diff --git a/frontends/dbal/app/api/cli/route.ts b/frontends/dbal/app/api/cli/route.ts
index 48e57b3cf..00bf1fdb6 100644
--- a/frontends/dbal/app/api/cli/route.ts
+++ b/frontends/dbal/app/api/cli/route.ts
@@ -57,12 +57,14 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
       env: env as NodeJS.ProcessEnv,
     })
 
-    // Try to parse stdout as JSON
+    // Try to parse stdout as JSON, otherwise return as structured text
     let data: unknown
     try {
       data = JSON.parse(stdout)
     } catch {
-      data = stdout || stderr || '(no output)'
+      const output = (stdout || '').trim()
+      const err = (stderr || '').trim()
+      data = { output: output || err || '(no output)' }
     }
 
     return NextResponse.json({
@@ -78,7 +80,7 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
 
     let data: unknown
     if (error.stdout) {
-      try { data = JSON.parse(error.stdout) } catch { data = error.stdout }
+      try { data = JSON.parse(error.stdout) } catch { data = { output: error.stdout.trim() } }
     }
 
     return NextResponse.json({
diff --git a/frontends/dbal/src/QueryConsole.tsx b/frontends/dbal/src/QueryConsole.tsx
index 5a4bf0b20..a20b744e5 100644
--- a/frontends/dbal/src/QueryConsole.tsx
+++ b/frontends/dbal/src/QueryConsole.tsx
@@ -135,6 +135,10 @@ function syntaxHighlight(json: string): string {
   )
 }
 
+function isPlainOutput(data: unknown): boolean {
+  return typeof data === 'object' && data !== null && 'output' in data && typeof (data as { output: unknown }).output === 'string'
+}
+
 function loadHistory(): QueryHistoryEntry[] {
   if (typeof window === 'undefined') return []
   try {
@@ -505,10 +509,12 @@ export function QueryConsole() {
                   {response.status} {response.statusText}
                 </span>
               </div>
-              <pre
-                className={styles.responsePre}
-                dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: syntaxHighlight(JSON.stringify(response.data, null, 2)) }}
-              />
+              <pre className={styles.responsePre}>
+                {isPlainOutput(response.data)
+                  ? (response.data as { output: string }).output
+                  : <span dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: syntaxHighlight(JSON.stringify(response.data, null, 2)) }} />
+                }
+              </pre>
             </div>
           )}
         </div>