diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 0b9b49dd..0b30d8fb 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ jobs:
             wget -nc https://download.clojure.org/install/linux-install-1.10.1.447.sh
             chmod +x linux-install-1.10.1.447.sh
             sudo ./linux-install-1.10.1.447.sh
+      - run:
+          name: Install lsof
+          command: |
+            sudo apt-get install lsof
       - run:
           name: Download GraalVM
           command: |
@@ -83,6 +87,10 @@ jobs:
             wget https://download.clojure.org/install/linux-install-1.10.1.447.sh
             chmod +x linux-install-1.10.1.447.sh
             sudo ./linux-install-1.10.1.447.sh
+      - run:
+          name: Install lsof
+          command: |
+            sudo apt-get install lsof
       - run:
           name: Install native dev tools
           command: |
diff --git a/sci b/sci
index ade0d29a..4ab01bd9 160000
--- a/sci
+++ b/sci
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit ade0d29a4d3d97d9d6c958434368d5fa4359debf
+Subproject commit 4ab01bd92cc87511f478c861c84b40c6e208eeae
diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index ab30b098..8317fb0c 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@
                      (recur (rest options)
                             (assoc opts-map
                                    :socket-repl (first options))))
-                   (if (not (:file opts-map))
+                   (if (not (or (:file opts-map)
+                                (:socket-repl opts-map)))
                      (assoc opts-map
                             :expression opt
                             :command-line-args (rest options))
@@ -177,6 +178,15 @@
   (let [s (slurp file)]
     (sci/eval-string s ctx)))
 
+(defn start-socket-repl! [address ctx read-next]
+  (let [ctx (update ctx :bindings assoc
+                    (with-meta '*in*
+                      {:sci/deref! true})
+                    (read-next))]
+    (socket-repl/start-repl! address ctx)
+    ;; hang until SIGINT
+    @(promise)))
+
 (defn main
   [& args]
   (handle-pipe!)
@@ -187,17 +197,18 @@
                 :help? :file :command-line-args
                 :expression :stream? :time? :socket-repl] :as _opts}
         (parse-opts args)
-        read-next #(if (pipe-signal-received?)
-                     ::EOF
-                     (if stream?
-                       (if shell-in (or (read-line) ::EOF)
-                           (read-edn))
-                       (delay (cond shell-in
-                                    (shell-seq *in*)
-                                    edn-in
-                                    (edn-seq *in*)
-                                    :else
-                                    (edn/read *in*)))))
+        read-next (fn [*in*]
+                    (if (pipe-signal-received?)
+                      ::EOF
+                      (if stream?
+                        (if shell-in (or (read-line) ::EOF)
+                            (read-edn))
+                        (delay (cond shell-in
+                                     (shell-seq *in*)
+                                     edn-in
+                                     (edn-seq *in*)
+                                     :else
+                                     (edn/read *in*))))))
         env (atom {})
         ctx {:bindings (assoc bindings '*command-line-args* command-line-args)
              :env env}
@@ -212,12 +223,11 @@
                 [(print-version) 0]
                 help?
                 [(print-help) 0]
-                socket-repl [(do (socket-repl/start-repl! socket-repl ctx)
-                                 @(promise)) 0]
+                socket-repl [(start-socket-repl! socket-repl ctx #(read-next *in*)) 0]
                 :else
                 (try
                   (let [expr (if file (read-file file) expression)]
-                    (loop [in (read-next)]
+                    (loop [in (read-next *in*)]
                       (let [ctx (update ctx :bindings assoc (with-meta '*in*
                                                               (when-not stream?
                                                                 {:sci/deref! true})) in)]
@@ -235,7 +245,7 @@
                                                (pr-f res))
                                              (prn res)))) 0]]
                             (if stream?
-                              (recur (read-next))
+                              (recur (read-next *in*))
                               res))))))
                   (catch Exception e
                     (binding [*out* *err*]
diff --git a/test/babashka/impl/socket_repl_test.clj b/test/babashka/impl/socket_repl_test.clj
index 504767f2..e52a0940 100644
--- a/test/babashka/impl/socket_repl_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/impl/socket_repl_test.clj
@@ -11,21 +11,48 @@
    (str/lower-case (System/getProperty "os.name"))
    "mac"))
 
+(defn socket-command [expr]
+  (let [ret (sh "bash" "-c"
+                (format "echo \"%s\n:repl/exit\" | nc 127.0.0.1 1666"
+                        (pr-str expr)))]
+    (:out ret)))
+
 (deftest socket-repl-test
-  (when tu/jvm?
-    (try
-      (start-repl! "0.0.0.0:1666" {:env (atom {})})
-      (is (str/includes? (:out (sh "bash" "-c"
-                                   "echo \"(+ 1 2 3)\n:repl/exit\" | nc 127.0.0.1 1666"))
-                         "bb=> 6"))
-      (testing "ctrl-d exits normally, doesn't print nil"
-        (is (str/ends-with? (:out (sh "bash" "-c"
-                                      (if mac? ;; mac doesn't support -q
-                                        "echo \"(inc 1336)\" | nc 127.0.0.1 1666"
-                                        "echo \"(inc 1336)\" | nc -q 1 127.0.0.1 1666")))
-                            "1337\nbb=> ")))
-      (finally
-        (stop-repl!)))))
+  (try
+    (if tu/jvm?
+      (start-repl! "0.0.0.0:1666" {:bindings {(with-meta '*in*
+                                                {:sci/deref! true})
+                                              (delay [1 2 3])
+                                              '*command-line-args*
+                                              ["a" "b" "c"]}
+                                   :env (atom {})})
+      (future
+        (sh "bash" "-c"
+            "echo '[1 2 3]' | ./bb --socket-repl 0.0.0.0:1666 a b c")))
+    ;; wait for server to be available
+    (when tu/native?
+      (while (not (zero? (:exit
+                          (sh "bash" "-c"
+                              "lsof -t -i:1666"))))))
+    (is (str/includes? (socket-command '(+ 1 2 3))
+                       "bb=> 6"))
+    (testing "ctrl-d exits normally, doesn't print nil"
+      (is (str/ends-with? (:out (sh "bash" "-c"
+                                    (if mac? ;; mac doesn't support -q
+                                      "echo \"(inc 1336)\" | nc 127.0.0.1 1666"
+                                      "echo \"(inc 1336)\" | nc -q 1 127.0.0.1 1666")))
+                          "1337\nbb=> ")))
+    (testing "*in*"
+      (is (str/includes? (socket-command '*in*)
+                         "[1 2 3]")))
+    (testing "*command-line-args*"
+      (is (str/includes? (socket-command '*command-line-args*)
+                         "\"a\" \"b\" \"c\"")))
+    (finally
+      (if tu/jvm?
+        (stop-repl!)
+        (sh "bash" "-c"
+            "kill -9 $(lsof -t -i:1666)")))))
 
 ;;;; Scratch