$::xcmd_outref = [];
    my $req;
    if (ref($cmd) eq "HASH")
    {
        $req = $cmd;
    }
    else
    {    # assume scalar, build request hash the way we do in xcatclient
        my @cmdargs = split(/\s+/, $cmd);
        my $cmdname = shift(@cmdargs);
        $req->{command} = [$cmdname];
        my $arg = shift(@cmdargs);
        while ($arg =~ /^-/)
        {
            push(@{$req->{arg}}, $arg);
            $arg = shift(@cmdargs);
        }
        if ($arg ne "NO_NODE_RANGE")
        {
            my @nodes = split(",", $arg);
            $req->{node} = \@nodes;
        }
        push(@{$req->{arg}}, @cmdargs);
    }
    $subreq->($req, \&runxcmd_output);
    $::CALLBACK = $save_CALLBACK;    # in case the subreq call changed it
    my $outref = $::xcmd_outref;
    if ($::RUNCMD_RC)
    {
        my $displayerror = 1;
        my $rc;
        if (defined($exitcode) && length($exitcode) && $exitcode != -2)
        {
            if ($exitcode > 0)
            {
                $rc = $exitcode;