diff --git a/bazel/labgrid/runner/runner.py b/bazel/labgrid/runner/runner.py
index 3f9754c7299eb4d5d7818c6e267b4508feb79d27..f111cb3719f69938d829119b10b97727e7f7d288 100644
--- a/bazel/labgrid/runner/runner.py
+++ b/bazel/labgrid/runner/runner.py
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import logging
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from dataclasses import dataclass
+from io import StringIO
 from os import environ, linesep
 from pathlib import Path, PurePath
-from sys import stderr, stdout
 from typing import (
     Iterator,
     Mapping,
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from typing import (
 from threading import get_native_id
 from uuid import getnode
 from subprocess import CalledProcessError
+from sys import stdout, stderr
 
 from bazel.labgrid.strategy import State, transition
 from labgrid import Environment
@@ -112,18 +113,19 @@ class Runner:
                 if not download.optional and code == 0:
                     raise e
 
-    def run(self, cmd: str, env: Mapping[str, str] = {}, check=False) -> int:
+    def run(
+        self,
+        cmd: str,
+        env: Mapping[str, str] = {},
+        stdout=stdout,
+        stderr=stderr,
+        check=False,
+    ) -> int:
         """Run a command on the device with given environment variables."""
         cmd = (
             f"cd {self._exec_root} && {self._tools.env(self._default_env() | env, cmd)}"
         )
-        out, err, code = self._run(cmd, check=check)
-        for line in out:
-            stdout.write(f"{line}{linesep}")
-        for line in err:
-            stderr.write(f"{line}{linesep}")
-
-        return (code, linesep.join(out))
+        return self._run(cmd, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr, check=check)
 
     def __enter__(self):
         # Get a unique temporary directory, avoiding concurrent instances
@@ -158,20 +160,30 @@ class Runner:
             return base / path
         return path
 
-    def _run(self, cmd, check=True):
+    def _run(self, cmd, stdout=None, stderr=None, check=True):
         # We should let Bazel kill the process with the configured timeout if running a test
         timeout = None if environ.get("BAZEL_TEST") == "1" else 30
         out, err, code = self._shell.run(cmd, timeout=timeout)
+
         if check and code:
-            raise CalledProcessError(
-                cmd=cmd, returncode=code, output=stdout, stderr=err
-            )
+            raise CalledProcessError(cmd=cmd, returncode=code, output=out, stderr=err)
+
+        if stdout:
+            for line in out:
+                stdout.write(f"{line}{linesep}")
+        if stderr:
+            for line in err:
+                stderr.write(f"{line}{linesep}")
 
-        return out, err, code
+        return code
 
     def _read_path(self, cmd):
-        out, _, _ = self._run(cmd)
-        return PurePath(linesep.join(out).rstrip())
+        try:
+            output = StringIO()
+            self._run(cmd, stdout=output)
+            return PurePath(output.getvalue().rstrip())
+        finally:
+            output.close()
 
     @staticmethod
     def _default_env():
diff --git a/examples/custom-runners/archive-transfer/run.py b/examples/custom-runners/archive-transfer/run.py
index 890cebf05c0046bc159afbc9d416174798e02548..e5c8565a671e3824c34f5ea1431478ee8a956884 100644
--- a/examples/custom-runners/archive-transfer/run.py
+++ b/examples/custom-runners/archive-transfer/run.py
@@ -11,12 +11,14 @@ def arguments():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("program", type=Path)
     parser.add_argument("arguments", nargs=argparse.REMAINDER)
-    parser.add_argument("--put", nargs="+", dest="puts", type=Path)
+    parser.add_argument("--put", nargs="+", dest="puts", type=Path, default=[])
     parser.add_argument("--out", type=Path)
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 
-def main():
+def main() -> int:
+    exit_code = -1
+
     args = arguments()
 
     runfiles = Runfiles.Create()
@@ -34,14 +36,13 @@ def main():
         r.put(uploads)
         r.run(f"./{unzip.remote} {archive.remote}", check=True)
 
-        code, stdout = r.run(
-            f"./{args.program.name} {''.join(args.arguments)}", check=True
-        )
-
         with args.out.open("w") as f:
-            print(stdout, file=f)
+            exit_code = r.run(
+                f"./{args.program.name} {''.join(args.arguments)}", stdout=f, check=True
+            )
 
-        return code
+    return exit_code
 
 
-main()
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    exit(main())
diff --git a/labgrid/run/run.py b/labgrid/run/run.py
index 41c2817963f15534f8f4e4154543daa508ace6f8..c5b242f0a4921fd8d3fd8b7f8f803527f17bcfd8 100644
--- a/labgrid/run/run.py
+++ b/labgrid/run/run.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def run(
         cmd = join((f"./{program_remote}", *arguments))
 
         r.put(uploads)
-        code, _ = r.run(cmd, env)
+        code = r.run(cmd, env)
         r.get(downloads, code)
 
         return code