diff --git a/probes/external/external.go b/probes/external/external.go
index c32b0589953..2cc0e3ba164 100644
--- a/probes/external/external.go
+++ b/probes/external/external.go
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ type Probe struct {
 	dataChan   chan *metrics.EventMetrics
 
 	// This is used for overriding run command logic for testing.
-	runCommandFunc func(ctx context.Context, cmd string, args []string) ([]byte, error)
+	runCommandFunc func(ctx context.Context, cmd string, args []string) ([]byte, []byte, error)
 
 	// default payload metrics that we clone from to build per-target payload
 	// metrics.
@@ -559,29 +559,33 @@ func (p *Probe) runOnceProbe(ctx context.Context) {
 			result.total++
 			startTime := time.Now()
 
-			var b []byte
+			var stdout, stderr []byte
 			var err error
 			if p.runCommandFunc != nil {
-				b, err = p.runCommandFunc(ctx, p.cmdName, args)
+				stdout, stderr, err = p.runCommandFunc(ctx, p.cmdName, args)
 			} else {
-				b, err = p.runCommand(ctx, p.cmdName, args)
+				stdout, stderr, err = p.runCommand(ctx, p.cmdName, args)
 			}
 
 			success := true
 			if err != nil {
 				success = false
 				if exitErr, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
-					p.l.Errorf("external probe process died with the status: %s. Stderr: %s", exitErr.Error(), exitErr.Stderr)
+					p.l.Errorf("external probe process died with the status: %s. Stderr: %s", exitErr.Error(), stderr)
 				} else {
 					p.l.Errorf("Error executing the external program. Err: %v", err)
 				}
+			} else {
+				if len(stderr) != 0 {
+					p.l.Warningf("Stderr: %s", stderr)
+				}
 			}
 
 			p.processProbeResult(&probeStatus{
 				target:  target.Name,
 				success: success,
 				latency: time.Since(startTime),
-				payload: string(b),
+				payload: string(stdout),
 			}, result)
 		}(target, p.results[target.Name])
 	}
diff --git a/probes/external/external_test.go b/probes/external/external_test.go
index 8f931c36ba5..909c682d934 100644
--- a/probes/external/external_test.go
+++ b/probes/external/external_test.go
@@ -342,11 +342,11 @@ func TestProbeOnceMode(t *testing.T) {
 	tgts := []string{"target1", "target2"}
 
 	// Set runCommand to a function that runs successfully and returns a pyload.
-	p.runCommandFunc = func(ctx context.Context, cmd string, cmdArgs []string) ([]byte, error) {
+	p.runCommandFunc = func(ctx context.Context, cmd string, cmdArgs []string) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
 		var resp []string
 		resp = append(resp, fmt.Sprintf("cmd \"%s\"", cmd))
 		resp = append(resp, fmt.Sprintf("num-args %d", len(cmdArgs)))
-		return []byte(strings.Join(resp, "\n")), nil
+		return []byte(strings.Join(resp, "\n")), nil, nil
 	}
 
 	total, success := make(map[string]int64), make(map[string]int64)
@@ -359,8 +359,8 @@ func TestProbeOnceMode(t *testing.T) {
 	runAndVerifyProbe(t, p, tgts, total, success)
 
 	// Try with failing command now
-	p.runCommandFunc = func(ctx context.Context, cmd string, cmdArgs []string) ([]byte, error) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error executing %s", cmd)
+	p.runCommandFunc = func(ctx context.Context, cmd string, cmdArgs []string) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("error executing %s", cmd)
 	}
 
 	for _, tgt := range tgts {
diff --git a/probes/external/runcmd_linux.go b/probes/external/runcmd_linux.go
index bb3bc551d31..e4aff9b31b6 100644
--- a/probes/external/runcmd_linux.go
+++ b/probes/external/runcmd_linux.go
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-func (p *Probe) runCommand(ctx context.Context, cmd string, args []string) ([]byte, error) {
+func (p *Probe) runCommand(ctx context.Context, cmd string, args []string) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
 	c := exec.Command(cmd, args...)
 	c.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{Setpgid: true}
 	var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
 	c.Stdout, c.Stderr = &stdout, &stderr
 
 	if err := c.Start(); err != nil {
-		return stdout.Bytes(), err
+		return stdout.Bytes(), stderr.Bytes(), err
 	}
 
 	// This goroutine is similar to the one started by exec.Start if command is
@@ -73,9 +73,5 @@ func (p *Probe) runCommand(ctx context.Context, cmd string, args []string) ([]by
 		}
 	}()
 
-	if exitErr, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
-		exitErr.Stderr = stderr.Bytes()
-	}
-
-	return stdout.Bytes(), err
+	return stdout.Bytes(), stderr.Bytes(), err
 }
diff --git a/probes/external/runcmd_nonlinux.go b/probes/external/runcmd_nonlinux.go
index 5cc71f4edae..7bdde3aab66 100644
--- a/probes/external/runcmd_nonlinux.go
+++ b/probes/external/runcmd_nonlinux.go
@@ -17,10 +17,15 @@
 package external
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"os/exec"
 )
 
-func (p *Probe) runCommand(ctx context.Context, cmd string, args []string) ([]byte, error) {
-	return exec.CommandContext(ctx, cmd, args...).Output()
+func (p *Probe) runCommand(ctx context.Context, cmd string, args []string) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
+	c := exec.CommandContext(ctx, cmd, args...)
+	var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
+	c.Stdout, c.Stderr = &stdout, &stderr
+	err := c.Run()
+	return stdout.Bytes(), stderr.Bytes(), err
 }