diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/clojure/tools/reader.clj b/src/babashka/impl/clojure/tools/reader.clj
index acfd528f..7e942e67 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/clojure/tools/reader.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/clojure/tools/reader.clj
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 (ns babashka.impl.clojure.tools.reader
-  (:refer-clojure :exclude [read])
+  (:refer-clojure :exclude [read read-string])
   (:require
+   [clojure.tools.reader.reader-types :as rt]
    [edamame.core :as e]
    [sci.core :as sci]
    [sci.ctx-store :as ctx]
@@ -52,7 +53,13 @@
                      :readers (fn [sym]
                                 (resolve-tag sym))
                      :auto-resolve (fn [alias]
-                                     (@alias-map alias)))
+                                     (if (= :current alias)
+                                       (symbol (str @sci/ns))
+                                       (or (when-let [alias-map @alias-map]
+                                             (@alias-map alias))
+                                           (sci/eval-form (ctx/get-ctx)
+                                                          (list 'get '(ns-aliases *ns*)
+                                                                (list 'quote alias)))))))
          v (e/parse-next reader opts)]
      (if (identical? ::e/eof v)
        (if (identical? :eofthrow eof)
@@ -67,11 +74,18 @@
          sentinel)
        v))))
 
+(defn read-string
+  ([s] (read-string nil s))
+  ([opts s]
+   (when (and s (not (identical? s "")))
+     (read opts (rt/string-push-back-reader s)))))
+
 (defn resolve-symbol [sym]
   (p/fully-qualify (ctx/get-ctx) sym))
 
 (def reader-namespace
   {'read (sci/copy-var read rns)
+   'read-string (sci/copy-var read-string rns)
    'resolve-symbol (sci/copy-var resolve-symbol rns)
    '*default-data-reader-fn* default-data-reader-fn
    '*alias-map* alias-map})
diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/clojure/tools/reader_types.clj b/src/babashka/impl/clojure/tools/reader_types.clj
index 4d45ee25..87c8594f 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/clojure/tools/reader_types.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/clojure/tools/reader_types.clj
@@ -14,4 +14,5 @@
                              'read-char (sci/copy-var rt/read-char rtns)
                              'unread (sci/copy-var rt/unread rtns)
                              'source-logging-push-back-reader (sci/copy-var rt/source-logging-push-back-reader rtns)
-                             'source-logging-reader? (sci/copy-var rt/source-logging-reader? rtns)})
+                             'source-logging-reader? (sci/copy-var rt/source-logging-reader? rtns)
+                             'string-push-back-reader (sci/copy-var rt/string-push-back-reader rtns)})
diff --git a/test/babashka/main_test.clj b/test/babashka/main_test.clj
index 54445f21..1d80f4b6 100644
--- a/test/babashka/main_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/main_test.clj
@@ -886,6 +886,14 @@ true")))
 (deftest get-watches-test
   (is (true? (bb nil "(map? (.getWatches (doto (atom nil) (add-watch :foo (fn [k r o n])))))"))))
 
+(deftest tools-reader-test
+  (is (= :user/foo (bb nil "(require '[clojure.tools.reader :as r]) (r/read-string \"::foo\")")))
+  (is (= :clojure.tools.reader/foo (bb nil "(require '[clojure.tools.reader :as r]) (r/read-string \"::r/foo\")")))
+  (is (= [1 2 3] (bb nil "
+(require '[clojure.tools.reader :as r])
+(binding [r/*default-data-reader-fn* (fn [sym] (fn [val] [1 2 3]))]
+(r/read-string \"#dude []\"))"))))
+
 ;;;; Scratch
 
 (comment