diff --git a/helix-term/src/commands.rs b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
index 2c5d2783b..e9d3a28ff 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/commands.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
@@ -5716,27 +5716,24 @@ async fn shell_impl_async(
         process.wait_with_output().await?
     };
 
-    if !output.status.success() {
-        if !output.stderr.is_empty() {
-            let err = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr).to_string();
-            log::error!("Shell error: {}", err);
-            bail!("Shell error: {}", err);
-        }
-        match output.status.code() {
-            Some(exit_code) => bail!("Shell command failed: status {}", exit_code),
-            None => bail!("Shell command failed"),
+    let output = if !output.status.success() {
+        if output.stderr.is_empty() {
+            match output.status.code() {
+                Some(exit_code) => bail!("Shell command failed: status {}", exit_code),
+                None => bail!("Shell command failed"),
+            }
         }
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+        // Prioritize `stderr` output over `stdout`
     } else if !output.stderr.is_empty() {
-        log::debug!(
-            "Command printed to stderr: {}",
-            String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr).to_string()
-        );
-    }
+        let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+        log::debug!("Command printed to stderr: {stderr}");
+        stderr
+    } else {
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout)
+    };
 
-    let str = std::str::from_utf8(&output.stdout)
-        .map_err(|_| anyhow!("Process did not output valid UTF-8"))?;
-    let tendril = Tendril::from(str);
-    Ok(tendril)
+    Ok(Tendril::from(output))
 }
 
 fn shell(cx: &mut compositor::Context, cmd: &str, behavior: &ShellBehavior) {
diff --git a/helix-term/src/commands/typed.rs b/helix-term/src/commands/typed.rs
index d20bdc17d..cd40e0532 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/commands/typed.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/commands/typed.rs
@@ -2308,7 +2308,7 @@ fn run_shell_command(
                     ));
                     compositor.replace_or_push("shell", popup);
                 }
-                editor.set_status("Command succeeded");
+                editor.set_status("Command run");
             },
         ));
         Ok(call)