diff --git a/packages/api/server/ws.mts b/packages/api/server/ws.mts
index 003e008ee..335483184 100644
--- a/packages/api/server/ws.mts
+++ b/packages/api/server/ws.mts
@@ -435,17 +435,27 @@ async function cellFormat(payload: CellFormatPayloadType) {
   }
   const result = await formatAndUpdateCodeCell(session, cellBeforeUpdate);
   if (!result.success) {
-    return sendCellUpdateError(session, payload.cellId, result.errors);
-  }
-
-  const cell = result.cell as CodeCellType;
+    wss.broadcast(`session:${session.id}`, 'cell:output', {
+      cellId: payload.cellId,
+      output: { type: 'stderr', data: result.errors },
+    });
+    sendCellUpdateError(session, payload.cellId, [
+      {
+        message:
+          'An error occurred while formatting the code. Please check the "stderr" for more details.',
+        attribute: 'formatting',
+      },
+    ]);
+  } else {
+    const cell = result.cell as CodeCellType;
 
-  wss.broadcast(`session:${session.id}`, 'cell:formatted', {
-    cellId: payload.cellId,
-    cell,
-  });
+    wss.broadcast(`session:${session.id}`, 'cell:formatted', {
+      cellId: payload.cellId,
+      cell,
+    });
 
-  refreshCodeCellDiagnostics(session, cell);
+    refreshCodeCellDiagnostics(session, cell);
+  }
 }
 
 async function cellUpdate(payload: CellUpdatePayloadType) {
diff --git a/packages/api/session.mts b/packages/api/session.mts
index b42204913..04a879842 100644
--- a/packages/api/session.mts
+++ b/packages/api/session.mts
@@ -336,10 +336,10 @@ export async function formatCode(dir: string, fileName: string) {
     const command = `npx prettier ${codeFilePath}`;
 
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-      exec(command, async (error, stdout) => {
-        if (error) {
-          console.error(`exec error: ${error}`);
-          reject(error);
+      exec(command, async (_, stdout, stderr) => {
+        if (stderr) {
+          console.error(`exec error: ${stderr}`);
+          reject(stderr);
           return;
         }
         resolve(stdout);
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ export async function formatAndUpdateCodeCell(session: SessionType, cell: CodeCe
   } catch (error) {
     return Promise.resolve({
       success: false,
-      errors: [{ message: 'An error occurred formatting the code.', attribute: 'formatting' }],
+      errors: error,
     } as UpdateResultType);
   }
 }