diff --git a/ffplayout-engine/src/output/null.rs b/ffplayout-engine/src/output/null.rs
index 8e2d7b0d..9e4f6a0e 100644
--- a/ffplayout-engine/src/output/null.rs
+++ b/ffplayout-engine/src/output/null.rs
@@ -2,41 +2,31 @@ use std::process::{self, Command, Stdio};
 
 use simplelog::*;
 
-use ffplayout_lib::{filter::v_drawtext, utils::PlayoutConfig, vec_strings};
+use crate::utils::prepare_output_cmd;
+use ffplayout_lib::{
+    utils::{Media, PlayoutConfig, ProcessUnit::*},
+    vec_strings,
+};
 
 /// Desktop Output
 ///
 /// Instead of streaming, we run a ffplay instance and play on desktop.
 pub fn output(config: &PlayoutConfig, log_format: &str) -> process::Child {
-    let mut enc_filter: Vec<String> = vec![];
+    let mut media = Media::new(0, "", false);
+    media.unit = Encoder;
+    media.add_filter(config, &None);
 
-    let mut enc_cmd = vec_strings![
+    let enc_prefix = vec_strings![
         "-hide_banner",
         "-nostats",
         "-v",
         log_format,
         "-re",
         "-i",
-        "pipe:0",
-        "-f",
-        "null",
-        "-"
+        "pipe:0"
     ];
 
-    if config.text.add_text && !config.text.text_from_filename {
-        if let Some(socket) = config.text.zmq_stream_socket.clone() {
-            debug!(
-                "Using drawtext filter, listening on address: <yellow>{}</>",
-                socket
-            );
-
-            let mut filter: String = "null,".to_string();
-            filter.push_str(v_drawtext::filter_node(config, None, &None).as_str());
-            enc_filter = vec!["-vf".to_string(), filter];
-        }
-    }
-
-    enc_cmd.splice(7..7, enc_filter);
+    let enc_cmd = prepare_output_cmd(enc_prefix, &media.filter, config);
 
     debug!(
         "Encoder CMD: <bright-blue>\"ffmpeg {}\"</>",
diff --git a/ffplayout-engine/src/output/stream.rs b/ffplayout-engine/src/output/stream.rs
index 4b979499..29769c67 100644
--- a/ffplayout-engine/src/output/stream.rs
+++ b/ffplayout-engine/src/output/stream.rs
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ use ffplayout_lib::{
 ///
 /// Prepare the ffmpeg command for streaming output
 pub fn output(config: &PlayoutConfig, log_format: &str) -> process::Child {
-    let mut enc_cmd = vec![];
-    let mut output_cmd = config.out.output_cmd.as_ref().unwrap().clone();
     let mut media = Media::new(0, "", false);
     media.unit = Encoder;
     media.add_filter(config, &None);
@@ -28,8 +26,6 @@ pub fn output(config: &PlayoutConfig, log_format: &str) -> process::Child {
         "pipe:0"
     ];
 
-    enc_cmd.append(&mut output_cmd);
-
     let enc_cmd = prepare_output_cmd(enc_prefix, &media.filter, config);
 
     debug!(
diff --git a/lib/src/utils/config.rs b/lib/src/utils/config.rs
index a08a307e..20ff567b 100644
--- a/lib/src/utils/config.rs
+++ b/lib/src/utils/config.rs
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ use std::{
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use shlex::split;
 
-use crate::utils::{free_tcp_socket, home_dir, time_to_sec};
-use crate::vec_strings;
+use super::vec_strings;
+use crate::utils::{free_tcp_socket, home_dir, time_to_sec, OutputMode::*};
 
 pub const DUMMY_LEN: f64 = 60.0;
 pub const IMAGE_FORMAT: [&str; 21] = [
@@ -306,7 +306,12 @@ impl PlayoutConfig {
         config.processing.settings = Some(settings);
 
         config.ingest.input_cmd = split(config.ingest.input_param.as_str());
-        config.out.output_cmd = split(config.out.output_param.as_str());
+
+        if config.out.mode == Null {
+            config.out.output_cmd = Some(vec_strings!["-f", "null", "-"]);
+        } else {
+            config.out.output_cmd = split(config.out.output_param.as_str());
+        }
 
         // when text overlay without text_from_filename is on, turn also the RPC server on,
         // to get text messages from it