feat: update to actionslib v1.2.0, support self: (#1233)

Update to [actionslib v1.2.0](https://gitea.com/gitea/actionslib/releases/tag/v1.2.0) and move logic to it. 1. `self:{owner}/{repo}[/{path}]@{ref}` in step `uses` resolves on the runner's Gitea instance, for https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/issues/38990. 2. `strategy.job-index` and `strategy.job-total` come from Gitea when it sends them. 3. Container, services and `with` are evaluated once instead of on every use. 4. Fixes a flaky clone-lock test. Gitea PR: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/39358 Docs PR: https://gitea.com/gitea/docs/pulls/553 --------- Co-authored-by: bircni <bircni@icloud.com> Reviewed-on: https://gitea.com/gitea/runner/pulls/1233 Reviewed-by: bircni <bircni@icloud.com> Co-authored-by: silverwind <2021+silverwind@noreply.gitea.com>
2026-11-04 07:33:47 +00:00 · 2026-09-23 15:40:19 +00:00
1 parent ae9ce10f71
commit e0d00e543d
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/fs"
+	"maps"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -353,12 +354,7 @@ func execAsDocker(ctx context.Context, step actionStep, actionName, actionDir, b
 			logger.Debugf("image '%s' for architecture '%s' already exists", image, rc.Config.ContainerArchitecture)
 		}
 	}
-	eval := rc.NewActionInputsExpressionEvaluator(ctx, step)
-	args, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.getStepModel().With["args"])
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.args: %w", err)
-	}
-	cmd, err := shellquote.Split(args)
+	cmd, err := shellquote.Split(step.getStepModel().With["args"])
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -375,14 +371,11 @@ func execAsDocker(ctx context.Context, step actionStep, actionName, actionDir, b
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	entrypoint, err := dockerEntrypoint(ctx, step, eval, stage)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	stepContainer, err := newStepContainer(ctx, step, image, cmd, entrypoint, rc.Config.ContainerOptions)
+	entrypoint, err := dockerEntrypoint(step, stage)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	stepContainer := newStepContainer(ctx, step, image, cmd, entrypoint, rc.Config.ContainerOptions)
 	return common.NewPipelineExecutor(
 		prepImage,
 		stepContainer.Pull(forcePull),
@@ -394,7 +387,7 @@ func execAsDocker(ctx context.Context, step actionStep, actionName, actionDir, b

 // dockerEntrypoint returns the entrypoint the action's image runs with for the given
 // stage. Only the main stage honours the `entrypoint` input.
-func dockerEntrypoint(ctx context.Context, step actionStep, eval *expressionEvaluator, stage stepStage) ([]string, error) {
+func dockerEntrypoint(step actionStep, stage stepStage) ([]string, error) {
 	runs := step.getActionModel().Runs

 	var entrypoint string
@@ -406,11 +399,7 @@ func dockerEntrypoint(ctx context.Context, step actionStep, eval *expressionEval
 	default:
 		entrypoint = runs.Entrypoint
 		if entrypoint == "" {
-			withEntrypoint, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.getStepModel().With["entrypoint"])
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.entrypoint: %w", err)
-			}
-			if fields := strings.Fields(withEntrypoint); len(fields) > 0 {
+			if fields := strings.Fields(step.getStepModel().With["entrypoint"]); len(fields) > 0 {
 				return fields, nil
 			}
 		}
@@ -425,7 +414,6 @@ func dockerEntrypoint(ctx context.Context, step actionStep, eval *expressionEval
 // evalDockerEnv returns an evaluator bound to the environment it installed.
 func evalDockerEnv(ctx context.Context, step step, action *model.Action) (*expressionEvaluator, error) {
 	rc := step.getRunContext()
-	stepModel := step.getStepModel()

 	var err error
 	inputs := make(map[string]string)
@@ -436,27 +424,20 @@ func evalDockerEnv(ctx context.Context, step step, action *model.Action) (*expre
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate the default of input %s: %w", k, err)
 		}
 	}
-	for k, v := range stepModel.With {
-		if inputs[k], err = eval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.%s: %w", k, err)
-		}
-	}
-	mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), inputs)
-
-	env := make(map[string]string, len(action.Runs.Env)+len(*step.getEnv()))
-	mergeIntoMap(step, &env, action.Runs.Env, *step.getEnv())
-	*step.getEnv() = env
+	mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), inputs, step.getStepModel().With)

 	ee := rc.NewActionInputsExpressionEvaluator(ctx, step)
-	for k, v := range *step.getEnv() {
-		if (*step.getEnv())[k], err = ee.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+	runsEnv := make(map[string]string, len(action.Runs.Env))
+	for k, v := range action.Runs.Env {
+		if runsEnv[k], err = ee.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate env %s: %w", k, err)
 		}
 	}
+	mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), runsEnv, maps.Clone(*step.getEnv()))
 	return ee, nil
 }

