diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
index 0addfb3..d0beebf 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
   (String. bytes))
 
 (defn bytes->boolean [^"[B" bytes]
-  (boolean bytes))
+  (= "true" (String. bytes)))
 
 (defn get-string [m k]
   (-> (get m k)
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@
            name-sym (if vmeta
                       (with-meta name-sym vmeta)
                       name-sym)
-           metadata? (get-maybe-boolean var "read-meta?")]
+           metadata? (get-maybe-boolean var "arg-meta")]
        (when metadata?
          (swap! vars-with-metadata update (:pod-id pod) #(conj (set %) sym)))
        [name-sym
diff --git a/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj b/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
index 7241018..9f98c90 100644
--- a/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
+++ b/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
@@ -137,7 +137,9 @@
                                                  "code" "(defn read-other-tag [x] [x x])"
                                                  "meta" "{:doc \"unread\"}"}
                                                 {"name" "round-trip-meta"
-                                                 "read-meta?" "true"}
+                                                 "arg-meta" "true"}
+                                                {"name" "dont-round-trip-meta"
+                                                 "arg-meta" "false"}
                                                 {"name" "-local-date-time"}
                                                 {"name" "transit-stuff"
                                                  "code" "
@@ -244,6 +246,14 @@
                                     "id" id
                                     "value" "#my/other-tag[1]"})
                             pod.test-pod/round-trip-meta
+                            (write out
+                                   {"status" ["done"]
+                                    "id" id
+                                    "value"
+                                    (case format
+                                      :transit+json (transit-json-write-meta (first args))
+                                      (write-fn (first args)))})
+                            pod.test-pod/dont-round-trip-meta
                             (write out
                                    {"status" ["done"]
                                     "id" id
diff --git a/test-resources/test_program.clj b/test-resources/test_program.clj
index 245ac98..6bef8d1 100644
--- a/test-resources/test_program.clj
+++ b/test-resources/test_program.clj
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@
     (= {:my-meta 3} (meta (first (pod.test-pod/round-trip-meta [(with-meta [3] {:my-meta 3})]))))
     true))
 
+(def dont-round-trip-meta
+  (if (= "transit+json" fmt)
+    (= nil (meta (pod.test-pod/dont-round-trip-meta (with-meta [2] {:my-meta 2}))))
+    true))
+
 (require '[pod.test-pod.only-code :as only-code])
 (def should-be-1 (only-code/foo))
 
@@ -128,6 +133,7 @@
  assoc-string-array
  round-trip-meta
  round-trip-meta-nested
+ dont-round-trip-meta
  should-be-1
  add-sync-meta
  error-meta
diff --git a/test/.DS_Store b/test/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e1b901
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/test/babashka/.DS_Store b/test/babashka/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb8953e
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/babashka/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj b/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj
index a71da9f..e0b7d59 100644
--- a/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
                          true ;; roundtrip string array
                          true ;; roundtrip metadata
                          true ;; roundtrip metadata nested
+                         true ;; dont roundtrip metadata (when arg-meta "false"/ absent)
                          1
                          "add the arguments"
                          nil