diff --git a/project.clj b/project.clj
index 22e272e..303ea02 100644
--- a/project.clj
+++ b/project.clj
@@ -12,4 +12,4 @@
                                     :username :env/babashka_nrepl_clojars_user
                                     :password :env/babashka_nrepl_clojars_pass
                                     :sign-releases false}]]
-  :profiles {:test {:dependencies [[borkdude/sci "0.0.13-alpha.26"]]}})
+  :profiles {:test {:dependencies [[borkdude/sci "0.0.13-alpha.27"]]}})
diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
index 7c6317a..83e77a8 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
@@ -236,8 +236,8 @@
 (defn load-ns [pod namespace callback]
   (let [id (next-id)
         callback (fn [reply]
-                   (let [namespace (bencode->namespace pod reply)]
-                     (callback namespace)))]
+                   (let [[name-sym vars] (bencode->namespace pod reply)]
+                     (callback {:name name-sym :vars vars})))]
     (swap! callbacks assoc id callback)
     (write (:stdin pod)
            {"op" "load"
diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
index cd5ef35..6de1045 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@
                      (sci/new-var
                       (symbol (str ns-name) (str var-name)) var-value))
               (string? var-value)
-              (sci/eval-string* ctx var-value))))))
+              (do
+                (prn "eval" @sci/ns var-value)
+                (sci/eval-string* ctx var-value)))))))
 
 (def load-pod
   (with-meta
@@ -40,9 +42,11 @@
                                       v)
                                v))))}))
              namespaces (:namespaces pod)
-             namespaces-to-load (when (contains? (:ops pod) :load)
-                                  (set (filter (fn [[_ns-name vars]]
-                                                 (nil? vars))
+             load? (contains? (:ops pod) :load)
+             namespaces-to-load (when load?
+                                  (set (keep (fn [[ns-name vars]]
+                                               (when (empty? vars)
+                                                 ns-name))
                                                namespaces)))]
          (when (seq namespaces-to-load)
            (let [load-fn (fn load-fn [{:keys [:namespace]}]
@@ -57,7 +61,9 @@
                                    (when prev-load-fn
                                      (prev-load-fn m))))]
              (swap! env assoc :load-fn new-load-fn)))
-         (doseq [[ns-name vars] namespaces]
+         (doseq [[ns-name vars] namespaces
+                 :when (or (not load)
+                           (seq vars))]
            (process-namespace ctx {:name ns-name :vars vars}))
          (sci/future (impl/processor pod))
          {:pod/id (:pod-id pod)})))
diff --git a/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj b/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
index d4f4caf..ea44a26 100644
--- a/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
+++ b/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
@@ -80,8 +80,10 @@
                                             ;; reads thing with other tag
                                             {"name" "read-other-tag"
                                              "code" "(defn read-other-tag [x] [x x])"}]
-                                           dependents)}]
-                            "ops" {"shutdown" {}}})
+                                           dependents)}
+                             {"name" "pod.test-pod.loaded"}]
+                            "ops" {"shutdown" {}
+                                   "load" {}}})
                     (recur))
                 :invoke (let [var (-> (get message "var")
                                       read-string
@@ -156,7 +158,20 @@
                               "id" id
                               "value" "#my/other-tag[1]"}))
                           (recur))
-                :shutdown (System/exit 0))))))
+                :shutdown (System/exit 0)
+                :load (let [path (-> (get message "path")
+                                     read-string
+                                     symbol)
+                            id (-> (get message "id")
+                                   read-string)]
+                        (case path
+                          pod.test-pod.loaded
+                          (write
+                           {"status" ["done"]
+                            "id" id
+                            "name" "pod.test-pod.loaded"
+                            "vars" [{"name" "loaded"
+                                     "code" "(defn loaded [x] (inc x))"}]}))))))))
       (catch Exception e
         (binding [*out* *err*]
           (prn e))))))
diff --git a/test-resources/test_program.clj b/test-resources/test_program.clj
index 64293c5..1d878a6 100644
--- a/test-resources/test_program.clj
+++ b/test-resources/test_program.clj
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@
 (def tagged (pod/reader-tag))
 (def other-tagged (pod/other-tag))
 
+(require '[pod.test-pod.loaded])
+
+(def loaded (pod.test-pod.loaded/loaded 1))
+
 (pods/unload-pod pod-id)
 (def successfully-removed (nil? (find-ns 'pod.test-pod)))
 
@@ -63,4 +67,5 @@
  successfully-removed
  x9
  tagged
- other-tagged]
+ other-tagged
+ loaded]