diff --git a/haemmodel/trajplotworkflow.cc b/haemmodel/trajplotworkflow.cc
index ea5f7de92fd99cedff5af2128df098f87822f6d5..8de00f9f8e90bafde5b1777bad4600c865059857 100644
--- a/haemmodel/trajplotworkflow.cc
+++ b/haemmodel/trajplotworkflow.cc
@@ -87,17 +87,8 @@ void TrajPlotWorkflow::setOriginSymbol(bool origin_symbol)
 
 TrajPlotWorkflow::TrajPlotWorkflow() {}
 
-void TrajPlotWorkflow::run() const
+std::string TrajPlotWorkflow::buildCommand() const
 {
-  // check if this is a file listing separated by '+'
-  if (m_input_path.find("+") == std::string::npos)
-  {
-    if (radix::file_exists(m_input_path) == false)
-    {
-      throw std::logic_error(
-          "***Error: Required input file file does not exist.");
-    }
-  }
   //
   // Find the trajplot executable
   std::string executable =
@@ -128,11 +119,6 @@ void TrajPlotWorkflow::run() const
   // all Postscript file plotting options
   if (!m_map_background.empty())
   {
-    if (radix::file_exists(m_map_background) == false)
-    {
-      throw std::logic_error(
-          "***Error: Provided map background does not exist.");
-    }
     command << " -j" << m_map_background;
   }
   if (m_projection != TrajPlotMapProjection::Auto)
@@ -155,9 +141,13 @@ void TrajPlotWorkflow::run() const
   {
     command << " -s0";
   }
-
-  std::cout << command.str() << std::endl;
-  int return_code = system(command.str().c_str());
+  return command.str();
+}
+void TrajPlotWorkflow::run() const
+{
+  std::string command = buildCommand();
+  std::cout << command << std::endl;
+  int return_code = system(command.c_str());
   int exit_code   = return_code;
 #ifndef _WIN32
   exit_code = exit_code >> 8;
diff --git a/haemmodel/trajplotworkflow.hh b/haemmodel/trajplotworkflow.hh
index 12375b6fb8ce2264b473ec37d2593e3215f60abe..0592e15af9b47624105776bcd3da43532c4df41a 100644
--- a/haemmodel/trajplotworkflow.hh
+++ b/haemmodel/trajplotworkflow.hh
@@ -62,10 +62,11 @@ class RADIX_PUBLIC TrajPlotWorkflow
  public:
   TrajPlotWorkflow();
 
+  std::string buildCommand() const;
   /**
    * @brief run Executes the HYSPLIT trajectory plot capability
    */
-  void run() const;
+  virtual void run() const;
 
   std::string hysplitDirectory() const;
   void setHysplitDirectory(const std::string &hysplit_directory);