diff --git a/src/ctrl/ctrl_core.c b/src/ctrl/ctrl_core.c
index 04d4dadc..4121be7c 100644
--- a/src/ctrl/ctrl_core.c
+++ b/src/ctrl/ctrl_core.c
@@ -1652,7 +1652,6 @@ ctrl_key_from_process_vaddr_range(CTRL_Handle process, Rng1U64 vaddr_range, B32
   //- rjf: loop: try to look for current results, request if not there, wait if we can, repeat until we can't
   U64 mem_gen = ctrl_mem_gen();
   B32 key_is_stale = 0;
-  B32 requested = 0;
   for(;;)
   {
     //- rjf: step 1: [read-only] try to look for current results for key's ID
@@ -1693,7 +1692,8 @@ ctrl_key_from_process_vaddr_range(CTRL_Handle process, Rng1U64 vaddr_range, B32
     
     //- rjf: step 3: if the ID does not exist in the process' cache, then we
     // need to build a node for it. if that, or if the ID is stale, then also
-    // request that that range is streamed.
+    // request that that range is streamed & wait for its result (for as long
+    // as we have.)
     if(!id_exists || (id_exists && id_stale && !id_working))
     {
       B32 node_needs_stream = 0;
@@ -1737,15 +1737,15 @@ ctrl_key_from_process_vaddr_range(CTRL_Handle process, Rng1U64 vaddr_range, B32
           }
         }
       }
-      if(node_needs_stream)
+      if(node_needs_stream) OS_MutexScopeR(process_stripe->rw_mutex)
       {
         if(ctrl_u2ms_enqueue_req(key, process, vaddr_range, zero_terminated, endt_us))
         {
           async_push_work(ctrl_mem_stream_work, .working_counter = node_working_count);
-          requested = 1;
+          os_condition_variable_wait_rw_r(process_stripe->cv, process_stripe->rw_mutex, endt_us);
           id_working = 1;
         }
-        else OS_MutexScopeR(process_stripe->rw_mutex)
+        else
         {
           for(CTRL_ProcessMemoryCacheNode *process_n = process_slot->first; process_n != 0; process_n = process_n->next)
           {
@@ -1768,21 +1768,11 @@ ctrl_key_from_process_vaddr_range(CTRL_Handle process, Rng1U64 vaddr_range, B32
       }
     }
     
-    //- rjf: step 4: if we have no time to wait, then abort; if we submitted a
-    // request, but the work is done and we have no results, then abort;
-    // otherwise, wait on this process' stripe
-    if(os_now_microseconds() >= endt_us)
+    //- rjf: step 4: if we have no time to wait, or no results & no progress, then abort
+    if(os_now_microseconds() >= endt_us || !id_working)
     {
       break;
     }
-    else if(!id_working)
-    {
-      break;
-    }
-    else OS_MutexScopeR(process_stripe->rw_mutex)
-    {
-      os_condition_variable_wait_rw_r(process_stripe->cv, process_stripe->rw_mutex, endt_us);
-    }
   }
   if(out_is_stale)
   {