diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
index d8cac87..a04573d 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
@@ -219,26 +219,38 @@
   [^Socket socket]
   (.close socket))
 
-(defn gobbler [^java.io.InputStream is]
-  (future
-    (loop []
-      (let [v (.read is)]
-        (when-not (= -1 v)
-          (print (char v))
-          (recur))))))
+(defn read-port [pid]
+  1888 #_(loop []
+    (let [f (io/file (str ".babashka/pods/" pid ".port"))]
+      (if (.exists f)
+        (edn/read-string (slurp f))
+        (recur)))))
 
 (defn load-pod
   ([pod-spec] (load-pod pod-spec nil))
-  ([pod-spec {:keys [:remove-ns :resolve]}]
+  ([pod-spec {:keys [:remove-ns :resolve :socket :inherit-io]}]
    (let [pod-spec (if (string? pod-spec) [pod-spec] pod-spec)
          pb (ProcessBuilder. ^java.util.List pod-spec)
-         _ (.redirectError pb java.lang.ProcessBuilder$Redirect/INHERIT)
+         _ (if inherit-io
+             (.inheritIO pb)
+             (.redirectError pb java.lang.ProcessBuilder$Redirect/INHERIT))
          _ (doto (.environment pb)
              (.put "BABASHKA_POD" "true"))
          p (.start pb)
-         stdin (.getOutputStream p)
-         stdout (.getInputStream p)
-         stdout (java.io.PushbackInputStream. stdout)
+         pid (.pid p)
+         socket-port (when socket (read-port pid))
+         [stdin stdout]
+         (if socket
+           (let [^Socket socket
+                 (loop []
+                   (if-let [sock (try (create-socket "localhost" socket-port)
+                                      (catch java.net.ConnectException _
+                                        nil))]
+                     sock
+                     (recur)))]
+             [(.getOutputStream socket)
+              (PushbackInputStream. (.getInputStream socket))])
+           [(.getOutputStream p) (java.io.PushbackInputStream. (.getInputStream p))])
          _ (write stdin {"op" "describe"
                          "id" (next-id)})
          reply (read stdout)
@@ -246,14 +258,6 @@
          ops (some->> (get reply "ops") keys (map keyword) set)
          readers (when (identical? :edn format)
                    (read-readers reply resolve))
-         socket-port (get reply "port")
-         [stdin stdout _gobbler]
-         (if socket-port
-           (let [socket (create-socket "localhost" socket-port)]
-             [(.getOutputStream socket)
-              (PushbackInputStream. (.getInputStream socket))
-              (gobbler stdout)])
-           [stdin stdout])
          pod {:process p
               :pod-spec pod-spec
               :stdin stdin
diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/jvm.clj b/src/babashka/pods/jvm.clj
index 9dfef6b..289f71e 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/jvm.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/jvm.clj
@@ -33,15 +33,16 @@
 
 (defn load-pod
   ([pod-spec] (load-pod pod-spec nil))
-  ([pod-spec _opts]
+  ([pod-spec opts]
    (let [pod (impl/load-pod
               pod-spec
-              {:remove-ns remove-ns
-               :resolve (fn [sym]
-                          (or (resolve sym)
-                              (intern
-                               (create-ns (symbol (namespace sym)))
-                               (symbol (name sym)))))})
+              (merge {:remove-ns remove-ns
+                      :resolve (fn [sym]
+                                 (or (resolve sym)
+                                     (intern
+                                      (create-ns (symbol (namespace sym)))
+                                      (symbol (name sym)))))}
+                     opts))
          namespaces (:namespaces pod)]
      (swap! namespaces-to-load
             merge
diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
index 2aec82d..beee000 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
@@ -23,26 +23,28 @@
   (with-meta
     (fn
       ([ctx pod-spec] (load-pod ctx pod-spec nil))
-      ([ctx pod-spec _opts]
+      ([ctx pod-spec opts]
        (let [env (:env ctx)
              pod (binding [*out* @sci/out
                            *err* @sci/err]
                    (impl/load-pod
                     pod-spec
-                    {:remove-ns
-                     (fn [sym]
-                       (swap! env update :namespaces dissoc sym))
-                     :resolve
-                     (fn [sym]
-                       (let [sym-ns (or (some-> (namespace sym)
-                                                symbol)
-                                        'clojure.core)
-                             sym-name (symbol (name sym))]
-                         (or (get-in @env [:namespaces sym-ns sym-name])
-                             (let [v (sci/new-var sym {:predefined true})]
-                               (swap! env assoc-in [:namespaces sym-ns sym-name]
-                                      v)
-                               v))))}))
+                    (merge
+                     {:remove-ns
+                      (fn [sym]
+                        (swap! env update :namespaces dissoc sym))
+                      :resolve
+                      (fn [sym]
+                        (let [sym-ns (or (some-> (namespace sym)
+                                                 symbol)
+                                         'clojure.core)
+                              sym-name (symbol (name sym))]
+                          (or (get-in @env [:namespaces sym-ns sym-name])
+                              (let [v (sci/new-var sym {:predefined true})]
+                                (swap! env assoc-in [:namespaces sym-ns sym-name]
+                                       v)
+                                v))))}
+                     opts)))
              namespaces (:namespaces pod)
              namespaces-to-load (set (keep (fn [[ns-name _ defer?]]
                                              (when defer?