diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index fb33ab6a..6646eb87 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -745,8 +745,10 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
                               ns var-name)] nil])
                   run (if (:run-help cli-opts)
                         [(print-run-help) 0]
-                        (tasks/assemble-task run
-                                             (:parallel-tasks cli-opts)))
+                        (do
+                          (System/setProperty "babashka.task" (str run))
+                          (tasks/assemble-task run
+                                               (:parallel-tasks cli-opts))))
                   file (try [[(read-file file)] nil]
                             (catch Exception e
                               (error-handler e {:expression expressions
diff --git a/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj b/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
index 9e6781cb..e7ae0856 100644
--- a/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
@@ -192,6 +192,10 @@
     (test-utils/with-config '{:tasks {b {:doc "Beautiful docstring"}}}
       (let [s (test-utils/bb nil "doc" "b")]
         (is (= "-------------------------\nb\nTask\nBeautiful docstring\n" s)))))
+  (testing "system property"
+    (test-utils/with-config '{:tasks {b (System/getProperty "babashka.task")}}
+      (let [s (bb "run" "--prn" "b")]
+        (is (= "b" s)))))
 
   (deftest list-tasks-test
     (test-utils/with-config {}