diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/errors.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/errors.rs
index a7ee99216..4c04481fe 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/errors.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/errors.rs
@@ -395,6 +395,15 @@ pub fn report_shell_error(
                         Label::primary(diag_file_id, diag_range).with_message("cannot find column")
                     ])
             }
+            ShellError::ExternalCommand(error, span) => {
+                let (diag_file_id, diag_range) = convert_span_to_diag(working_set, span)?;
+
+                Diagnostic::error()
+                    .with_message("External command")
+                    .with_labels(vec![
+                        Label::primary(diag_file_id, diag_range).with_message(format!("{}", error))
+                    ])
+            }
         };
 
     // println!("DIAG");
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
index 9291a9742..91c13590f 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ use nu_protocol::{
 };
 
 use crate::{
-    where_::Where, Alias, Benchmark, BuildString, Def, Do, Each, For, Git, GitCheckout, If, Length,
-    Let, LetEnv, ListGitBranches, Ls, Table,
+    where_::Where, Alias, Benchmark, BuildString, Def, Do, Each, External, For, Git, GitCheckout,
+    If, Length, Let, LetEnv, ListGitBranches, Ls, Table,
 };
 
 pub fn create_default_context() -> Rc<RefCell<EngineState>> {
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ pub fn create_default_context() -> Rc<RefCell<EngineState>> {
 
         working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Table));
 
+        working_set.add_decl(Box::new(External));
+
         // This is a WIP proof of concept
         working_set.add_decl(Box::new(ListGitBranches));
         working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Git));
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/lib.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/lib.rs
index a508e0cb4..96f0839fb 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/lib.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ mod let_;
 mod let_env;
 mod list_git_branches;
 mod ls;
+mod run_external;
 mod table;
 mod where_;
 
@@ -33,4 +34,5 @@ pub use let_::Let;
 pub use let_env::LetEnv;
 pub use list_git_branches::ListGitBranches;
 pub use ls::Ls;
+pub use run_external::External;
 pub use table::Table;
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/run_external.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/run_external.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..78ac39286
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/run_external.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+use std::env;
+use std::process::Command as CommandSys;
+
+use nu_protocol::{
+    ast::{Call, Expression},
+    engine::{Command, EvaluationContext},
+    ShellError, Signature, SyntaxShape, Value,
+};
+
+use nu_engine::eval_expression;
+
+pub struct External;
+
+impl Command for External {
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        "run_external"
+    }
+
+    fn usage(&self) -> &str {
+        "Runs external command"
+    }
+
+    fn signature(&self) -> nu_protocol::Signature {
+        Signature::build("run_external").rest("rest", SyntaxShape::Any, "external command to run")
+    }
+
+    fn run(
+        &self,
+        context: &EvaluationContext,
+        call: &Call,
+        input: Value,
+    ) -> Result<Value, ShellError> {
+        let command = ExternalCommand::try_new(call, context)?;
+        command.run_with_input(input)
+    }
+}
+
+pub struct ExternalCommand<'call, 'contex> {
+    pub name: &'call Expression,
+    pub args: &'call [Expression],
+    pub context: &'contex EvaluationContext,
+}
+
+impl<'call, 'contex> ExternalCommand<'call, 'contex> {
+    pub fn try_new(
+        call: &'call Call,
+        context: &'contex EvaluationContext,
+    ) -> Result<Self, ShellError> {
+        if call.positional.len() == 0 {
+            return Err(ShellError::ExternalNotSupported(call.head));
+        }
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            name: &call.positional[0],
+            args: &call.positional[1..],
+            context: context,
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_name(&self) -> Result<String, ShellError> {
+        let value = eval_expression(self.context, self.name)?;
+        value.as_string()
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_args(&self) -> Vec<String> {
+        self.args
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|expr| eval_expression(self.context, expr).ok())
+            .filter_map(|value| value.as_string().ok())
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    pub fn run_with_input(&self, _input: Value) -> Result<Value, ShellError> {
+        let mut process = self.create_command();
+
+        // TODO. We don't have a way to know the current directory
+        // This should be information from the EvaluationContex or EngineState
+        let path = env::current_dir().unwrap();
+        process.current_dir(path);
+
+        let envs = self.context.stack.get_env_vars();
+        process.envs(envs);
+
+        match process.spawn() {
+            Err(err) => Err(ShellError::ExternalCommand(
+                format!("{}", err),
+                self.name.span,
+            )),
+            Ok(mut child) => match child.wait() {
+                Err(err) => Err(ShellError::ExternalCommand(
+                    format!("{}", err),
+                    self.name.span,
+                )),
+                Ok(_) => Ok(Value::nothing()),
+            },
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn create_command(&self) -> CommandSys {
+        // in all the other cases shell out
+        if cfg!(windows) {
+            //TODO. This should be modifiable from the config file.
+            // We could give the option to call from powershell
+            // for minimal builds cwd is unused
+            let mut process = CommandSys::new("cmd");
+            process.arg("/c");
+            process.arg(&self.get_name().unwrap());
+            for arg in self.get_args() {
+                // Clean the args before we use them:
+                // https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1200235/how-to-pass-a-quoted-pipe-character-to-cmd-exe
+                // cmd.exe needs to have a caret to escape a pipe
+                let arg = arg.replace("|", "^|");
+                process.arg(&arg);
+            }
+            process
+        } else {
+            let cmd_with_args = vec![self.get_name().unwrap(), self.get_args().join(" ")].join(" ");
+            let mut process = CommandSys::new("sh");
+            process.arg("-c").arg(cmd_with_args);
+            process
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs b/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs
index 143379a75..8153081c1 100644
--- a/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
-use std::process::Command;
-
 use nu_protocol::ast::{Block, Call, Expr, Expression, Operator, Statement};
 use nu_protocol::engine::EvaluationContext;
-use nu_protocol::{Range, ShellError, Span, Value};
+use nu_protocol::{Range, ShellError, Span, Type, Value};
 
