diff --git a/python/lsst/daf/butler/remote_butler/server/handlers/_external_query.py b/python/lsst/daf/butler/remote_butler/server/handlers/_external_query.py
index 0747667c77..44023eba9a 100644
--- a/python/lsst/daf/butler/remote_butler/server/handlers/_external_query.py
+++ b/python/lsst/daf/butler/remote_butler/server/handlers/_external_query.py
@@ -96,20 +96,6 @@ def query_execute(
     assert False, "This line is unreachable."
 
 
-def _retrieve_query_pages(ctx: _QueryContext, spec: ResultSpec) -> Iterator[QueryExecuteResultData]:
-    """Execute the database query and and return pages of results."""
-    try:
-        print("before execute")
-        pages = ctx.driver.execute(spec, ctx.tree)
-        print("page1")
-        for page in pages:
-            yield convert_query_page(spec, page)
-    except ButlerUserError as e:
-        # If a user-facing error occurs, serialize it and send it to the
-        # client.
-        yield QueryErrorResultModel(error=serialize_butler_user_error(e))
-
-
 # Instead of declaring this as a sync generator with 'def', it's async to
 # give us more control over the lifetime of exit_stack.  StreamingResponse
 # ensures that this async generator is cancelled if the client
@@ -148,10 +134,26 @@ async def _stream_query_pages(
                 if message is None:
                     done = True
                 else:
-                    yield message.model_dump_json()
+                    message = message.model_dump_json()
+                    print(f"{message=}")
+                    yield message
                     yield "\n"
 
 
+def _retrieve_query_pages(ctx: _QueryContext, spec: ResultSpec) -> Iterator[QueryExecuteResultData]:
+    """Execute the database query and and return pages of results."""
+    try:
+        print("before execute")
+        pages = ctx.driver.execute(spec, ctx.tree)
+        print("page1")
+        for page in pages:
+            yield convert_query_page(spec, page)
+    except ButlerUserError as e:
+        # If a user-facing error occurs, serialize it and send it to the
+        # client.
+        yield QueryErrorResultModel(error=serialize_butler_user_error(e))
+
+
 async def _fetch_next_with_keepalives(
     iterator: AsyncIterator[QueryExecuteResultData],
 ) -> AsyncIterator[QueryExecuteResultData | None]: