diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.ts
index 57b808a85f..1e57416cd1 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,11 @@ export async function find(ctx: UserCtx): Promise<Row> {
   }
 
   const table = await sdk.tables.getTable(tableId)
-  return await outputProcessing(table, row)
+  // Preserving links, as the outputProcessing does not support external rows yet and we don't need it in this use case
+  return await outputProcessing(table, row, {
+    squash: false,
+    preserveLinks: true,
+  })
 }
 
 export async function destroy(ctx: UserCtx) {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts
index 933e9bd2f5..773b54dd6a 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts
@@ -200,7 +200,10 @@ export async function inputProcessing(
 export async function outputProcessing<T extends Row[] | Row>(
   table: Table,
   rows: T,
-  opts = { squash: true }
+  opts: { squash?: boolean; preserveLinks?: boolean } = {
+    squash: true,
+    preserveLinks: false,
+  }
 ): Promise<T> {
   let safeRows: Row[]
   let wasArray = true
@@ -211,7 +214,9 @@ export async function outputProcessing<T extends Row[] | Row>(
     safeRows = rows
   }
   // attach any linked row information
-  let enriched = await linkRows.attachFullLinkedDocs(table, safeRows)
+  let enriched = !opts.preserveLinks
+    ? await linkRows.attachFullLinkedDocs(table, safeRows)
+    : safeRows
 
   // process formulas
   enriched = processFormulas(table, enriched, { dynamic: true }) as Row[]