diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/repl.clj b/src/babashka/impl/repl.clj
index a2c2f302..c60b6cf9 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/repl.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/repl.clj
@@ -11,11 +11,15 @@
    [sci.impl.parser :as parser]
    [sci.impl.vars :as vars]))
 
+(set! *warn-on-reflection* true)
+
 (defn repl-caught
   "Default :caught hook for repl"
-  [e]
+  [^Throwable e]
   (sci/with-bindings {sci/out @sci/err}
-    (sio/println (.getMessage ^Exception e))
+    (sio/println (str (.. e getClass getName)
+                      (when-let [m (.getMessage e)]
+                        (str ": " m)) ))
     (sio/flush)))
 
 (defn repl
diff --git a/test/babashka/impl/repl_test.clj b/test/babashka/impl/repl_test.clj
index 29a932c8..b914207b 100644
--- a/test/babashka/impl/repl_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/impl/repl_test.clj
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
    [babashka.impl.repl :refer [start-repl!]]
    [clojure.string :as str]
    [clojure.test :as t :refer [deftest is]]
-   [sci.impl.opts :refer [init]]
    [sci.core :as sci]
+   [sci.impl.opts :refer [init]]
    [sci.impl.vars :as vars]))
 
 (set! *warn-on-reflection* true)
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@
                        (sci/with-in-str (str expr "\n:repl/quit")
                          (repl!))) expected)))
 
+(defn assert-repl-error [expr expected]
+  (is (str/includes?
+       (let [sw (java.io.StringWriter.)]
+         (sci/binding [sci/out (java.io.StringWriter.)
+                       sci/err sw]
+           (sci/with-in-str (str expr "\n:repl/quit")
+             (repl!)))
+         (str sw)) expected)))
+
 (deftest repl-test
   (assert-repl "1" "1")
   (assert-repl "[1 2 3]" "[1 2 3]")
@@ -34,7 +43,8 @@
   (assert-repl "1\n(inc *1)" "2")
   (assert-repl "1\n(dec *1)(+ *2 *2)" "2")
   (assert-repl "1\n(dec *1)(+ *2 *2)" "2")
-  (assert-repl "*command-line-args*" "[\"a\" \"b\" \"c\"]"))
+  (assert-repl "*command-line-args*" "[\"a\" \"b\" \"c\"]")
+  (assert-repl-error "(+ 1 nil)" "NullPointerException"))
 
 ;;;; Scratch