diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
index 75e551ceee..a985bc8bb1 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::env;
 use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Write};
-use std::process::{ChildStdin, Command as CommandSys, Stdio};
+use std::process::{Command as CommandSys, Stdio};
 use std::sync::mpsc;
 
 use nu_protocol::engine::{EngineState, Stack};
@@ -79,11 +79,7 @@ impl ExternalCommand {
 
         // If there is an input from the pipeline. The stdin from the process
         // is piped so it can be used to send the input information
-        if let PipelineData::Value(Value::String { .. }) = input {
-            process.stdin(Stdio::piped());
-        }
-
-        if let PipelineData::Stream { .. } = input {
+        if !matches!(input, PipelineData::Value(Value::Nothing { .. })) {
             process.stdin(Stdio::piped());
         }
 
@@ -95,17 +91,30 @@ impl ExternalCommand {
             Ok(mut child) => {
                 // if there is a string or a stream, that is sent to the pipe std
                 if let Some(mut stdin_write) = child.stdin.take() {
-                    for value in input {
-                        match value {
-                            Value::String { val, span: _ } => {
-                                self.write_to_stdin(&mut stdin_write, val.as_bytes())?
+                    std::thread::spawn(move || {
+                        for value in input.into_iter() {
+                            match value {
+                                Value::String { val, span: _ } => {
+                                    if stdin_write.write(val.as_bytes()).is_err() {
+                                        return Ok(());
+                                    }
+                                }
+                                Value::Binary { val, span: _ } => {
+                                    if stdin_write.write(&val).is_err() {
+                                        return Ok(());
+                                    }
+                                }
+                                x => {
+                                    if stdin_write.write(x.into_string().as_bytes()).is_err() {
+                                        return Err(());
+                                    }
+                                }
                             }
-                            Value::Binary { val, span: _ } => {
-                                self.write_to_stdin(&mut stdin_write, &val)?
-                            }
-                            _ => continue,
                         }
-                    }
+                        Ok(())
+                    });
+                } else {
+                    println!("Couldn't take stdin");
                 }
 
                 // If this external is not the last expression, then its output is piped to a channel
@@ -188,17 +197,6 @@ impl ExternalCommand {
             process
         }
     }
-
-    fn write_to_stdin(&self, stdin_write: &mut ChildStdin, val: &[u8]) -> Result<(), ShellError> {
-        if stdin_write.write(val).is_err() {
-            Err(ShellError::ExternalCommand(
-                "Error writing input to stdin".to_string(),
-                self.name.span,
-            ))
-        } else {
-            Ok(())
-        }
-    }
 }
 
 // The piped data from stdout from the external command can be either String