diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/first.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/first.rs
index 873e07026c..1d2275984d 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/first.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/first.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use nu_engine::CallExt;
 use nu_protocol::ast::Call;
 use nu_protocol::engine::{Command, EngineState, Stack};
 use nu_protocol::{
-    Example, IntoPipelineData, PipelineData, ShellError, Signature, Span, SyntaxShape, Value,
+    Example, IntoPipelineData, PipelineData, ShellError, Signature, Span, SyntaxShape, Type, Value,
 };
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -62,26 +62,85 @@ fn first_helper(
 ) -> Result<nu_protocol::PipelineData, nu_protocol::ShellError> {
     let head = call.head;
     let rows: Option<i64> = call.opt(engine_state, stack, 0)?;
-    let rows_desired: usize = match rows {
+    let mut rows_desired: usize = match rows {
         Some(x) => x as usize,
         None => 1,
     };
 
-    if rows_desired == 1 {
-        let mut input_peek = input.into_iter().peekable();
-        match input_peek.next() {
-            Some(val) => Ok(val.into_pipeline_data()),
-            None => Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEndOfStream(head)),
+    let mut input_peek = input.into_iter().peekable();
+    if input_peek.peek().is_some() {
+        match input_peek.peek().unwrap().get_type() {
+            Type::Binary => {
+                match &mut input_peek.next() {
+                    Some(v) => match &v {
+                        Value::Binary { val, .. } => {
+                            let bytes = val;
+                            if bytes.len() >= rows_desired {
+                                // We only want to see a certain amount of the binary
+                                // so let's grab those parts
+                                let output_bytes = bytes[0..rows_desired].to_vec();
+                                Ok(Value::Binary {
+                                    val: output_bytes,
+                                    span: head,
+                                }
+                                .into_pipeline_data())
+                            } else {
+                                // if we want more rows that the current chunk size (8192)
+                                // we must gradually get bigger chunks while testing
+                                // if it's within the requested rows_desired size
+                                let mut bigger: Vec<u8> = vec![];
+                                bigger.extend(bytes);
+                                while bigger.len() < rows_desired {
+                                    match input_peek.next() {
+                                        Some(Value::Binary { val, .. }) => bigger.extend(val),
+                                        _ => {
+                                            // We're at the end of our data so let's break out of this loop
+                                            // and set the rows_desired to the size of our data
+                                            rows_desired = bigger.len();
+                                            break;
+                                        }
+                                    }
+                                }
+                                let output_bytes = bigger[0..rows_desired].to_vec();
+                                Ok(Value::Binary {
+                                    val: output_bytes,
+                                    span: head,
+                                }
+                                .into_pipeline_data())
+                            }
+                        }
+
+                        _ => todo!(),
+                    },
+                    None => Ok(Value::List {
+                        vals: input_peek.into_iter().take(rows_desired).collect(),
+                        span: head,
+                    }
+                    .into_pipeline_data()),
+                }
+            }
+            _ => {
+                if rows_desired == 1 {
+                    match input_peek.next() {
+                        Some(val) => Ok(val.into_pipeline_data()),
+                        None => Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEndOfStream(head)),
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    Ok(Value::List {
+                        vals: input_peek.into_iter().take(rows_desired).collect(),
+                        span: head,
+                    }
+                    .into_pipeline_data())
+                }
+            }
         }
     } else {
-        Ok(Value::List {
-            vals: input.into_iter().take(rows_desired).collect(),
-            span: head,
-        }
-        .into_pipeline_data())
+        Err(ShellError::UnsupportedInput(
+            String::from("Cannot perform into string on empty input"),
+            head,
+        ))
     }
 }
-
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use super::*;