diff --git a/deps.edn b/deps.edn
index 18c47fe..60a9e5e 100644
--- a/deps.edn
+++ b/deps.edn
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
  :aliases
  {:sci
   {:extra-deps
-   {borkdude/sci {:mvn/version "0.0.13-alpha.27"}}}
+   {borkdude/sci {:git/url "https://github.com/borkdude/sci"
+                  :sha "a7f8d05f08ab150621c2403dacdd57c47ea09ff4"}}}
   :test
   {:extra-deps
    {test-runner
diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
index ae34f41..116c3ef 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
@@ -119,9 +119,11 @@
                                  read-fn)
                          {})])
                   namespace (when-let [v (get reply "vars")]
-                              (let [name (-> (get reply "name")
-                                             bytes->string)]
-                                {:name name :vars (bencode->vars pod name v)}))
+                              (let [name-str (-> (get reply "name")
+                                                 bytes->string)
+                                    name (symbol name-str)]
+                                {:name name
+                                 :vars (bencode->vars pod name-str v)}))
                   chan (get @chans id)
                   promise? (instance? clojure.lang.IPending chan)
                   exception (when (and promise? error?)
diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
index b9ab964..2aec82d 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
         ns-name name
         sci-ns (sci/create-ns (symbol ns-name))]
     (sci/binding [sci/ns sci-ns]
+      ;; ensure ns map in ctx, see #20
+      (swap! env update-in [:namespaces ns-name]
+             (fn [ns-map]
+               (if ns-map ns-map {:obj sci-ns})))
       (doseq [[var-name var-value] vars]
         (cond (ifn? var-value)
               (swap! env assoc-in [:namespaces ns-name var-name]
diff --git a/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj b/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
index 56583bd..219cc86 100644
--- a/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
+++ b/test-pod/pod/test_pod.clj
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@
                              {"name" "pod.test-pod.loaded"
                               "defer" "true"}
                              {"name" "pod.test-pod.loaded2"
-                              "defer" "true"}]
+                              "defer" "true"}
+                             {"name" "pod.test-pod.only-code"
+                              "vars" [{"name" "foo"
+                                       "code" "(defn foo [] 1)"}]}]
                             "ops" {"shutdown" {}}})
                     (recur))
                 :invoke (let [var (-> (get message "var")
diff --git a/test-resources/test_program.clj b/test-resources/test_program.clj
index f25bfcd..3ed37db 100644
--- a/test-resources/test_program.clj
+++ b/test-resources/test_program.clj
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
 
 (def fn-called (pod.test-pod/fn-call inc 2))
 
+(require '[pod.test-pod.only-code :as only-code])
+(def should-be-1 (only-code/foo))
+
 (require '[pod.test-pod.loaded2 :as loaded2])
 (def loaded (loaded2/loaded 1))
 
@@ -70,4 +73,5 @@
  tagged
  other-tagged
  loaded
- fn-called]
+ fn-called
+ should-be-1]
diff --git a/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj b/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj
index f5eabad..1a28e32 100644
--- a/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/pods/test_common.clj
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
                         [1 2 3]
                         [[1] [1]]
                         2
-                        3]
+                        3
+                        1]
                (concat ret (repeat ::nil)))]
     (if (instance? java.util.regex.Pattern expected)
       (is (re-find expected actual))