diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/clojure/core/server.clj b/src/babashka/impl/clojure/core/server.clj
index 2b1c821f..dd58f737 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/clojure/core/server.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/clojure/core/server.clj
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
       :no-doc true}
     babashka.impl.clojure.core.server
   (:refer-clojure :exclude [locking])
-  (:require [sci.core :as sci])
+  (:require [sci.core :as sci]
+            [sci.impl.vars :as vars])
   (:import
    [clojure.lang LineNumberingPushbackReader]
    [java.net InetAddress Socket ServerSocket SocketException]
@@ -44,7 +45,8 @@
   (try
     (sci/with-bindings {sci/in in
                         sci/out out
-                        sci/err err}
+                        sci/err err
+                        vars/current-ns (vars/->SciNamespace 'user)}
       (swap! server assoc-in [:sessions client-id] {})
       (apply accept args))
     (catch SocketException _disconnect)
diff --git a/test/babashka/impl/socket_repl_test.clj b/test/babashka/impl/socket_repl_test.clj
index 83038f0e..8bad7823 100644
--- a/test/babashka/impl/socket_repl_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/impl/socket_repl_test.clj
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@
       (is (socket-command "#?(:bb 1337 :clj 8888)" "1337")))
     (testing "*1, *2, *3, *e"
       (is (socket-command "1\n*1" "1")))
+    (testing "*ns*"
+      (is (socket-command "(ns foo.bar) (ns-name *ns*)" "foo.bar")))
     (finally
       (if tu/jvm?
         (stop-repl!)