diff --git a/source/src/commands/edit.cpp b/source/src/commands/edit.cpp
index 9554068..a452906 100644
--- a/source/src/commands/edit.cpp
+++ b/source/src/commands/edit.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ bool edit_file(const std::string &file_path, bool has_bb64)
     std::cout << "Editing file: " << file_path << std::endl;
 
     if (has_bb64) {
-        return execute_local_command(editor_cmd, nullptr, cMode::Interactive);
+        return execute_local_command("", editor_cmd, {}, nullptr, cMode::Interactive);
     }
     else {
         // might not have bb64 at this early stage. Direct edit.
diff --git a/source/src/commands/install.cpp b/source/src/commands/install.cpp
index 041b57c..75ace8a 100644
--- a/source/src/commands/install.cpp
+++ b/source/src/commands/install.cpp
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ namespace dropshell
             quote(agent_path) + " " + quote("$(id -u " + server_env.get_SSH_USER() + "):$(id -g " + server_env.get_SSH_USER() + ")") + "'";
 
         //std::cout << "Executing: " << remote_cmd << std::endl;
-        if (!execute_local_command(remote_cmd, nullptr, cMode::Silent))
+        if (!execute_local_command("", remote_cmd, {}, nullptr, cMode::Silent))
             std::cerr << "Failed to download bb64 to " << agent_path << " on remote server." << std::endl;
         else
             std::cout << "Downloaded bb64 to " << agent_path << " on remote server." << std::endl;
diff --git a/source/src/commands/shared_commands.cpp b/source/src/commands/shared_commands.cpp
index bfe478f..68aefae 100644
--- a/source/src/commands/shared_commands.cpp
+++ b/source/src/commands/shared_commands.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace dropshell
                                 quote(local_path + "/") + " " +
                                 quote(server_env.get_SSH_USER() + "@" + server_env.get_SSH_HOST() + ":" +
                                       remote_path + "/");
-        return execute_local_command(rsync_cmd, nullptr, (silent ? cMode::Silent : cMode::Defaults));
+        return execute_local_command("", rsync_cmd, {}, nullptr, (silent ? cMode::Silent : cMode::Defaults));
     }
 
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/source/src/service_runner.cpp b/source/src/service_runner.cpp
index 7196691..1a43d10 100644
--- a/source/src/service_runner.cpp
+++ b/source/src/service_runner.cpp
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ bool service_runner::fullnuke()
     }  
     
     std::string rm_cmd = "rm -rf " + quote(local_service_path);
-    if (!execute_local_command(rm_cmd, nullptr, cMode::Silent)) {
+    if (!execute_local_command("", rm_cmd, {}, nullptr, cMode::Silent)) {
         std::cerr << "Failed to remove service directory" << std::endl;
         return false;
     }
@@ -267,13 +267,13 @@ bool service_runner::interactive_ssh_service()
 bool service_runner::scp_file_to_remote(const std::string &local_path, const std::string &remote_path, bool silent)
 {
     std::string scp_cmd = "scp -P " + mServerEnv.get_SSH_PORT() + " " + quote(local_path) + " " + mServerEnv.get_SSH_USER() + "@" + mServerEnv.get_SSH_HOST() + ":" + quote(remote_path) + (silent ? " > /dev/null 2>&1" : "");
-    return execute_local_command(scp_cmd, nullptr, (silent ? cMode::Silent : cMode::Defaults));
+    return execute_local_command("", scp_cmd, {}, nullptr, (silent ? cMode::Silent : cMode::Defaults));
 }
 
 bool service_runner::scp_file_from_remote(const std::string &remote_path, const std::string &local_path, bool silent)
 {
     std::string scp_cmd = "scp -P " + mServerEnv.get_SSH_PORT() + " " + mServerEnv.get_SSH_USER() + "@" + mServerEnv.get_SSH_HOST() + ":" + quote(remote_path) + " " + quote(local_path) + (silent ? " > /dev/null 2>&1" : "");
-    return execute_local_command(scp_cmd, nullptr, (silent ? cMode::Silent : cMode::Defaults));
+    return execute_local_command("", scp_cmd, {}, nullptr, (silent ? cMode::Silent : cMode::Defaults));
 }
 
 bool service_runner::restore(std::string backup_file, bool silent)
diff --git a/source/src/utils/execute.cpp b/source/src/utils/execute.cpp
index 144e0f2..1cfa2f7 100644
--- a/source/src/utils/execute.cpp
+++ b/source/src/utils/execute.cpp
@@ -56,36 +56,9 @@ namespace dropshell
         }
     }
 
