diff --git a/backend_trace.go b/backend_trace.go
index 6cb63d7..8b1aba1 100644
--- a/backend_trace.go
+++ b/backend_trace.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package zikade
 import (
 	"context"
 
+	"github.com/plprobelab/zikade/tele"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/attribute"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/codes"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
@@ -74,5 +75,5 @@ func (t *tracedBackend) Validate(ctx context.Context, key string, values ...any)
 
 // traceAttributes is a helper to build the trace attributes.
 func (t *tracedBackend) traceAttributes(key string) trace.SpanStartEventOption {
-	return trace.WithAttributes(attribute.String("namespace", t.namespace), attribute.String("key", key))
+	return trace.WithAttributes(attribute.String("namespace", t.namespace), tele.AttrBinKey([]byte(key)))
 }
diff --git a/internal/coord/query.go b/internal/coord/query.go
index 05f23cb..bd8c73e 100644
--- a/internal/coord/query.go
+++ b/internal/coord/query.go
@@ -467,9 +467,10 @@ func (w *queryNotifier[E]) NotifyFinished(ctx context.Context, ev E) {
 	w.DrainPending()
 	close(w.monitor.NotifyProgressed())
 
+	finishedChan := w.monitor.NotifyFinished()
 	select {
-	case w.monitor.NotifyFinished() <- CtxEvent[E]{Ctx: ctx, Event: ev}:
+	case finishedChan <- CtxEvent[E]{Ctx: ctx, Event: ev}:
 	default:
 	}
-	close(w.monitor.NotifyFinished())
+	close(finishedChan)
 }
diff --git a/internal/coord/query_test.go b/internal/coord/query_test.go
index 40d285b..0ab13c8 100644
--- a/internal/coord/query_test.go
+++ b/internal/coord/query_test.go
@@ -2,18 +2,17 @@ package coord
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/benbjohnson/clock"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
-
 	"github.com/plprobelab/zikade/internal/coord/coordt"
 	"github.com/plprobelab/zikade/internal/kadtest"
 	"github.com/plprobelab/zikade/internal/nettest"
 	"github.com/plprobelab/zikade/kadt"
 	"github.com/plprobelab/zikade/pb"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestPooledQueryConfigValidate(t *testing.T) {
@@ -275,7 +274,6 @@ func (ts *QueryBehaviourBaseTestSuite) TestNotifiesQueryFinished() {
 }
 
 func TestPooledQuery_deadlock_regression(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Skip()
 	ctx := kadtest.CtxShort(t)
 	msg := &pb.Message{}
 	queryID := coordt.QueryID("test")
@@ -342,16 +340,13 @@ func TestPooledQuery_deadlock_regression(t *testing.T) {
 	// Advance the query pool state machine. Because we returned a new node
 	// above, the query pool state machine wants to send another outbound query
 	ev, _ = c.queryBehaviour.Perform(ctx)
-	require.IsType(t, &EventAddNode{}, ev) // event to notify the routing table
-	ev, _ = c.queryBehaviour.Perform(ctx)
 	require.IsType(t, &EventOutboundSendMessage{}, ev)
+	ev, _ = c.queryBehaviour.Perform(ctx)
+	require.IsType(t, &EventAddNode{}, ev) // event to notify the routing table
 
 	hasLock := make(chan struct{})
-	var once sync.Once
-	wrappedWaiter.BeforeProgressed = func() {
-		once.Do(func() {
-			close(hasLock)
-		})
+	wrappedWaiter.BeforeFinished = func() {
+		close(hasLock)
 	}
 
 	// Simulate a successful response from the new node. This node didn't return
@@ -361,7 +356,11 @@ func TestPooledQuery_deadlock_regression(t *testing.T) {
 	// of 1, the channel cannot hold both events. At the same time, the waiter
 	// doesn't consume the messages because it's busy processing the previous
 	// query event (because we haven't released the blocking waiterMsg call above).
-	go c.queryBehaviour.Notify(ctx, successMsg(nodes[2].NodeID))
+	c.queryBehaviour.Notify(ctx, successMsg(nodes[2].NodeID))
+
+	ev, ok := c.queryBehaviour.Perform(ctx)
+	require.Nil(t, ev)
+	require.False(t, ok)
 
 	// wait until the above Notify call was handled by waiting until the hasLock
 	// channel was closed in the above BeforeNotify hook. If that hook is called
diff --git a/router.go b/router.go
index 90b5ce8..f64d900 100644
--- a/router.go
+++ b/router.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package zikade
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
@@ -44,7 +43,7 @@ func (r *router) SendMessage(ctx context.Context, to kadt.PeerID, req *pb.Messag
 	spanOpts := []trace.SpanStartOption{
 		trace.WithAttributes(tele.AttrMessageType(req.GetType().String())),
 		trace.WithAttributes(tele.AttrPeerID(to.String())),
-		trace.WithAttributes(tele.AttrKey(base64.RawStdEncoding.EncodeToString(req.GetKey()))),
+		trace.WithAttributes(tele.AttrBinKey(req.GetKey())),
 	}
 	ctx, span := r.tele.Tracer.Start(ctx, "router.SendMessage", spanOpts...)
 	defer func() {
diff --git a/routing.go b/routing.go
index f7ee5c7..5a0d35a 100644
--- a/routing.go
+++ b/routing.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ func (d *DHT) PutValue(ctx context.Context, keyStr string, value []byte, opts ..
 // putValueLocal stores a value in the local datastore without reaching out to
 // the network.
 func (d *DHT) putValueLocal(ctx context.Context, key string, value []byte) error {
-	ctx, span := d.tele.Tracer.Start(ctx, "DHT.PutValueLocal")
+	ctx, span := d.tele.Tracer.Start(ctx, "DHT.putValueLocal")
 	defer span.End()
 
