diff --git a/piker/data/feed.py b/piker/data/feed.py
index 047bd40dc..52316e990 100644
--- a/piker/data/feed.py
+++ b/piker/data/feed.py
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ async def allocate_persistent_feed(
         manage_history,
         mod,
         bus,
-        fqme,
+        mkt,
         some_data_ready,
         feed_is_live,
     )
@@ -378,7 +378,12 @@ async def allocate_persistent_feed(
 
     # NOTE: if not configured otherwise, we always sum tick volume
     # values in the OHLCV sampler.
-    sum_tick_vlm: bool = (init.shm_write_opts or {}).get('sum_tick_vlm', True)
+    sum_tick_vlm: bool = True
+    if init.shm_write_opts:
+        sum_tick_vlm: bool = init.shm_write_opts.get(
+            'sum_tick_vlm',
+            True,
+        )
 
     # NOTE: if no high-freq sampled data has (yet) been loaded,
     # seed the buffer with a history datum - this is most handy
@@ -525,7 +530,7 @@ async def open_feed_bus(
             # NOTE we allow this since it's common to have the live
             # quote feed actor's sampling task push faster then the
             # the local UI-graphics code during startup.
-            allow_overruns=True,
+            # allow_overruns=True,
         ) as stream,
     ):
 
diff --git a/piker/data/history.py b/piker/data/history.py
index 3e0a3a625..00cc019ef 100644
--- a/piker/data/history.py
+++ b/piker/data/history.py
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@
 import pendulum
 import numpy as np
 
+from .. import config
+from ..accounting._mktinfo import (
+    MktPair,
+    unpack_fqme,
+)
 from ._util import (
     log,
 )
@@ -84,7 +89,7 @@ def diff_history(
 
 async def start_backfill(
     mod: ModuleType,
-    bfqsn: str,
+    mkt: MktPair,
     shm: ShmArray,
     timeframe: float,
     sampler_stream: tractor.MsgStream,
@@ -104,7 +109,11 @@ async def start_backfill(
         tuple[np.ndarray, str]
     ]
     config: dict[str, int]
-    async with mod.open_history_client(bfqsn) as (hist, config):
+
+    bs_fqme: str = mkt.bs_fqme
+    async with mod.open_history_client(
+        bs_fqme,
+    ) as (hist, config):
 
         # get latest query's worth of history all the way
         # back to what is recorded in the tsdb
@@ -134,7 +143,7 @@ async def start_backfill(
                 surr = array[-6:]
                 diff_in_mins = round(diff/60., ndigits=2)
                 log.warning(
-                    f'STEP ERROR `{bfqsn}` for period {step_size_s}s:\n'
+                    f'STEP ERROR `{bs_fqme}` for period {step_size_s}s:\n'
                     f'Off by `{diff}` seconds (or `{diff_in_mins}` mins)\n'
                     'Surrounding 6 time stamps:\n'
                     f'{list(surr["time"])}\n'
@@ -161,7 +170,7 @@ async def start_backfill(
         shm.push(to_push, prepend=True)
 
         # TODO: *** THIS IS A BUG ***
-        # we need to only broadcast to subscribers for this fqsn..
+        # we need to only broadcast to subscribers for this fqme..
         # otherwise all fsps get reset on every chart..
         await sampler_stream.send('broadcast_all')
 
@@ -248,7 +257,7 @@ async def start_backfill(
             ):
                 start_dt = min(starts)
                 log.warning(
-                    f"{bfqsn}: skipping duplicate frame @ {next_start_dt}"
+                    f"{bs_fqme}: skipping duplicate frame @ {next_start_dt}"
                 )
                 starts[start_dt] += 1
                 continue
@@ -321,7 +330,7 @@ async def start_backfill(
                     f'{start_dt} -> {end_dt}'
                 )
                 await storage.write_ohlcv(
-                    f'{bfqsn}.{mod.name}',  # lul..
+                    f'{mkt.fqme}',
                     to_push,
                     timeframe,
                 )
@@ -342,7 +351,7 @@ async def start_backfill(
 async def basic_backfill(
     bus: _FeedsBus,
     mod: ModuleType,
-    bfqsn: str,
+    mkt: MktPair,
     shms: dict[int, ShmArray],
     sampler_stream: tractor.MsgStream,
     feed_is_live: trio.Event,
@@ -361,7 +370,7 @@ async def basic_backfill(
                 partial(
                     start_backfill,
                     mod,
-                    bfqsn,
+                    mkt,
                     shm,
                     timeframe,
                     sampler_stream,
@@ -378,8 +387,7 @@ async def tsdb_backfill(
     marketstore: ModuleType,
     bus: _FeedsBus,
     storage: Storage,
-    fqsn: str,
-    bfqsn: str,
+    mkt: MktPair,
     shms: dict[int, ShmArray],
     sampler_stream: tractor.MsgStream,
     feed_is_live: trio.Event,
@@ -393,17 +401,17 @@ async def tsdb_backfill(
     # TODO: this should be used verbatim for the pure
     # shm backfiller approach below.
     dts_per_tf: dict[int, datetime] = {}
+    fqme: str = mkt.fqme
 
