diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index 39b88922..a591268d 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -70,10 +70,9 @@
 (when features/transit?
   (require '[babashka.impl.transit]))
 
-(binding [*unrestricted* true]
-  (sci/alter-var-root sci/in (constantly *in*))
-  (sci/alter-var-root sci/out (constantly *out*))
-  (sci/alter-var-root sci/err (constantly *err*)))
+(sci/alter-var-root sci/in (constantly *in*))
+(sci/alter-var-root sci/out (constantly *out*))
+(sci/alter-var-root sci/err (constantly *err*))
 
 (set! *warn-on-reflection* true)
 ;; To detect problems when generating the image, run:
@@ -148,7 +147,7 @@
                      ("--socket-repl")
                      (let [options (next options)
                            opt (first options)
-                           opt (when-not (str/starts-with? opt "-")
+                           opt (when (and opt (not (str/starts-with? opt "-")))
                                  opt)
                            options (if opt (next options)
                                        options)]
@@ -158,7 +157,7 @@
                      ("--nrepl-server")
                      (let [options (next options)
                            opt (first options)
-                           opt (when-not (str/starts-with? opt "-")
+                           opt (when (and opt (not (str/starts-with? opt "-")))
                                  opt)
                            options (if opt (next options)
                                        options)]
diff --git a/test/babashka/main_test.clj b/test/babashka/main_test.clj
index 9604f23b..8491427b 100644
--- a/test/babashka/main_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/main_test.clj
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@
   (edn/read-string (apply test-utils/bb (when (some? input) (str input)) (map str args))))
 
 (deftest parse-opts-test
+  (is (= {:nrepl "1667"}
+         (main/parse-opts ["--nrepl-server"])))
+  (is (= {:socket-repl "1666"}
+         (main/parse-opts ["--socket-repl"])))
   (is (= {:nrepl "1667", :classpath "src"}
          (main/parse-opts ["--nrepl-server" "-cp" "src"])))
   (is (= {:socket-repl "1666", :expressions ["123"]}