diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4e9faf68..3df8ab25 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 * Fix crash on startup with Browser as the initial screen.
 * Show the Visualizer immediately if it's the initial screen.
 * Draw a separator between albums with the same name, but a different artist.
+* Suppress output of all external commands.
 
 # ncmpcpp-0.9 (2020-12-20)
 * Fix various Mopidy specific bugs.
diff --git a/src/macro_utilities.cpp b/src/macro_utilities.cpp
index 6cd05550..88c3c923 100644
--- a/src/macro_utilities.cpp
+++ b/src/macro_utilities.cpp
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ RunExternalCommand::RunExternalCommand(std::string &&command)
 
 void RunExternalCommand::run()
 {
-	GNUC_UNUSED int res;
-	res = std::system(("nohup " + m_command + " >/dev/null 2>&1 &").c_str());
+	runExternalCommandNoOutput(m_command, false);
 }
 
 RunExternalConsoleCommand::RunExternalConsoleCommand(std::string &&command)
@@ -102,10 +101,23 @@ RunExternalConsoleCommand::RunExternalConsoleCommand(std::string &&command)
 
 void RunExternalConsoleCommand::run()
 {
-	GNUC_UNUSED int res;
-	NC::pauseScreen();
-	res = std::system(m_command.c_str());
-	NC::unpauseScreen();
+	runExternalConsoleCommand(m_command);
 }
 
 }
+
+void runExternalConsoleCommand(const std::string &cmd)
+{
+	NC::pauseScreen();
+	std::system(cmd.c_str());
+	NC::unpauseScreen();
+}
+
+void runExternalCommandNoOutput(const std::string &cmd, bool block)
+{
+	if (block)
+		std::system((cmd + " >/dev/null 2>&1").c_str());
+	else
+		std::system(("nohup " + cmd + " >/dev/null 2>&1 &").c_str());
+
+}
diff --git a/src/macro_utilities.h b/src/macro_utilities.h
index 0e6168d7..0dc34dd5 100644
--- a/src/macro_utilities.h
+++ b/src/macro_utilities.h
@@ -82,4 +82,9 @@ private:
 
 }
 
+// Helpers
+
+void runExternalConsoleCommand(const std::string &cmd);
+void runExternalCommandNoOutput(const std::string &cmd, bool block);
+
 #endif // NCMPCPP_MACRO_UTILITIES_H
diff --git a/src/screens/lyrics.cpp b/src/screens/lyrics.cpp
index c2cc7d74..17754e97 100644
--- a/src/screens/lyrics.cpp
+++ b/src/screens/lyrics.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "format_impl.h"
 #include "global.h"
 #include "helpers.h"
+#include "macro_utilities.h"
 #include "screens/lyrics.h"
 #include "screens/playlist.h"
 #include "settings.h"
@@ -323,24 +324,15 @@ void Lyrics::edit()
 
 	Statusbar::print("Opening lyrics in external editor...");
 
-	GNUC_UNUSED int res;
-	std::string command;
 	std::string filename = lyricsFilename(m_song);
 	escapeSingleQuotes(filename);
 	if (Config.use_console_editor)
 	{
-		command = Config.external_editor + " '" + filename + "'";
-		NC::pauseScreen();
-		res = system(command.c_str());
-		NC::unpauseScreen();
+		runExternalConsoleCommand(Config.external_editor + " '" + filename + "'");
 		fetch(m_song);
 	}
 	else
-	{
-		command = "nohup " + Config.external_editor
-			+ " '" + filename + "' > /dev/null 2>&1 &";
-		res = system(command.c_str());
-	}
+		runExternalCommandNoOutput(Config.external_editor + " '" + filename + "'", false);
 }
 
 void Lyrics::toggleFetcher()
diff --git a/src/status.cpp b/src/status.cpp
index 6af5e621..28e783c9 100644
--- a/src/status.cpp
+++ b/src/status.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "format_impl.h"
 #include "global.h"
 #include "helpers.h"
+#include "macro_utilities.h"
 #include "screens/lyrics.h"
 #include "screens/media_library.h"
 #include "screens/outputs.h"
@@ -489,9 +490,9 @@ void Status::Changes::playerState()
 			}
 			throw std::logic_error("unreachable");
 		};
-		GNUC_UNUSED int res;
 		setenv("MPD_PLAYER_STATE", stateToEnv(m_player_state), 1);
-		res = system(Config.execute_on_player_state_change.c_str());
+		// Since we're setting a MPD_PLAYER_STATE, we need to block.
+		runExternalCommandNoOutput(Config.execute_on_player_state_change, true);
 		unsetenv("MPD_PLAYER_STATE");
 	}
 
@@ -568,9 +569,8 @@ void Status::Changes::songID(int song_id)
 		const auto &s = it != pl.endV() ? *it : Mpd.GetCurrentSong();
 		if (!s.empty())
 		{
-			GNUC_UNUSED int res;
 			if (!Config.execute_on_song_change.empty())
-				res = system(Config.execute_on_song_change.c_str());
+				runExternalCommandNoOutput(Config.execute_on_song_change, false);
 
 			if (Config.fetch_lyrics_in_background)
 				myLyrics->fetchInBackground(s, false);