 pub fn eval_operator(op: &Expression) -> Result<Operator, ShellError> {
     match op {
@@ -70,33 +68,6 @@ fn eval_call(context: &EvaluationContext, call: &Call, input: Value) -> Result<V
     }
 }
 
-pub fn eval_external(
-    context: &EvaluationContext,
-    command_span: &Span,
-    spans: &Vec<Span>,
-    expr: &Expression,
-) -> Result<Value, ShellError> {
-    let state = context.engine_state.borrow();
-    let name = state.get_span_contents(command_span);
-    let cmd = std::str::from_utf8(name).unwrap();
-
-    let args = spans
-        .iter()
-        .map(|span| {
-            let val = state.get_span_contents(span);
-            std::str::from_utf8(val).unwrap()
-        })
-        .collect::<Vec<&str>>();
-
-    let output = Command::new(cmd).args(args).output().unwrap();
-
-    println!("{:?}", output);
-    let test = output.stdout;
-    println!("{:?}", test);
-
-    Err(ShellError::ExternalNotSupported(expr.span))
-}
-
 pub fn eval_expression(
     context: &EvaluationContext,
     expr: &Expression,
@@ -154,8 +125,37 @@ pub fn eval_expression(
         }
         Expr::RowCondition(_, expr) => eval_expression(context, expr),
         Expr::Call(call) => eval_call(context, call, Value::nothing()),
-        Expr::ExternalCall(command_span, spans) => {
-            eval_external(context, command_span, spans, expr)
+        Expr::ExternalCall(name, args) => {
+            let engine_state = context.engine_state.borrow();
+
+            let decl_id = engine_state
+                .find_decl("run_external".as_bytes())
+                .ok_or(ShellError::ExternalNotSupported(name.clone()))?;
+
+            let command = engine_state.get_decl(decl_id);
+            let new_context = context.enter_scope();
+
+            let mut call = Call::new();
+            call.positional = [name.clone()]
+                .iter()
+                .chain(args.iter())
+                .map(|span| {
+                    let contents = engine_state.get_span_contents(span);
+                    let val = String::from_utf8_lossy(contents);
+                    Expression {
+                        expr: Expr::String(val.into()),
+                        span: span.clone(),
+                        ty: Type::String,
+                        custom_completion: None,
+                    }
+                })
+                .collect();
+
+            let value = Value::Nothing {
+                span: Span::new(0, 1),
+            };
+
+            command.run(&new_context, &call, value)
         }
         Expr::Operator(_) => Ok(Value::Nothing { span: expr.span }),
         Expr::BinaryOp(lhs, op, rhs) => {
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/evaluation_context.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/evaluation_context.rs
index 776a69fb1..3dd90d94d 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/evaluation_context.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/evaluation_context.rs
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ impl Stack {
         })))
     }
 
+    pub fn get_env_vars(&self) -> HashMap<String, String> {
+        self.0.borrow().env_vars.clone()
+    }
+
     pub fn print_stack(&self) {
         println!("===frame===");
         println!("vars:");
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
index 678816b35..1f1879988 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
@@ -21,4 +21,5 @@ pub enum ShellError {
     AccessBeyondEndOfStream(Span),
     IncompatiblePathAccess(String, Span),
     CantFindColumn(Span),
+    ExternalCommand(String, Span),
 }