diff --git a/services/clsi/app/coffee/CompileManager.coffee b/services/clsi/app/coffee/CompileManager.coffee
index ad924e2b1e..65b78aaff8 100644
--- a/services/clsi/app/coffee/CompileManager.coffee
+++ b/services/clsi/app/coffee/CompileManager.coffee
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ module.exports = CompileManager =
 		directory = getCompileDir(project_id, user_id)
 		timeout = 60 * 1000 # increased to allow for large projects
 		compileName = getCompileName(project_id, user_id)
-		CommandRunner.run compileName, command, directory, Settings.clsi.docker.image, timeout, {}, (error, output) ->
+		CommandRunner.run compileName, command, directory, Settings.clsi?.docker.image, timeout, {}, (error, output) ->
 			if error?
 				logger.err err:error, command:command, project_id:project_id, user_id:user_id, "error running synctex"
 				return callback(error)
diff --git a/services/clsi/app/coffee/LocalCommandRunner.coffee b/services/clsi/app/coffee/LocalCommandRunner.coffee
index f47af00177..c5ef3c692c 100644
--- a/services/clsi/app/coffee/LocalCommandRunner.coffee
+++ b/services/clsi/app/coffee/LocalCommandRunner.coffee
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ logger.info "using standard command runner"
 
 module.exports = CommandRunner =
 	run: (project_id, command, directory, image, timeout, environment, callback = (error) ->) ->
-		command = (arg.replace('$COMPILE_DIR', directory) for arg in command)
+		command = (arg.toString().replace('$COMPILE_DIR', directory) for arg in command)
 		logger.log project_id: project_id, command: command, directory: directory, "running command"
 		logger.warn "timeouts and sandboxing are not enabled with CommandRunner"
 
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ module.exports = CommandRunner =
 		env[key] = value for key, value of environment
 
 		# run command as detached process so it has its own process group (which can be killed if needed)
-		proc = spawn command[0], command.slice(1), stdio: "inherit", cwd: directory, detached: true, env: env
+		proc = spawn command[0], command.slice(1), cwd: directory, env: env
+
+		stdout = ""
+		proc.stdout.on "data", (data)->
+			stdout += data
 
 		proc.on "error", (err)->
 			logger.err err:err, project_id:project_id, command: command, directory: directory, "error running command"
@@ -32,7 +36,7 @@ module.exports = CommandRunner =
 				err.code = code
 				return callback(err)
 			else
-				callback()
+				callback(null, {"stdout": stdout})
 
 		return proc.pid # return process id to allow job to be killed if necessary