diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
index 688b9e2..1d5ad40 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
@@ -122,7 +122,13 @@
                           #(Boolean/parseBoolean %))
            name-sym (symbol name)
            sym (symbol ns-name-str name)
-           code (get-maybe-string var "code")]
+           code (get-maybe-string var "code")
+           vmeta (some-> (get var "meta")
+                         bytes->string
+                         edn/read-string)
+           name-sym (if vmeta
+                      (with-meta name-sym vmeta)
+                      name-sym)]
        [name-sym
         (or code
             (fn [& args]
diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
index dfb84aa..437aea5 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@
       (swap! env update-in [:namespaces ns-name]
              (fn [ns-map]
                (if ns-map ns-map {:obj sci-ns})))
-      (doseq [[var-name var-value] vars]
+      (doseq [[var-name var-value :as var] vars]
         (cond (ifn? var-value)
               (swap! env assoc-in [:namespaces ns-name var-name]
                      (sci/new-var
-                      (symbol (str ns-name) (str var-name)) var-value))
+                      (symbol (str ns-name) (str var-name)) var-value (meta var-name)))
               (string? var-value)
               (sci/eval-string* ctx var-value))))))
 
diff --git a/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj b/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
index d834de8..cc81ccd 100644
--- a/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
+++ b/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@
                                            "my/other-tag" "pod.test-pod/read-other-tag"}
                                 "namespaces"
                                 [{"name" "pod.test-pod"
-                                  "vars" (into [{"name" "add-sync"}
+                                  "vars" (into [{"name" "add-sync"
+                                                 "meta" "{:doc \"add the arguments\"}"}
                                                 {"name" "range-stream"
                                                  "async" "true"}
                                                 {"name" "assoc"}
@@ -127,7 +128,8 @@
                                                 {"name" "other-tag"}
                                                 ;; reads thing with other tag
                                                 {"name" "read-other-tag"
-                                                 "code" "(defn read-other-tag [x] [x x])"}
+                                                 "code" "(defn read-other-tag [x] [x x])"
+                                                 "meta" "{:doc \"unread\"}"}
                                                 {"name" "-local-date-time"}
                                                 {"name" "transit-stuff"
                                                  "code" "
diff --git a/test-resources/test_program.clj b/test-resources/test_program.clj
index bb728a6..de22ce3 100644
--- a/test-resources/test_program.clj
+++ b/test-resources/test_program.clj
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@
 (def add-result (pod.test-pod/add-sync 1 2 3))
 (def nil-result (pod.test-pod/return-nil))
 
+(def add-sync-meta (:doc (meta #'pod.test-pod/add-sync)))
+(def error-meta (:doc (meta #'pod.test-pod/error)))
+(def read-other-tag-meta (:doc (meta #'pod.test-pod/read-other-tag)))
+
 (def x9 pod.test-pod/x9)
 
 (def tagged (if (= "edn" fmt)
@@ -108,4 +112,7 @@
  fn-called
  local-date-time
  assoc-string-array
- should-be-1]
+ should-be-1
+ add-sync-meta
+ error-meta
+ read-other-tag-meta]
diff --git a/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj b/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj
index 760c097..ad4a1eb 100644
--- a/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@
                         3
                         true ;; local-date
                         true ;; roundtrip string array
-                        1]
+                        1
+                        "add the arguments"
+                        nil
+                        nil]
                (concat ret (repeat ::nil)))]
     (if (instance? java.util.regex.Pattern expected)
       (is (re-find expected actual))