diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/alpine3/goss-expected-q.yaml b/integration-tests/goss/alpine3/goss-expected-q.yaml
index e6f17cf03..075377f84 100644
--- a/integration-tests/goss/alpine3/goss-expected-q.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/alpine3/goss-expected-q.yaml
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ package:
   vim-tiny:
     installed: false
 addr:
-  tcp://google.com:22:
+  tcp://httpbin:22:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 1000
-  tcp://google.com:443:
+  tcp://httpbin:80:
     reachable: true
     timeout: 1000
   udp://8.8.8.8:53:
@@ -49,13 +49,13 @@ group:
 command:
   echo 'hi':
     exit-status: 0
-    stdout: []
-    stderr: []
+    stdout: ""
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
   foobar:
     exit-status: 127
-    stdout: []
-    stderr: []
+    stdout: ""
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
 dns:
   CAA:dnstest.io:
diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/alpine3/goss-expected.yaml b/integration-tests/goss/alpine3/goss-expected.yaml
index ae02df57a..b9cea18c8 100644
--- a/integration-tests/goss/alpine3/goss-expected.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/alpine3/goss-expected.yaml
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ package:
   vim-tiny:
     installed: false
 addr:
-  tcp://google.com:22:
+  tcp://httpbin:22:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 1000
-  tcp://google.com:443:
+  tcp://httpbin:80:
     reachable: true
     timeout: 1000
   udp://8.8.8.8:53:
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ command:
     exit-status: 0
     stdout:
     - hi
-    stderr: []
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
   foobar:
     exit-status: 127
-    stdout: []
+    stdout: ""
     stderr:
     - 'sh: foobar: not found'
     timeout: 10000
diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/centos7/goss-expected-q.yaml b/integration-tests/goss/centos7/goss-expected-q.yaml
index 349eda8f9..1ea0ac5c7 100644
--- a/integration-tests/goss/centos7/goss-expected-q.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/centos7/goss-expected-q.yaml
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ package:
   vim-tiny:
     installed: false
 addr:
-  tcp://google.com:22:
+  tcp://httpbin:22:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 1000
-  tcp://google.com:443:
+  tcp://httpbin:80:
     reachable: true
     timeout: 1000
   udp://8.8.8.8:53:
@@ -49,13 +49,13 @@ group:
 command:
   echo 'hi':
     exit-status: 0
-    stdout: []
-    stderr: []
+    stdout: ""
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
   foobar:
     exit-status: 127
-    stdout: []
-    stderr: []
+    stdout: ""
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
 dns:
   CAA:dnstest.io:
diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/centos7/goss-expected.yaml b/integration-tests/goss/centos7/goss-expected.yaml
index b64092f12..b9c60d9b9 100644
--- a/integration-tests/goss/centos7/goss-expected.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/centos7/goss-expected.yaml
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ package:
   vim-tiny:
     installed: false
 addr:
-  tcp://google.com:22:
+  tcp://httpbin:22:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 1000
-  tcp://google.com:443:
+  tcp://httpbin:80:
     reachable: true
     timeout: 1000
   udp://8.8.8.8:53:
@@ -68,11 +68,11 @@ command:
     exit-status: 0
     stdout:
     - hi
-    stderr: []
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
   foobar:
     exit-status: 127
-    stdout: []
+    stdout: ""
     stderr:
     - 'sh: foobar: command not found'
     timeout: 10000
diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/generate_goss.sh b/integration-tests/goss/generate_goss.sh
index 93e822fb6..16ff04186 100755
--- a/integration-tests/goss/generate_goss.sh
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/generate_goss.sh
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ done
 [[ $OS == "centos7" ]] && user="apache" || user="www-data"
 goss a "${args[@]}" package $package foobar vim-tiny
 
-goss a "${args[@]}" addr --timeout 1s google.com:443 google.com:22
+goss a "${args[@]}" addr --timeout 1s httpbin:80 httpbin:22
 
