diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/cli.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/cli.rs
index f00144babf..c446e574df 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/cli.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/cli.rs
@@ -398,8 +398,13 @@ pub async fn run_vec_of_pipelines(
                 } => {
                     for pipeline in pipelines {
                         if let Ok(pipeline_string) = pipeline.as_string() {
-                            let _ =
-                                run_pipeline_standalone(pipeline_string, false, &mut context).await;
+                            let _ = run_pipeline_standalone(
+                                pipeline_string,
+                                false,
+                                &mut context,
+                                false,
+                            )
+                            .await;
                         }
                     }
                 }
@@ -411,7 +416,7 @@ pub async fn run_vec_of_pipelines(
     }
 
     for pipeline in pipelines {
-        run_pipeline_standalone(pipeline, redirect_stdin, &mut context).await?;
+        run_pipeline_standalone(pipeline, redirect_stdin, &mut context, true).await?;
     }
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -420,6 +425,7 @@ pub async fn run_pipeline_standalone(
     pipeline: String,
     redirect_stdin: bool,
     context: &mut Context,
+    exit_on_error: bool,
 ) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
     let line = process_line(Ok(pipeline), context, redirect_stdin, false).await;
 
@@ -448,7 +454,9 @@ pub async fn run_pipeline_standalone(
             });
 
             context.maybe_print_errors(Text::from(line));
-            std::process::exit(1);
+            if exit_on_error {
+                std::process::exit(1);
+            }
         }
 
         _ => {}
@@ -502,8 +510,13 @@ pub async fn cli() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
                 } => {
                     for pipeline in pipelines {
                         if let Ok(pipeline_string) = pipeline.as_string() {
-                            let _ =
-                                run_pipeline_standalone(pipeline_string, false, &mut context).await;
+                            let _ = run_pipeline_standalone(
+                                pipeline_string,
+                                false,
+                                &mut context,
+                                false,
+                            )
+                            .await;
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/classified/external.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/classified/external.rs
index 6343de4fac..d80fa8d089 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/classified/external.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/classified/external.rs
@@ -444,6 +444,8 @@ fn spawn(
             process.arg("/c");
             process.arg(&command.name);
             for arg in args {
+                // Clean the args before we use them:
+                let arg = arg.replace("|", "\\|");
                 process.arg(&arg);
             }
             process
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/help.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/help.rs
index 6861618bfa..1401aa6fca 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/help.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/help.rs
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ impl PerItemCommand for Help {
                     return Ok(
                         get_help(&command.name(), &command.usage(), command.signature()).into(),
                     );
+                } else {
+                    return Err(ShellError::labeled_error(
+                        "Can't find command (use 'help commands' for full list)",
+                        "can't find command",
+                        tag,
+                    ));
                 }
                 let help = futures::stream::iter(help);
                 Ok(help.to_output_stream())
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/shell/completer.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/shell/completer.rs
index 3145614c78..9c391f73d1 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/shell/completer.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/shell/completer.rs
@@ -69,15 +69,15 @@ impl NuCompleter {
 
         for command in commands.iter() {
             let mut pos = replace_pos;
-            let mut matched = true;
+            let mut matched = false;
             if pos < line_chars.len() {
                 for chr in command.chars() {
                     if line_chars[pos] != chr {
-                        matched = false;
                         break;
                     }
                     pos += 1;
                     if pos == line_chars.len() {
+                        matched = true;
                         break;
                     }
                 }