diff --git a/sci b/sci
index 6f3a1882..1d41480d 160000
--- a/sci
+++ b/sci
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 6f3a1882cd03cbba23a35e5bb657772c4a045615
+Subproject commit 1d41480d9dca2cd62f8cd341392919d1b64183ec
diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index 1ba8af91..88e7344a 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
 
 (defn print-help []
   (println (str "babashka v" (str/trim (slurp (io/resource "BABASHKA_VERSION")))))
-  (println (str "sci v" (str/trim (slurp (io/resource "SCI_VERSION")))))
+  ;; (println (str "sci v" (str/trim (slurp (io/resource "SCI_VERSION")))))
   (println)
   (print-usage)
   (println)
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
   (let [f (io/file file)]
     (if (.exists f)
       (as-> (slurp file) x
-        ;; remove hashbang
+        ;; remove shebang
         (str/replace x #"^#!.*" "")
         (format "(do %s)" x))
       (throw (Exception. (str "File does not exist: " file))))))
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
   (System/getProperties))
 
 (defn exit [n]
-  (System/exit n))
+  (throw (ex-info "" {:bb/exit-code n})))
 
 (def bindings
   {'run! run!
@@ -144,7 +144,8 @@
                 [(print-help) 0]
                 :else
                 (try
-                  (let [expr (if file (read-file file) expression)
+
+                  (let [expr (if file (read-file file) (format "(do %s)" expression))
                         read-next #(if stream?
                                      (if raw-in (or (read-line) ::EOF)
                                          (read-edn))
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@
                       (if (identical? ::EOF in)
                         [nil 0] ;; done streaming
                         (let [res [(do (when-not (or expression file)
-                                         (throw (Exception. "Missing expression.")))
+                                         (throw (Exception. (str args  "Babashka expected an expression. Type --help to print help."))))
                                        (let [res (sci/eval-string
                                                   expr
                                                   {:bindings (assoc bindings
@@ -176,18 +177,23 @@
                             res)))))
                   (catch Exception e
                     (binding [*out* *err*]
-                      (when-let [msg (or (:stderr (ex-data e))
-                                         (.getMessage e))]
-                        (println (str/trim msg) )))
-                    [nil 1]))))
+                      (let [d (ex-data e)
+                            exit-code (:bb/exit-code d)]
+                        (if exit-code [nil exit-code]
+                            (do (when-let [msg (or (:stderr d )
+                                                  (.getMessage e))]
+                                  (println (str/trim msg)))
+                                [nil 1]))))))))
          1)
         t1 (System/currentTimeMillis)]
-    (when time? (println "bb took" (str (- t1 t0) "ms.")))
+    (when time? (binding [*out* *err*]
+                  (println "bb took" (str (- t1 t0) "ms."))))
     exit-code))
 
 (defn -main
   [& args]
-  (System/exit (apply main args)))
+  (let [exit-code (apply main args)]
+    (System/exit exit-code)))
 
 ;;;; Scratch
 
diff --git a/test/babashka/main_test.clj b/test/babashka/main_test.clj
index a66aca23..095d1072 100644
--- a/test/babashka/main_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/main_test.clj
@@ -68,12 +68,19 @@
   (let [res (bb nil "-f" "test/babashka/scripts/System.bb")]
     (is (= "bar" (second res)))
     (doseq [s res]
-      (is (not-empty s)))))
+      (is (not-empty s))))
+  (let [out (java.io.StringWriter.)
+        err (java.io.StringWriter.)
+        exit-code (binding [*out* out *err* err]
+                    (main/main "--time" "(println \"Hello world!\") (System/exit 42)"))]
+    (is (= (str out) "Hello world!\n"))
+    (is (re-find #"took" (str err)))
+    (is (= 42 exit-code))))
 
 (deftest malformed-command-line-args-test
   (is (thrown-with-msg? Exception #"File does not exist: non-existing\n"
                         (bb nil  "-f" "non-existing")))
-  (is (thrown-with-msg? Exception #"Missing expression.\n"
+  (is (thrown-with-msg? Exception #"expression"
                         (bb nil))))
 
 #_(deftest raw-in-test
diff --git a/test/babashka/test_utils.clj b/test/babashka/test_utils.clj
index 2caba366..76952cfb 100644
--- a/test/babashka/test_utils.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/test_utils.clj
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
                   (with-in-str input
                     (apply main/main args))
                   (apply main/main input args))))]
-    (if-let [err ^String  (not-empty (str sw))]
+    (if-let [err ^String (not-empty (str sw))]
       (throw (Exception. err)) res)))
 
 (defn bb-native [input & args]
@@ -23,8 +23,9 @@
                            {:in input}))
            (apply bb input args))
          (catch Exception e
-           (let [err-msg (or (:stderr (ex-data e)) "")]
-             (throw (Exception. ^String err-msg)))))))
+           (let [d (ex-data e)
+                 err-msg (or (:stderr (ex-data e)) "")]
+             (throw (ex-info err-msg d)))))))
 
 (def bb
   (case (System/getenv "BABASHKA_TEST_ENV")