diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
index 14c02806a..b4a35ffa1 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
@@ -69,20 +69,24 @@ impl Command for External {
                 })
         }
 
-        let args = args
-            .into_iter()
-            .flat_map(|arg| match arg {
-                Value::List { vals, .. } => vals
-                    .into_iter()
-                    .map(value_as_spanned)
-                    .collect::<Vec<Result<Spanned<String>, ShellError>>>(),
-                val => vec![value_as_spanned(val)],
-            })
-            .collect::<Result<Vec<Spanned<String>>, ShellError>>()?;
+        let mut spanned_args = vec![];
+        for one_arg in args {
+            match one_arg {
+                Value::List { vals, .. } => {
+                    // turn all the strings in the array into params.
+                    // Example: one_arg may be something like ["ls" "-a"]
+                    // convert it to "ls" "-a"
+                    for v in vals {
+                        spanned_args.push(value_as_spanned(v)?)
+                    }
+                }
+                val => spanned_args.push(value_as_spanned(val)?),
+            }
+        }
 
         let command = ExternalCommand {
             name,
-            args,
+            args: spanned_args,
             redirect_stdout,
             redirect_stderr,
             env_vars: env_vars_str,
diff --git a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
index d3506dc72..873fbd184 100644
--- a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
@@ -294,9 +294,13 @@ pub fn parse_external_call(
             let (arg, err) = parse_dollar_expr(working_set, *span, expand_aliases_denylist);
             error = error.or(err);
             args.push(arg);
-        } else if contents.starts_with(b"(") {
-            let (arg, err) =
-                parse_full_cell_path(working_set, None, *span, expand_aliases_denylist);
+        } else if contents.starts_with(b"[") {
+            let (arg, err) = parse_list_expression(
+                working_set,
+                *span,
+                &SyntaxShape::Any,
+                expand_aliases_denylist,
+            );
             error = error.or(err);
             args.push(arg);
         } else {
diff --git a/tests/shell/pipeline/commands/external.rs b/tests/shell/pipeline/commands/external.rs
index 4c0257e3e..1c351f774 100644
--- a/tests/shell/pipeline/commands/external.rs
+++ b/tests/shell/pipeline/commands/external.rs
@@ -306,6 +306,30 @@ mod nu_commands {
 
         assert_eq!(actual.out, "");
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn command_list_arg_test() {
+        let actual = nu!(cwd: ".", r#"
+        nu ['-c' 'version']
+        "#);
+
+        assert!(actual.out.contains("version"));
+        assert!(actual.out.contains("rust_version"));
+        assert!(actual.out.contains("rust_channel"));
+        assert!(actual.out.contains("pkg_version"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn command_cell_path_arg_test() {
+        let actual = nu!(cwd: ".", r#"
+        nu ([ '-c' 'version' ])
+        "#);
+
+        assert!(actual.out.contains("version"));
+        assert!(actual.out.contains("rust_version"));
+        assert!(actual.out.contains("rust_channel"));
+        assert!(actual.out.contains("pkg_version"));
+    }
 }
 
 mod nu_script {