diff --git a/lib/internal/repl.js b/lib/internal/repl.js
index 65c3f77ed6abb9..902e81f495573c 100644
--- a/lib/internal/repl.js
+++ b/lib/internal/repl.js
@@ -107,8 +107,13 @@ function setupHistory(repl, historyPath, ready) {
     }
     repl._historyHandle = hnd;
     repl.on('line', online);
-    repl.resume();
-    return ready(null, repl);
+
+    // reading the file data out erases it
+    repl.once('flushHistory', function() {
+      repl.resume();
+      ready(null, repl);
+    });
+    flushHistory();
   }
 
   // ------ history listeners ------
diff --git a/src/node.js b/src/node.js
index 2d6ce45a928d29..bd8ef5b04ef8a2 100644
--- a/src/node.js
+++ b/src/node.js
@@ -130,7 +130,8 @@
         // If -i or --interactive were passed, or stdin is a TTY.
         if (process._forceRepl || NativeModule.require('tty').isatty(0)) {
           // REPL
-          Module.requireRepl().createInternalRepl(process.env, function(err, repl) {
+          var cliRepl = Module.requireRepl();
+          cliRepl.createInternalRepl(process.env, function(err, repl) {
             if (err) {
               throw err;
             }