diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
index 043078a021..433459c6d4 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
@@ -154,12 +154,10 @@ pub(crate) fn print_table_or_error(
         if command.get_block_id().is_some() {
             print_or_exit(pipeline_data, engine_state, config);
         } else {
-            let table = command.run(
-                engine_state,
-                stack,
-                &Call::new(Span::new(0, 0)),
-                pipeline_data,
-            );
+            // The final call on table command, it's ok to set redirect_output to false.
+            let mut call = Call::new(Span::new(0, 0));
+            call.redirect_stdout = false;
+            let table = command.run(engine_state, stack, &call, pipeline_data);
 
             match table {
                 Ok(table) => {
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/table.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/table.rs
index 1119617bcb..f8acbee44d 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/table.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/table.rs
@@ -241,12 +241,14 @@ fn handle_table_command(
         PipelineData::ExternalStream { .. } => Ok(input),
         PipelineData::Value(Value::Binary { val, .. }, ..) => Ok(PipelineData::ExternalStream {
             stdout: Some(RawStream::new(
-                Box::new(
+                Box::new(if call.redirect_stdout {
+                    vec![Ok(val)].into_iter()
+                } else {
                     vec![Ok(format!("{}\n", nu_pretty_hex::pretty_hex(&val))
                         .as_bytes()
                         .to_vec())]
-                    .into_iter(),
-                ),
+                    .into_iter()
+                }),
                 ctrlc,
                 call.head,
                 None,
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/run_external.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/run_external.rs
index 85bd78e6c2..151834c54b 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/run_external.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/run_external.rs
@@ -213,6 +213,15 @@ fn external_command_not_expand_tilde_with_quotes() {
     )
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn external_command_receives_raw_binary_data() {
+    Playground::setup("external command receives raw binary data", |dirs, _| {
+        let actual =
+            nu!(cwd: dirs.test(), pipeline(r#"0x[deadbeef] | nu --testbin input_bytes_length"#));
+        assert_eq!(actual.out, r#"4"#);
+    })
+}
+
 #[cfg(windows)]
 #[test]
 fn failed_command_with_semicolon_will_not_execute_following_cmds_windows() {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index c7f5f33874..e0f0fcef33 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
             "chop" => test_bins::chop(),
             "repeater" => test_bins::repeater(),
             "nu_repl" => test_bins::nu_repl(),
+            "input_bytes_length" => test_bins::input_bytes_length(),
             _ => std::process::exit(1),
         }
         std::process::exit(0)
diff --git a/src/test_bins.rs b/src/test_bins.rs
index fa5cb0050f..6bbbc29918 100644
--- a/src/test_bins.rs
+++ b/src/test_bins.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::io::{self, BufRead, Write};
+use std::io::{self, BufRead, Read, Write};
 
 use nu_cli::{eval_env_change_hook, eval_hook};
 use nu_command::create_default_context;
@@ -257,6 +257,13 @@ fn did_chop_arguments() -> bool {
     false
 }
 
+pub fn input_bytes_length() {
+    let stdin = io::stdin();
+    let count = stdin.lock().bytes().count();
+
+    println!("{}", count);
+}
+
 fn args() -> Vec<String> {
     // skip (--testbin bin_name args)
     std::env::args().skip(2).collect()