-func newStepContainer(ctx context.Context, step step, image string, cmd, entrypoint []string, runnerOptions string) (container.Container, error) {
+func newStepContainer(ctx context.Context, step step, image string, cmd, entrypoint []string, runnerOptions string) container.Container {
 	rc := step.getRunContext()
 	logWriter := rc.commandLogWriter(ctx)
 	envList := make([]string, 0)
@@ -466,10 +447,7 @@ func newStepContainer(ctx context.Context, step step, image string, cmd, entrypo

 	envList = append(envList, rc.runnerEnv(ctx)...)

-	binds, mounts, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	binds, mounts := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
 	networkMode := "container:" + rc.jobContainerName()
 	if rc.IsHostEnv() {
 		networkMode = "default"
@@ -493,7 +471,7 @@ func newStepContainer(ctx context.Context, step step, image string, cmd, entrypo
 		AutoRemove:    true,
 		ValidVolumes:  rc.validVolumes(),
 		AllocatePTY:   rc.Config.AllocatePTY,
-	}), nil
+	})
 }

 func populateEnvsFromSavedState(env *map[string]string, step actionStep, rc *RunContext) {
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ func newCompositeRunContext(ctx context.Context, parent *RunContext, step action
 		Parent:        parent,
 		EventJSON:     parent.EventJSON,
 		platformImage: parent.platformImage,
+		jobIndex:      parent.jobIndex,
+		jobTotal:      parent.jobTotal,
 	}
 	compositerc.setCompositeActionEnv(env)
 	compositerc.ExprEval = compositerc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
@@ -12,18 +12,21 @@ import (
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.yaml.in/yaml/v4"
 )

 func TestCompositeActionParity(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("inherits contexts without leaking inputs", func(t *testing.T) {
 		ctx := t.Context()
-		strategy := &model.Strategy{MaxParallelString: "3"}
+		strategy := &model.Strategy{MaxParallelString: "3", RawMatrix: yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.MappingNode}}
 		parent := &RunContext{
 			Config:        &Config{},
 			Matrix:        map[string]any{"os": "linux"},
 			Run:           &model.Run{JobID: "job", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Name: "workflow", Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"job": {Strategy: strategy}}}},
 			JobContainer:  &jobContainerMock{},
 			platformImage: "-self-hosted",
+			jobIndex:      1,
+			jobTotal:      4,
 		}
 		composite, err := newCompositeRunContext(ctx, parent, &stepActionRemote{
 			Step:       &model.Step{With: map[string]string{"SHARED": "outer"}},
@@ -36,9 +39,9 @@ func TestCompositeActionParity(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Same(t, strategy, composite.Run.Job().Strategy)
 		assert.True(t, composite.IsHostEnv())
 		interpolated, err := composite.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx,
-			"${{ matrix.os }}|${{ strategy.max-parallel }}|${{ inputs.shared }}")
+			"${{ matrix.os }}|${{ strategy.max-parallel }}|${{ strategy.job-index }}|${{ inputs.shared }}")
 		require.NoError(t, err)
-		assert.Equal(t, "linux|3|outer", interpolated)
+		assert.Equal(t, "linux|3|1|outer", interpolated)
 		assert.NotContains(t, composite.Env, "INPUT_SHARED")

 		nestedEnv := composite.GetEnv()
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ func TestActionRunner(t *testing.T) {

 			tt.step.getRunContext().JobContainer = cm

-			err := runActionImpl(tt.step, "dir", newRemoteAction("org/repo/path@ref"))(ctx)
+			err := runActionImpl(tt.step, "dir", mustNewRemoteAction(t, "org/repo/path@ref"))(ctx)

 			assert.NoError(t, err) //nolint:testifylint // pre-existing issue from nektos/act
 			cm.AssertExpectations(t)
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ func TestNewStepContainerDoesNotUseDockerSecrets(t *testing.T) {
 	step.On("getStepModel").Return(&model.Step{ID: "action"})
 	step.On("getEnv").Return(&env)

-	_, _ = newStepContainer(ctx, step, "registry.example.com/action:tag", nil, nil, "")
+	newStepContainer(ctx, step, "registry.example.com/action:tag", nil, nil, "")

