diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/columns.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/columns.rs
index 2349ab9683..47ed1c88f8 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/columns.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/columns.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ use nu_engine::column::get_columns;
 use nu_protocol::ast::Call;
 use nu_protocol::engine::{Command, EngineState, Stack};
 use nu_protocol::{
-    Category, Example, IntoInterruptiblePipelineData, IntoPipelineData, PipelineData, ShellError,
-    Signature, Span, Type, Value,
+    Category, Example, IntoInterruptiblePipelineData, PipelineData, ShellError, Signature, Span,
+    Type, Value,
 };
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -80,9 +80,11 @@ impl Command for Columns {
 
 fn getcol(
     engine_state: &EngineState,
-    span: Span,
+    head: Span,
     input: PipelineData,
 ) -> Result<PipelineData, ShellError> {
+    let ctrlc = engine_state.ctrlc.clone();
+    let metadata = input.metadata();
     match input {
         PipelineData::Empty => Ok(PipelineData::Empty),
         PipelineData::Value(
@@ -96,7 +98,8 @@ fn getcol(
             Ok(input_cols
                 .into_iter()
                 .map(move |x| Value::String { val: x, span })
-                .into_pipeline_data(engine_state.ctrlc.clone()))
+                .into_pipeline_data(ctrlc)
+                .set_metadata(metadata))
         }
         PipelineData::Value(Value::CustomValue { val, span }, ..) => {
             // TODO: should we get CustomValue to expose columns in a more efficient way?
@@ -106,7 +109,8 @@ fn getcol(
             Ok(input_cols
                 .into_iter()
                 .map(move |x| Value::String { val: x, span })
-                .into_pipeline_data(engine_state.ctrlc.clone()))
+                .into_pipeline_data(ctrlc)
+                .set_metadata(metadata))
         }
         PipelineData::ListStream(stream, ..) => {
             let v: Vec<_> = stream.into_iter().collect();
@@ -114,17 +118,36 @@ fn getcol(
 
             Ok(input_cols
                 .into_iter()
-                .map(move |x| Value::String { val: x, span })
-                .into_pipeline_data(engine_state.ctrlc.clone()))
+                .map(move |x| Value::String { val: x, span: head })
+                .into_pipeline_data(ctrlc)
+                .set_metadata(metadata))
         }
         PipelineData::Value(Value::Record { cols, .. }, ..) => Ok(cols
             .into_iter()
-            .map(move |x| Value::String { val: x, span })
-            .into_pipeline_data(engine_state.ctrlc.clone())),
-        PipelineData::Value(..) | PipelineData::ExternalStream { .. } => {
-            let cols = vec![];
-            let vals = vec![];
-            Ok(Value::Record { cols, vals, span }.into_pipeline_data())
+            .map(move |x| Value::String { val: x, span: head })
+            .into_pipeline_data(ctrlc)
+            .set_metadata(metadata)),
+        // Propagate errors
+        PipelineData::Value(Value::Error { error }, ..) => Err(error),
+        PipelineData::Value(other, ..) => {
+            Err(ShellError::OnlySupportsThisInputType(
+                "record or table".into(),
+                other.get_type().to_string(),
+                head,
+                // This line requires the Value::Error match above.
+                other.expect_span(),
+            ))
+        }
+        PipelineData::ExternalStream { .. } => {
+            Err(ShellError::OnlySupportsThisInputType(
+                "record or table".into(),
+                "raw data".into(),
+                head,
+                // This line requires the PipelineData::Empty and PipelineData::ListStream matches above.
+                input
+                    .span()
+                    .expect("PipelineData::ExternalStream had no span"),
+            ))
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/values.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/values.rs
index 70984d56fe..42e4c33675 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/values.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/values.rs
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ fn values(
             Ok(vals.into_pipeline_data(ctrlc).set_metadata(metadata))
         }
         // Propagate errors
-        PipelineData::Value(Value::Error { error: _ }, ..) => Ok(input),
+        PipelineData::Value(Value::Error { error }, ..) => Err(error),
         PipelineData::Value(other, ..) => {
             Err(ShellError::OnlySupportsThisInputType(
                 "record or table".into(),