There are https://docs.cider.mx/cider/usage/code_evaluation.html. For just an expression, use the cdier-eval-defun-at-point command with the cursor anywhere on the expression. However, I would recommend evaluating the current namespace as the first step after connecting to the REPL via nrepl. This will load Clojure core into CIDER and ensure docs and jump-to actions work correctly. Either evaluate the (ns ,,,) expression, or evaluate the whole buffer, cider-load-buffer (C-c C-k). Note: If you evaluate the whole buffer, put any code you do not want to run into a (comment ,,, ) expression (especially if that code doesnt evaluate correctly).

Sorry, I meant automatically / non-interactively

Ah, then use the user namespace. Expressions included in the user namespace are loaded into the REPL For example : https://practical.li/clojure/clojure-cli/projects/configure-repl-startup.html user.clj also works for Leiningen projects too, just ensure that the user.clj file is included in the classpath, usually with a dev profile in Leiningen

I use the user.clj namespace to launch data inspectors such as portal, e.g. https://practical.li/spacemacs/clojure-repl/portal-data-visualization.html#rich-comment-block-for-portal

Right, there's one more catch: The code in question is a call to a CIDER middleware API which requires me to pass in my current CIDER session-id. Currently I obtain it via CIDER'S elisp API call (cider-nrepl-eval-session) and then use that to construct the function call I pass on to (cider-interactive-eval). Not sure if there is a way to do that from the Clojure side, too? Also, I want to be able to use this when connecting to an already running remote REPL which of course wouldn't repeatedly load the user namespace whenever I connect. Hope I'm making sense 🙂

Just checked cider-show-eval-spinner is set to true

this is the package in question, you might want to check in isolation whether it works in e28

https://github.com/Malabarba/spinner.el

Yes works in vanilla emacs.

Fixed it by removing my elpa cache.