 goss a "${args[@]}" addr --timeout 1s udp://8.8.8.8:53
 
diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/goss-shared.yaml b/integration-tests/goss/goss-shared.yaml
index cb3a0acd4..4fdef9148 100644
--- a/integration-tests/goss/goss-shared.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/goss-shared.yaml
@@ -70,13 +70,13 @@ service:
     runlevels: {{toJson $runlevels}}
 {{end}}
 addr:
-  tcp://google.com:22:
+  tcp://httpbin:22:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 1000
-  tcp://google.com:443:
+  tcp://httpbin:80:
     reachable: true
     timeout: 5000
-  tcp://google.com:80:
+  tcp://httpbin:999:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 5000
     local-address: 127.0.0.1
diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/trusty/goss-expected-q.yaml b/integration-tests/goss/trusty/goss-expected-q.yaml
index 9554f8e82..507dcb7a5 100644
--- a/integration-tests/goss/trusty/goss-expected-q.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/trusty/goss-expected-q.yaml
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ package:
   vim-tiny:
     installed: false
 addr:
-  tcp://google.com:22:
+  tcp://httpbin:22:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 1000
-  tcp://google.com:443:
+  tcp://httpbin:80:
     reachable: true
     timeout: 1000
   udp://8.8.8.8:53:
@@ -49,13 +49,13 @@ group:
 command:
   echo 'hi':
     exit-status: 0
-    stdout: []
-    stderr: []
+    stdout: ""
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
   foobar:
     exit-status: 127
-    stdout: []
-    stderr: []
+    stdout: ""
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
 dns:
   CAA:dnstest.io:
diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/trusty/goss-expected.yaml b/integration-tests/goss/trusty/goss-expected.yaml
index 864969477..5b2ad9b00 100644
--- a/integration-tests/goss/trusty/goss-expected.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/trusty/goss-expected.yaml
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ package:
   vim-tiny:
     installed: false
 addr:
-  tcp://google.com:22:
+  tcp://httpbin:22:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 1000
-  tcp://google.com:443:
+  tcp://httpbin:80:
     reachable: true
     timeout: 1000
   udp://8.8.8.8:53:
@@ -68,11 +68,11 @@ command:
     exit-status: 0
     stdout:
     - hi
-    stderr: []
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
   foobar:
     exit-status: 127
-    stdout: []
+    stdout: ""
     stderr:
     - 'sh: 1: foobar: not found'
     timeout: 10000
diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/wheezy/goss-expected-q.yaml b/integration-tests/goss/wheezy/goss-expected-q.yaml
index 9554f8e82..507dcb7a5 100644
--- a/integration-tests/goss/wheezy/goss-expected-q.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/wheezy/goss-expected-q.yaml
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ package:
   vim-tiny:
     installed: false
 addr:
-  tcp://google.com:22:
+  tcp://httpbin:22:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 1000
-  tcp://google.com:443:
+  tcp://httpbin:80:
     reachable: true
     timeout: 1000
   udp://8.8.8.8:53:
@@ -49,13 +49,13 @@ group:
 command:
   echo 'hi':
     exit-status: 0
-    stdout: []
-    stderr: []
+    stdout: ""
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
   foobar:
     exit-status: 127
-    stdout: []
-    stderr: []
+    stdout: ""
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
 dns:
   CAA:dnstest.io:
diff --git a/integration-tests/goss/wheezy/goss-expected.yaml b/integration-tests/goss/wheezy/goss-expected.yaml
index 495c87274..209ae8564 100644
--- a/integration-tests/goss/wheezy/goss-expected.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/goss/wheezy/goss-expected.yaml
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ package:
   vim-tiny:
     installed: false
 addr:
-  tcp://google.com:22:
+  tcp://httpbin:22:
     reachable: false
     timeout: 1000
-  tcp://google.com:443:
+  tcp://httpbin:80:
     reachable: true
     timeout: 1000
   udp://8.8.8.8:53:
@@ -68,11 +68,11 @@ command:
     exit-status: 0
     stdout:
     - hi
-    stderr: []
+    stderr: ""
     timeout: 10000
   foobar:
     exit-status: 127
-    stdout: []
+    stdout: ""
     stderr:
     - 'sh: 1: foobar: not found'
     timeout: 10000
diff --git a/resource/command.go b/resource/command.go
index 6bd75f70c..79a1671e7 100644
--- a/resource/command.go
+++ b/resource/command.go
@@ -76,18 +76,24 @@ func NewCommand(sysCommand system.Command, config util.Config) (*Command, error)
 	c := &Command{
 		id:         command,
 		ExitStatus: exitStatus,
-		Stdout:     []string{},
-		Stderr:     []string{},
+		Stdout:     "",
+		Stderr:     "",
 		Timeout:    config.TimeOutMilliSeconds(),
 	}
 
 	if !contains(config.IgnoreList, "stdout") {
 		stdout, _ := sysCommand.Stdout()
-		c.Stdout = readerToSlice(stdout)
+		outSlice := readerToSlice(stdout)
+		if len(outSlice) != 0 {
+			c.Stdout = outSlice
+		}
 	}
 	if !contains(config.IgnoreList, "stderr") {
 		stderr, _ := sysCommand.Stderr()
-		c.Stderr = readerToSlice(stderr)
+		errSlice := readerToSlice(stderr)
+		if len(errSlice) != 0 {
+			c.Stderr = errSlice
+		}
 	}
 
 	return c, err