diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/cli.clj b/src/babashka/impl/cli.clj
index 49d986d7..3762df6d 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/cli.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/cli.clj
@@ -8,18 +8,21 @@
 (def cli-namespace
   (sci/copy-ns babashka.cli cns))
 
-(defn exec-fn-snippet [ns var-name]
+(defn exec-fn-snippet [sym]
   (format "
 (do
-(require '%1$s)
 (require '[babashka.cli])
-(let [
-ns-meta (meta (find-ns '%1$s))
-var-meta (meta (resolve '%1$s/%2$s))
-cli-opts (babashka.cli/merge-opts (:org.babashka/cli ns-meta) (:org.babashka/cli var-meta))
-opts (babashka.cli/parse-opts *command-line-args* cli-opts)
-task-exec-args (:exec-args (babashka.tasks/current-task))
-cli-exec-args (:exec-args cli-opts)
-opts (babashka.cli/merge-opts cli-exec-args task-exec-args opts)]
-(%1$s/%2$s opts)))"
-          ns var-name))
+(let [var (requiring-resolve `%1$s)
+      var-meta (meta var)
+      ns (:ns (meta var))
+      ns-meta (meta ns)
+      ct (babashka.tasks/current-task)
+      cli-opts (babashka.cli/merge-opts (:org.babashka/cli ns-meta)
+                                        (:org.babashka/cli var-meta)
+                                        (:org.babashka/cli ct))
+      opts (babashka.cli/parse-opts *command-line-args* cli-opts)
+      task-exec-args (:exec-args ct)
+      cli-exec-args (:exec-args cli-opts)
+      opts (babashka.cli/merge-opts cli-exec-args task-exec-args opts)]
+(var opts)))"
+          sym))
diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj b/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
index 9d611baa..0be65b5a 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@
   (intern *ns* 'run babashka.tasks/run))
 
 (when-not (resolve 'exec)
-  (intern *ns* (with-meta 'exec {:macro true}) @(var babashka.tasks/exec)))
+  (intern *ns* 'exec @(var babashka.tasks/exec)))
 
 %s
 %s
@@ -457,14 +457,10 @@
    (let [[[expr]] (assemble-task task parallel)]
      (sci/eval-string* @ctx expr))))
 
-(defn ^:macro exec
-  "This is a macro so it works correctly with :init"
-  ([_ _ sym]
-   (let [ns (namespace sym)
-         ns (or ns (symbol (str @sci/ns)))
-         var-name (name sym)
-         snippet (cli/exec-fn-snippet ns var-name)]
-     `(load-string ~snippet))))
+(defn exec
+  ([sym]
+   (let [snippet (cli/exec-fn-snippet sym)]
+     (sci/eval-string* @ctx snippet))))
 
 (def tasks-namespace
   {'shell (sci/copy-var shell sci-ns)
diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index 2ed4ff5f..4cff399f 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -874,10 +874,8 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
                     [[(format "(ns user (:require [%1$s])) (apply %1$s/%2$s *command-line-args*)"
                               ns var-name)] nil])
                   exec-fn
-                  (let [sym (symbol exec-fn)
-                        ns (namespace sym)
-                        var-name (name sym)]
-                    [[(cli/exec-fn-snippet ns var-name)] nil])
+                  (let [sym (symbol exec-fn)]
+                    [[(cli/exec-fn-snippet sym)] nil])
                   run (if (:run-help cli-opts)
                         [(print-run-help) 0]
                         (do