-    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    // execute_local_command_and_capture_output
-    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    bool execute_local_command_and_capture_output(const sCommand &command, std::string *output)
-    {
-        ASSERT(output != nullptr, "Output string must be provided");
-        if (command.get_command_to_run().empty())
-            return false;
-        std::string full_cmd = command.construct_cmd(localpath::agent()) + " 2>&1";
-        FILE *pipe = popen(full_cmd.c_str(), "r");
-        if (!pipe)
-        {
-            return false;
-        }
-        char buffer[128];
-        while (fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), pipe) != nullptr)
-        {
-            (*output) += buffer;
-        }
-        int ret = pclose(pipe);
-        return EXITSTATUSCHECK(ret);
-    }
-
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     // execute_local_command
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    bool execute_local_command(std::string command, std::string *output, cMode mode)
-    {
-        return execute_local_command("", command, {}, output, mode);
-    }
 
     bool execute_local_command(std::string directory_to_run_in, std::string command_to_run, const std::map<std::string, std::string> &env_vars, std::string *output, cMode mode)
     {
@@ -99,32 +72,32 @@ namespace dropshell
             return execute_local_command_interactive(command);
         }
 
-        if (hasFlag(mode, cMode::CaptureOutput))
-        {
-            ASSERT(output != nullptr, "Capture output mode requires an output string to be provided");
-            ASSERT(!hasFlag(mode, cMode::Silent), "Silent mode is not allowed with capture output mode");
-
-            return execute_local_command_and_capture_output(command, output);
-        }
 
         if (command.get_command_to_run().empty())
             return false;
+
         bool silent = hasFlag(mode, cMode::Silent);
-        std::string full_cmd = command.construct_cmd(localpath::agent()) + " 2>&1" + (silent ? " > /dev/null" : "");
 
-        int ret=0;
-        {
-            SwitchColour sc(sColour::DEBUG, std::cerr);
-            ret = system(full_cmd.c_str());
-        }
+        std::string full_cmd = command.construct_cmd(localpath::agent()) + (hasFlag(mode, cMode::CaptureOutput) ? " 2>&1" : ""); // capture both stdout and stderr
 
-        bool ok = EXITSTATUSCHECK(ret);
-        if (!ok && !silent)
+        FILE *pipe = popen(full_cmd.c_str(), "r");
+        if (!pipe)
         {
-            PrintError("Error: Failed to execute command: ");
-            PrintError(full_cmd);
+            return false;
         }
-        return ok;
+        char buffer[128];
+        while (fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), pipe) != nullptr)
+        {
+            if (output != nullptr)
+               (*output) += buffer;
+
+            if (!silent)
+            {
+                std::cerr << buffer;
+            }
+        }
+        int ret = pclose(pipe);
+        return EXITSTATUSCHECK(ret);
     }
 
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/source/src/utils/execute.hpp b/source/src/utils/execute.hpp
index 9785054..353ab32 100644
--- a/source/src/utils/execute.hpp
+++ b/source/src/utils/execute.hpp
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ typedef struct sSSHInfo {
     std::string server_ID; // dropshell name for server.
 } sSSHInfo;
 
-bool execute_local_command(std::string command, std::string * output = nullptr, cMode mode = cMode::Defaults);
 bool execute_local_command(std::string directory_to_run_in, std::string command_to_run, const std::map<std::string, std::string> & env_vars, std::string * output = nullptr, cMode mode = cMode::Defaults);
 bool execute_ssh_command(const sSSHInfo & ssh_info, const sCommand & remote_command, cMode mode = cMode::Defaults, std::string * output = nullptr);