services...",
-        "exiting...",
+        start_matcher,
+        stop_matcher,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index bd6363c5..2a686cc5 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -85,7 +85,10 @@ setup(
         'tsdb': [
             'docker',
         ],
-
+        'es': [
+            'docker',
+            'elasticsearch'
+        ]
     },
     tests_require=['pytest'],
     python_requires=">=3.10",
diff --git a/tests/test_databases.py b/tests/test_databases.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4eb444f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_databases.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import pytest
+import trio
+
+from typing import AsyncContextManager
+
+from piker._daemon import Services
+from piker.log import get_logger
+
+from elasticsearch import Elasticsearch
+from piker.data import marketstore
+
+def test_marketstore_startup_and_version(
+    open_test_pikerd: AsyncContextManager,
+    loglevel,
+):
+
+    '''
+    Verify marketstore starts correctly
+
+    '''
+    log = get_logger(__name__)
+
+    async def main():
+        # port = 5995
+
+        async with (
+            open_test_pikerd(
+                loglevel=loglevel,
+                tsdb=True
+            ) as (s, i, pikerd_portal, services),
+            marketstore.get_client() as client
+        ):
+
+            assert (
+                len(await client.server_version()) ==
+                len('3862e9973da36cfc6004b88172c08f09269aaf01')
+            )
+
+
+    trio.run(main)
+
+
+def test_elasticsearch_startup_and_version(
+    open_test_pikerd: AsyncContextManager,
+    loglevel,
+):
+    '''
+    Verify elasticsearch starts correctly
+
+    '''
+
+    log = get_logger(__name__)
+
+    async def main():
+        port = 19200
+
+        async with open_test_pikerd(
+            loglevel=loglevel,
+            es=True
+        ) as (s, i, pikerd_portal, services):
+
+            es = Elasticsearch(hosts=[f'http://localhost:{port}'])
+            assert es.info()['version']['number'] == '7.17.4'
+
+
+    trio.run(main)