diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/nrepl_server.clj b/src/babashka/impl/nrepl_server.clj
index 10bf4f87..d670d91a 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/nrepl_server.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/nrepl_server.clj
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 (ns babashka.impl.nrepl-server
   {:no-doc true}
   (:require
-   [babashka.impl.clojure.core]
+   [babashka.impl.clojure.core :as core-extras]
    [babashka.impl.common :as common]
    [babashka.nrepl.server :as server]
    [sci.core :as sci]))
@@ -13,8 +13,11 @@
    (let [dev? (= "true" (System/getenv "BABASHKA_DEV"))
          opts (merge {:debug dev?
                       :describe {"versions" {"babashka" common/version}}
-                      :thread-bind [babashka.impl.clojure.core/warn-on-reflection
-                                    babashka.impl.clojure.core/unchecked-math]}
+                      :thread-bind [core-extras/warn-on-reflection
+                                    core-extras/unchecked-math
+                                    core-extras/data-readers
+                                    sci/ns
+                                    sci/print-length]}
                      opts)]
      (server/start-server! (common/ctx) opts))))
 
diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/repl.clj b/src/babashka/impl/repl.clj
index 0b279fe2..9af4995b 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/repl.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/repl.clj
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@
   ([sci-ctx {:keys [:init :read :eval :need-prompt :prompt :flush :print :caught]}]
    (let [in @sci/in]
      (sci/binding [core-extras/warn-on-reflection @core-extras/warn-on-reflection
-                   core-extras/unchecked-math @core-extras/unchecked-math]
+                   core-extras/unchecked-math @core-extras/unchecked-math
+                   core-extras/data-readers @core-extras/data-readers
+                   sci/ns @sci/ns
+                   sci/print-length @sci/print-length]
        (m/repl
         :init (or init
                   (fn []
diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index b3d9d4d7..2b6e2885 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -775,7 +775,9 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
                   core/unchecked-math @core/unchecked-math
                   core/data-readers @core/data-readers
                   sci/ns @sci/ns
-                  sci/print-length @sci/print-length]
+                  sci/print-length @sci/print-length
+                  ;; when adding vars here, also add them to repl.clj and nrepl_server.clj
+                  ]
       (let [{version-opt :version
              :keys [:shell-in :edn-in :shell-out :edn-out
                     :help :file :command-line-args