diff --git a/lisp/langs/org-babel-ruby.el b/lisp/langs/org-babel-ruby.el
index a1ca2ee44..bbe043bc9 100644
--- a/lisp/langs/org-babel-ruby.el
+++ b/lisp/langs/org-babel-ruby.el
@@ -60,6 +60,24 @@ called by `org-babel-execute-src-block'."
                    (org-babel-import-elisp-from-file tmp-file)))
         ('value (org-babel-ruby-table-or-results results))))))
 
+(defun org-babel-prep-session:ruby (session params)
+  "Prepare SESSION according to the header arguments specified in PARAMS."
+  (message "prep called with %S %S" session params)
+  (let* ((session (org-babel-ruby-initiate-session session))
+         (vars (org-babel-ref-variables params))
+         (var-lines (mapcar ;; define any variables
+                     (lambda (pair)
+                       (format "%s=%s"
+                               (car pair)
+                               (org-babel-ruby-var-to-ruby (cdr pair))))
+                     vars)))
+    (org-babel-comint-in-buffer session
+      (mapc (lambda (var)
+              (insert var) (comint-send-input nil t)
+              (org-babel-comint-wait-for-output session)) var-lines))))
+
+;; helper functions
+
 (defun org-babel-ruby-var-to-ruby (var)
   "Convert an elisp var into a string of ruby source code
 specifying a var of the same value."
@@ -80,8 +98,6 @@ Emacs-lisp table, otherwise return the results as a string."
                                          "'" "\"" results)))))
      results)))
 
-;; functions for comint evaluation
-
 (defun org-babel-ruby-initiate-session (&optional session)
   "If there is not a current inferior-process-buffer in SESSION
 then create.  Return the initialized session."
diff --git a/lisp/org-babel-comint.el b/lisp/org-babel-comint.el
index b21ebb84e..9e068743c 100644
--- a/lisp/org-babel-comint.el
+++ b/lisp/org-babel-comint.el
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@ body inside the protection of `save-window-excursion' and
   (declare (indent 1))
   `(save-window-excursion
      (save-match-data
-       (unless (org-babel-comint-buffer-livep buffer)
-         (error (format "buffer %s doesn't exist or has no process" buffer)))
-       (set-buffer buffer)
+       (unless (org-babel-comint-buffer-livep ,buffer)
+         (error (format "buffer %s doesn't exist or has no process" ,buffer)))
+       (set-buffer ,buffer)
        ,@body)))
 
 (defmacro org-babel-comint-with-output (buffer eoe-indicator remove-echo &rest body)
diff --git a/lisp/org-babel.el b/lisp/org-babel.el
index 0a44a4dc2..650952548 100644
--- a/lisp/org-babel.el
+++ b/lisp/org-babel.el
@@ -40,6 +40,15 @@ then run `org-babel-execute-src-block'."
 
 (add-hook 'org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c-hook 'org-babel-execute-src-block-maybe)
 
+(defun org-babel-pop-to-session-maybe ()
+  "Detect if this is context for a org-babel src-block and if so
+then run `org-babel-pop-to-session'."
+  (interactive)
+  (let ((info (org-babel-get-src-block-info)))
+    (if info (progn (org-babel-pop-to-session current-prefix-arg info) t) nil)))
+
+(add-hook 'org-metadown-hook 'org-babel-pop-to-session-maybe)
+
 (defvar org-babel-default-header-args '()
   "Default arguments to use when evaluating a source block.")
 
@@ -102,6 +111,26 @@ lisp code use the `org-babel-add-interpreter' function."
 	      (const "ruby")))
 
 ;;; functions
+(defun org-babel-pop-to-session (&optional arg info)
+  "Pop to the session of the current source-code block.  If
+called with a prefix argument then evaluate the header arguments
+for the source block before entering the session.  Copy the body
+of the source block to the kill ring."
+  (interactive)
+  (let* ((info (or info (org-babel-get-src-block-info)))
+         (lang (first info))
+         (body (second info))
+         (params (third info))
+         (session (cdr (assoc :session params))))
+    (unless (member lang org-babel-interpreters)
+      (error "Language is not in `org-babel-interpreters': %s" lang))
+    ;; copy body to the kill ring
+    (with-temp-buffer (insert body) (copy-region-as-kill (point-min) (point-max)))
+    ;; if called with a prefix argument, then process header arguments
+    (if arg (funcall (intern (concat "org-babel-prep-session:" lang)) session params))
+    ;; just to the session using pop-to-buffer
+    (pop-to-buffer (funcall (intern (format "org-babel-%s-initiate-session" lang)) session))))
+
 (defun org-babel-execute-src-block (&optional arg info params)
   "Execute the current source code block, and dump the results
 into the buffer immediately following the block.  Results are
diff --git a/org-babel.org b/org-babel.org
index b8230aec2..3a901a054 100644
--- a/org-babel.org
+++ b/org-babel.org
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ and the results to be collected in the same table.
    At the same time I introduced org-babel-named-src-block-regexp, to
    match src-blocks with srcname.
 
-** TODO Create objects in top level (global) environment [3/5]
+** TODO Create objects in top level (global) environment [3/9]
 *sessions*
 
 *** initial requirement statement [DED]
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ a + b
 a + b
 #+end_src
 
-*** TODO function to bring up inferior-process buffer
+*** TODO function to bring up inferior-process buffer [1/4]
 
 This should be callable from inside of a source-code block in an
 org-mode buffer.  It should evaluate the header arguments, then bring
@@ -673,6 +673,16 @@ up the inf-proc buffer using =pop-to-buffer=.
 For lack of a better place, lets add this to the
 `org-shiftmetadown-hook' hook.
 
+**** DONE ruby
+
+#+srcname: task-ruby-pop-to-session
+#+begin_src ruby :var num=9 :var another="something else"
+num.times{|n| puts n}
+#+end_src
+
+**** TODO R
+**** TODO python
+**** TODO shell
 *** TODO function to dump last N lines from inf-proc buffer into the current source block
 
 Callable with a prefix argument to specify how many lines should be