diff --git a/feature-spec-alpha/babashka/impl/spec.clj b/feature-spec-alpha/babashka/impl/spec.clj
index 96fa4b3b..7f1061a2 100644
--- a/feature-spec-alpha/babashka/impl/spec.clj
+++ b/feature-spec-alpha/babashka/impl/spec.clj
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
    '*instrument-enabled* test/instrument-enabled-var
    'with-instrument-disabled (copy-var test/with-instrument-disabled tns)
    'stacktrace-relevant-to-instrument (copy-var test/stacktrace-relevant-to-instrument tns)
-   'spec-checking-fn (copy-var test/spec-checking-fn tns)})
+   'spec-checking-fn test/spec-checking-fn-var})
 
 #_(let [syms '[uuid gen-for-pred lazy-prim set one-of any-printable vector-distinct boolean string-alphanumeric map delay simple-type char bind symbol-ns any shuffle lazy-prims cat double char-alpha int return gen-for-name symbol quick-check char-alphanumeric choose for-all* string-ascii frequency double* generate delay-impl lazy-combinators tuple string vector large-integer keyword-ns not-empty elements sample list large-integer* keyword hash-map ratio such-that fmap char-ascii simple-type-printable lazy-combinator bytes]]
   #_:clj-kondo/ignore
diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/clojure/spec/test/alpha.clj b/src/babashka/impl/clojure/spec/test/alpha.clj
index 6d668946..bf917915 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/clojure/spec/test/alpha.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/clojure/spec/test/alpha.clj
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@
                     (drop-while plumbing?))
               elems)))
 
-(defn spec-checking-fn
+(defn spec-checking-fn* ;; renamed to we're forced to go through SCI var below
   [v f fn-spec]
   (let [fn-spec (@#'s/maybe-spec fn-spec)
         conform! (fn [v role spec data args]
@@ -149,6 +149,9 @@
             (.applyTo ^clojure.lang.IFn f args)))
         (.applyTo ^clojure.lang.IFn f args)))))
 
+;; orchestra is going to override this
+(def spec-checking-fn-var (sci/copy-var spec-checking-fn* tns))
+
 (defn- no-fspec
   [v spec]
   (ex-info (str "Fn at " v " is not spec'ed.")
@@ -179,7 +182,7 @@
             ospec (or (instrument-choose-spec spec s opts)
                       (throw (no-fspec v spec)))
             ofn (instrument-choose-fn to-wrap ospec s opts)
-            checked (spec-checking-fn v ofn ospec)]
+            checked (@spec-checking-fn-var v ofn ospec)]
         (sci/alter-var-root v (constantly checked))
         (swap! instrumented-vars assoc v {:raw to-wrap :wrapped checked})
         (->sym v)))))