 	ns, path, err := record.SplitKey(key)
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ func (d *DHT) GetValue(ctx context.Context, key string, opts ...routing.Option)
 // SearchValue will search in the DHT for keyStr. keyStr must have the form
 // `/$namespace/$binary_id`
 func (d *DHT) SearchValue(ctx context.Context, keyStr string, options ...routing.Option) (<-chan []byte, error) {
-	_, span := d.tele.Tracer.Start(ctx, "DHT.SearchValue")
+	ctx, span := d.tele.Tracer.Start(ctx, "DHT.SearchValue")
 	defer span.End()
 
 	// first parse the routing options
@@ -364,7 +365,7 @@ func (d *DHT) SearchValue(ctx context.Context, keyStr string, options ...routing
 }
 
 func (d *DHT) searchValueRoutine(ctx context.Context, backend Backend, ns string, path string, ropt *routing.Options, out chan<- []byte) {
-	_, span := d.tele.Tracer.Start(ctx, "DHT.searchValueRoutine")
+	ctx, span := d.tele.Tracer.Start(ctx, "DHT.searchValueRoutine")
 	defer span.End()
 	defer close(out)
 
@@ -390,10 +391,14 @@ func (d *DHT) searchValueRoutine(ctx context.Context, backend Backend, ns string
 	quorum := d.getQuorum(ropt)
 
 	fn := func(ctx context.Context, id kadt.PeerID, resp *pb.Message, stats coordt.QueryStats) error {
+		_, innerSpan := d.tele.Tracer.Start(ctx, "DHT.searchValueRoutine.QueryFunc")
+		defer innerSpan.End()
+
 		rec := resp.GetRecord()
 		if rec == nil {
 			return nil
 		}
+		runtime.Gosched()
 
 		if !bytes.Equal(routingKey, rec.GetKey()) {
 			return nil
@@ -402,11 +407,13 @@ func (d *DHT) searchValueRoutine(ctx context.Context, backend Backend, ns string
 		idx, _ := backend.Validate(ctx, path, best, rec.GetValue())
 		switch idx {
 		case 0: // "best" is still the best value
+			innerSpan.SetAttributes(attribute.String("better", "old"))
 			if bytes.Equal(best, rec.GetValue()) {
 				quorumPeers[id] = struct{}{}
 			}
 
 		case 1: // rec.GetValue() is better than our current "best"
+			innerSpan.SetAttributes(attribute.String("better", "new"))
 
 			// We have identified a better record. All peers that were currently
 			// in our set of quorum peers need to be updated wit this new record
@@ -422,6 +429,7 @@ func (d *DHT) searchValueRoutine(ctx context.Context, backend Backend, ns string
 			best = rec.GetValue()
 			out <- best
 		case -1: // "best" and rec.GetValue() are both invalid
+			innerSpan.SetAttributes(attribute.String("better", "none"))
 			return nil
 
 		default:
diff --git a/routing_test.go b/routing_test.go
index d261f22..a1d894f 100644
--- a/routing_test.go
+++ b/routing_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
 
-	"github.com/plprobelab/zikade/internal/kadtest"
+	kadtest "github.com/plprobelab/zikade/internal/kadtest"
 	"github.com/plprobelab/zikade/kadt"
 )
 
diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index af37a22..f79b9a6 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func (d *DHT) handleNewStream(ctx context.Context, s network.Stream) error {
 
 		ctx = tele.WithAttributes(ctx,
 			tele.AttrMessageType(req.GetType().String()),
-			tele.AttrKey(base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(req.GetKey())),
+			tele.AttrBinKey(req.GetKey()),
 		)
 
 		// extend metrics context and slogger with message information.
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func (d *DHT) handleNewStream(ctx context.Context, s network.Stream) error {
 		// would already exist and tag.New would return an error.
 		slogger = slogger.With(
 			slog.String("type", req.GetType().String()),
-			slog.String("key", base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(req.GetKey())),
+			slog.String("key", base64.RawStdEncoding.EncodeToString(req.GetKey())),
 		)
 
 		// track message metrics
diff --git a/tele/tele.go b/tele/tele.go
index 7a7cce2..4c17dd3 100644
--- a/tele/tele.go
+++ b/tele/tele.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package tele
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
@@ -95,8 +96,11 @@ func AttrMessageType(val string) attribute.KeyValue {
 	return attribute.String("message_type", val)
 }
 
-func AttrKey(val string) attribute.KeyValue {
-	return attribute.String("key", val)
+// AttrBinKey base64 encodes the given key to a trace/meter attribute. This is
+// necessary as some binary keys conain invalid UTF-8 characters.
+func AttrBinKey(key []byte) attribute.KeyValue {
+	val := base64.RawStdEncoding.EncodeToString(key)
+	return attribute.String("key_b64", val)
 }
 
 // AttrInEvent creates an attribute that records the type of an event