diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
index 5f3df7f..7d1b7da 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@
                   id    (bytes->string id)]
               (if-let [cb (get @callbacks id)]
                 (do (swap! callbacks dissoc id)
-                    (cb reply))
+                    ;; callbacks run in their own threads to not block the
+                    ;; processor
+                    (future (cb reply)))
                 (let [value* (find reply "value")
                       value (some-> value*
                                     second
@@ -237,8 +239,11 @@
   (let [id (next-id)
         prom (promise)
         callback (fn [reply]
-                   (let [[name-sym vars] (bencode->namespace pod reply)]
-                     (callback {:name name-sym :vars vars :done prom})))]
+                   (try (let [[name-sym vars] (bencode->namespace pod reply)]
+                          (callback {:name name-sym :vars vars :done prom}))
+                        (catch Throwable e
+                          (binding [*out* *err*]
+                            (prn e)))))]
     (swap! callbacks assoc id callback)
     (write (:stdin pod)
            {"op" "load-ns"
diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
index a9159e2..555ff6e 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
   (let [env (:env ctx)
         ns-name name
         sci-ns (sci/create-ns ns-name)]
-    #_(swap! env assoc-in [:namespaces ns-name :obj]
-           sci-ns)
     (sci/binding [sci/ns sci-ns]
       (doseq [[var-name var-value] vars]
         (cond (ifn? var-value)
@@ -15,8 +13,7 @@
                      (sci/new-var
                       (symbol (str ns-name) (str var-name)) var-value))
               (string? var-value)
-              (sci/eval-string* ctx var-value))))
-    #_(prn (get-in @env [:namespaces ns-name])))
+              (sci/eval-string* ctx var-value)))))
   (when done (deliver done :ok)))
 
 (def load-pod