diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 372572aed..c8302caf7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@ Changes to Calva.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+- Fix: [Can't start REPL in lein projects with backtick on project.clj](https://github.com/BetterThanTomorrow/calva/issues/2633)
+
 ## [2.0.474] - 2024-09-22
 
 - [Synchronize the file extensions for Calva and Calva Spritz](https://github.com/BetterThanTomorrow/calva/issues/2629)
-- [Terminal output pretty printing fails when using `printerFn` pretty print option](https://github.com/BetterThanTomorrow/calva/issues/2630)
+- Fix: [Terminal output pretty printing fails when using `printerFn` pretty print option](https://github.com/BetterThanTomorrow/calva/issues/2630)
 
 ## [2.0.473] - 2024-09-21
 
diff --git a/src/cljs-lib/src/calva/parse.cljs b/src/cljs-lib/src/calva/parse.cljs
index 8ec0792bc..7a33eeabb 100644
--- a/src/cljs-lib/src/calva/parse.cljs
+++ b/src/cljs-lib/src/calva/parse.cljs
@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@
   "Parses out all top level forms from `s`.
    Returns a vector with the parsed forms."
   [s]
-  (let [pbr (rt/string-push-back-reader (str/replace s #"#=\(" "nil #_("))]
+  (let [pbr (rt/string-push-back-reader (-> s ; tools.reader croaks on some Clojure constructs
+                                              ; at least the way we use it here
+                                              ; And we're not interested in actually parsing these
+                                            (str/replace #"#=\(" "nil #_(")
+                                            (str/replace #"`" "'")))]
     (loop [parsed-forms []]
       (let [parsed-form (tr/read {:eof 'CALVA-EOF
                                   :read-cond :preserve} pbr)]
diff --git a/src/nrepl/project-types.ts b/src/nrepl/project-types.ts
index 379be0c2f..ba5c142e7 100644
--- a/src/nrepl/project-types.ts
+++ b/src/nrepl/project-types.ts
@@ -158,7 +158,9 @@ async function leinDefProject(): Promise<any> {
     const parsed = parseForms(data);
     return parsed.find((x) => x[0] == 'defproject');
   } catch (e) {
-    void vscode.window.showErrorMessage('Could not parse project.clj');
+    void vscode.window.showErrorMessage(
+      "Could not parse project.clj. You'll need to start the REPL manually, and then use the Connect REPL command instead."
+    );
     throw e;
   }
 }