diff --git a/dags/external_data_dag.py b/dags/external_data_dag.py
index 2d5300ec..ba251931 100644
--- a/dags/external_data_dag.py
+++ b/dags/external_data_dag.py
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@
         "alias": "external",
     },
     render_template_as_native_obj=True,
+    user_defined_macros={
+        "batch_run_date_as_datetime_string": macros.batch_run_date_as_datetime_string,
+    },
     user_defined_filters={
         "fromjson": lambda s: loads(s),
         "container_resources": lambda s: k8s.V1ResourceRequirements(requests=s),
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@
 
 
 def stellar_etl_internal_task(
-    dag, task_name, command, cmd_args=[], resource_cfg="default"
+    dag, task_name, command, cmd_args=[], resource_cfg="default", output_file=""
 ):
     namespace = conf.get("kubernetes", "NAMESPACE")
 
@@ -68,6 +71,12 @@ def stellar_etl_internal_task(
 
     image = "{{ var.value.stellar_etl_internal_image_name }}"
 
+    etl_cmd_string = " ".join(cmd_args)
+    arguments = f"""
+            {etl_cmd_string} 1>> stdout.out 2>> stderr.out && cat stdout.out && cat stderr.out && echo "{{\\"output\\": \\"{output_file}\\",
+            \\"failed_transforms\\": `grep failed_transforms stderr.out | cut -d\\",\\" -f2 | cut -d\\":\\" -f2`}}" >> /airflow/xcom/return.json
+            """
+
     return KubernetesPodOperator(
         task_id=task_name,
         name=task_name,
@@ -79,8 +88,8 @@ def stellar_etl_internal_task(
             "RETOOL_API_KEY": "{{ var.value.retool_api_key }}",
         },
         image=image,
-        cmds=[command],
-        arguments=cmd_args,
+        cmds=["bash", "-c"],
+        arguments=[command, arguments],
         dag=dag,
         is_delete_operator_pod=True,
         startup_timeout_seconds=720,
@@ -104,7 +113,6 @@ def stellar_etl_internal_task(
     "retool-exported-entity.txt",
 )
 
-
 retool_export_task = stellar_etl_internal_task(
     dag,
     "export_retool_data",
@@ -121,6 +129,7 @@ def stellar_etl_internal_task(
         "--output",
         retool_filepath,
     ],
+    output_file=retool_filepath,
 )
 
 retool_table_name = "retool_entity_data"