     # start history anal and load missing new data via backend.
     for timeframe, shm in shms.items():
         # loads a (large) frame of data from the tsdb depending
         # on the db's query size limit.
         tsdb_history, first_tsdb_dt, last_tsdb_dt = await storage.load(
-            fqsn,
+            fqme,
             timeframe=timeframe,
         )
 
-        broker, *_ = unpack_fqme(fqsn)
         try:
             (
                 latest_start_dt,
@@ -413,7 +421,7 @@ async def tsdb_backfill(
                 partial(
                     start_backfill,
                     mod,
-                    bfqsn,
+                    mkt,
                     shm,
                     timeframe,
                     sampler_stream,
@@ -541,7 +549,7 @@ async def back_load_from_tsdb(
             while shm._first.value > 0:
 
                 tsdb_history = await storage.read_ohlcv(
-                    fqsn,
+                    fqme,
                     timeframe=timeframe,
                     end=tsdb_last_frame_start,
                 )
@@ -599,7 +607,7 @@ async def back_load_from_tsdb(
 async def manage_history(
     mod: ModuleType,
     bus: _FeedsBus,
-    fqsn: str,
+    mkt: MktPair,
     some_data_ready: trio.Event,
     feed_is_live: trio.Event,
     timeframe: float = 60,  # in seconds
@@ -628,11 +636,12 @@ async def manage_history(
     name, uuid = uid
     service = name.rstrip(f'.{mod.name}')
 
+    fqme: str = mkt.fqme
+
     # (maybe) allocate shm array for this broker/symbol which will
     # be used for fast near-term history capture and processing.
     hist_shm, opened = maybe_open_shm_array(
-        # key=f'{fqsn}_hist_p{port}',
-        key=f'piker.{service}[{uuid[:16]}.{fqsn}.hist',
+        key=f'piker.{service}[{uuid[:16]}.{fqme}.hist',
 
         # use any broker defined ohlc dtype:
         dtype=getattr(mod, '_ohlc_dtype', base_iohlc_dtype),
@@ -649,9 +658,7 @@ async def manage_history(
         )
 
     rt_shm, opened = maybe_open_shm_array(
-        # key=f'{fqsn}_rt_p{port}',
-        # key=f'piker.{service}.{fqsn}_rt.{uuid}',
-        key=f'piker.{service}[{uuid[:16]}.{fqsn}.rt',
+        key=f'piker.{service}[{uuid[:16]}.{fqme}.rt',
 
         # use any broker defined ohlc dtype:
         dtype=getattr(mod, '_ohlc_dtype', base_iohlc_dtype),
@@ -691,23 +698,47 @@ async def manage_history(
 
     ) as sample_stream:
 
-        log.info('Scanning for existing `marketstored`')
-        tsdb_is_up = await check_for_service('marketstored')
-
-        bfqsn = fqsn.replace('.' + mod.name, '')
-        open_history_client = getattr(mod, 'open_history_client', None)
+        open_history_client = getattr(
+            mod,
+            'open_history_client',
+            None,
+        )
         assert open_history_client
 
+        conf, path = config.load('conf')
+        tsdbconf = conf['network'].get('tsdb')
+
+        # lookup backend tsdb module by name and load any user service
+        # settings for connecting to the tsdb service.
+        tsdb_backend: str = tsdbconf.pop('backend')
+        tsdb_host: str = tsdbconf['host']
+
+        # TODO: import and load storagemod by name
+        # mod = get_storagemod(tsdb_backend)
+        from ..service import marketstore
+
+        tsdb_is_up: bool = False
+        try_remote_tsdb: bool = False
+        if tsdb_host == 'localhost':
+            log.info('Scanning for existing `{tsbd_backend}`')
+            tsdb_is_up: bool = await check_for_service(f'{tsdb_backend}d')
+        else:
+            try_remote_tsdb: bool = True
+
         if (
             tsdb_is_up
-            and opened
-            and open_history_client
+            or try_remote_tsdb
+            and (
+                opened
+                and open_history_client
+            )
         ):
             log.info('Found existing `marketstored`')
 
-            from ..service import marketstore
             async with (
-                marketstore.open_storage_client(fqsn)as storage,
+                marketstore.open_storage_client(
+                    **tsdbconf
+                ) as storage,
             ):
                 # TODO: drop returning the output that we pass in?
                 await bus.nursery.start(
@@ -716,8 +747,7 @@ async def manage_history(
                     marketstore,
                     bus,
                     storage,
-                    fqsn,
-                    bfqsn,
+                    mkt,
                     {
                         1: rt_shm,
                         60: hist_shm,
@@ -752,7 +782,7 @@ async def manage_history(
             await basic_backfill(
                 bus,
                 mod,
-                bfqsn,
+                mkt,
                 {
                     1: rt_shm,
                     60: hist_shm,