diff --git a/utils/utils.go b/utils/utils.go
index 343f6f8a0..435f8d6a4 100644
--- a/utils/utils.go
+++ b/utils/utils.go
@@ -192,40 +192,25 @@ func TruncateString(str string, maxLength int) string {
 
 func RunCmdAndWait(name string, args ...string) (string, error) {
 	cmd := exec.Command(name, args...)
-
-	stdout, err := cmd.StdoutPipe()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	stderr, err := cmd.StderrPipe()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	err = cmd.Start()
+	resp, err := cmd.Output()
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	resp, err := io.ReadAll(stdout)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	errB, err := io.ReadAll(stderr)
-	if err != nil {
-		//nolint
-		return "", nil
-	}
-
-	err = cmd.Wait()
-	if err != nil {
-		// in case of error, capture the exact message.
-		if len(errB) > 0 {
-			return "", errors.New(string(errB))
+		cmdStr := name + " " + strings.Join(args, " ")
+		output := ""
+		var exitErr *exec.ExitError
+		if errors.As(err, &exitErr) {
+			output = strings.TrimSpace(string(exitErr.Stderr))
 		}
-		return "", err
+		if output == "" {
+			output = strings.TrimSpace(string(resp))
+		}
+		if output != "" {
+			if exitErr != nil {
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("error running \"%s\" (exit code %d): %s", cmdStr, exitErr.ExitCode(), output)
+			}
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("error running \"%s\": %s", cmdStr, output)
+		}
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("error running \"%s\": %w", cmdStr, err)
 	}
-
 	return string(resp), nil
 }
 
diff --git a/utils/utils_test.go b/utils/utils_test.go
index 95a0d7ec1..0b910b57d 100644
--- a/utils/utils_test.go
+++ b/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -504,6 +504,53 @@ func cleanupTempDir(t *testing.T, fileName string) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
+func TestRunCmdAndWait(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("successful command returns stdout", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		var out string
+		var err error
+		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+			out, err = RunCmdAndWait("cmd", "/c", "echo", "hello")
+		} else {
+			out, err = RunCmdAndWait("echo", "hello")
+		}
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, out, "hello")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("failed command with stderr includes command name and stderr in error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+			t.Skip("skipping on Windows")
+		}
+		t.Parallel()
+		_, err := RunCmdAndWait("sh", "-c", "echo myerror >&2; exit 1")
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), `error running "sh -c echo myerror >&2; exit 1" (exit code 1)`)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "myerror")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("failed command with no stderr falls back to stdout in error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+			t.Skip("skipping on Windows")
+		}
+		t.Parallel()
+		_, err := RunCmdAndWait("sh", "-c", "echo myoutput; exit 1")
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), `error running "sh -c echo myoutput; exit 1" (exit code 1)`)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "myoutput")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("failed command with no output wraps original error with command name", func(t *testing.T) {
+		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+			t.Skip("skipping on Windows")
+		}
+		t.Parallel()
+		_, err := RunCmdAndWait("sh", "-c", "exit 1")
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), `error running "sh -c exit 1"`)
+	})
+}
+
 func TestSanitizeDir(t *testing.T) {
 	testcases := []struct {
 		name     string