diff --git a/collects/handin-server/handin-server.ss b/collects/handin-server/handin-server.ss
index a20b40564d..a8b61c1f0f 100644
--- a/collects/handin-server/handin-server.ss
+++ b/collects/handin-server/handin-server.ss
@@ -13,7 +13,12 @@
            "private/run-status.ss"
            "private/reloadable.ss"
            "private/hooker.ss"
-           "web-status-server.ss")
+           "web-status-server.ss"
+           ;; this sets some global parameter values, and this needs
+           ;; to be done in the main thread, rather than later in a
+           ;; user session thread (that will make the global changes
+           ;; not to be global.)
+           "sandbox.ss")
 
   (install-logger-port)
 
diff --git a/collects/handin-server/sandbox.ss b/collects/handin-server/sandbox.ss
index 341552a8ca..1f697e3fa2 100644
--- a/collects/handin-server/sandbox.ss
+++ b/collects/handin-server/sandbox.ss
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
   (sandbox-output       #f)
   (sandbox-error-output #f)
 
+  ;; no limits -- the handin server uses per-session limits
+  (sandbox-eval-limits #f)
+
   ;; share these with evaluators
   (sandbox-namespace-specs
    (let ([specs (sandbox-namespace-specs)])