 	// DOCKER_USERNAME/DOCKER_PASSWORD should not be injected as pull credentials for docker action containers.
 	assert.Empty(t, captured.Username)
@@ -461,18 +461,11 @@ func TestExecAsDockerHoldsCloneLockForRemoteUncached(t *testing.T) {
 	case <-innerEntered:
 	case err := <-done:
 		t.Fatalf("execAsDocker returned without entering inner: %v", err)
-	case <-time.After(time.Second):
-		t.Fatal("inner build executor not entered after lock released")
 	}

 	cancel()
 	releaseOnce()
-
-	select {
-	case <-done:
-	case <-time.After(time.Second):
-		t.Fatal("execAsDocker did not return after inner was released and ctx was canceled")
-	}
+	<-done
 }

 func TestDockerActionImageTag(t *testing.T) {
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 	"time"

 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
@@ -27,29 +26,6 @@ import (
 	"go.yaml.in/yaml/v4"
 )

-// setStrategyContext leaves `max-parallel` unset when the job declares none, as GitHub does.
-func setStrategyContext(strategy map[string]any, jobStrategy *model.Strategy) {
-	strategy["fail-fast"] = jobStrategy.GetFailFast()
-	if limit, declared, err := jobStrategy.ParseMaxParallel(); declared && err == nil {
-		strategy["max-parallel"] = limit
-	}
-}
-
-// decodeDeferred decodes a whole-value `${{ }}` parked in a Raw* field, evaluating a clone since the node is shared across matrix combinations.
-func decodeDeferred[T any](ctx context.Context, eval *expressionEvaluator, name string, raw yaml.Node, out *T) error {
-	if raw.Kind != yaml.ScalarNode {
-		return nil
-	}
-	node := model.CloneYamlNode(raw)
-	if err := eval.EvaluateYamlNode(ctx, &node); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to evaluate %s: %w", name, err)
-	}
-	if err := node.Decode(out); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to decode %s: %w", name, err)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // NewExpressionEvaluator creates a new evaluator
 func (rc *RunContext) NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx context.Context) *ExpressionEvaluator {
 	return rc.NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx, rc.GetEnv())
@@ -59,23 +35,9 @@ func (rc *RunContext) NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx context.Context, env map
 	var workflowCallResult map[string]*model.WorkflowCallResult

 	// todo: cleanup EvaluationEnvironment creation
-	using := make(map[string]exprparser.Needs)
 	strategy := make(map[string]any)
 	if rc.Run != nil {
-		job := rc.Run.Job()
-		if job != nil && job.Strategy != nil {
-			setStrategyContext(strategy, job.Strategy)
-		}
-
-		jobs := rc.Run.Workflow.Jobs
-		jobNeeds := rc.Run.Job().Needs()
-
-		for _, needs := range jobNeeds {
-			using[needs] = exprparser.Needs{
-				Outputs: jobs[needs].Outputs,
-				Result:  jobs[needs].NeedsResult(),
-			}
-		}
+		strategy = exprparser.StrategyContext(rc.Run.Job().Strategy, rc.jobIndex, rc.jobTotal)

 		// only setup jobs context in case of workflow_call
 		// and existing expression evaluator (this means, jobs are at
@@ -83,7 +45,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx context.Context, env map
 		if rc.caller != nil && rc.ExprEval != nil {
 			workflowCallResult = map[string]*model.WorkflowCallResult{}

-			for jobName, job := range jobs {
+			for jobName, job := range rc.Run.Workflow.Jobs {
 				result := model.WorkflowCallResult{
 					Outputs: map[string]string{},
 				}
@@ -108,7 +70,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx context.Context, env map
 		Vars:      getWorkflowVars(ctx, rc),
 		Strategy:  strategy,
 		Matrix:    rc.Matrix,
-		Needs:     using,
+		Needs:     exprparser.NeedsContext(rc.Run),
 		Inputs:    inputs,
 		HashFiles: getHashFilesFunction(ctx, rc),
 	}
@@ -137,23 +99,6 @@ func (rc *RunContext) NewActionInputsExpressionEvaluator(ctx context.Context, st

 func (rc *RunContext) newStepExpressionEvaluator(ctx context.Context, step step, stepInputs map[string]any, jobContext *model.JobContext) *ExpressionEvaluator {
 	// todo: cleanup EvaluationEnvironment creation
-	job := rc.Run.Job()
-	strategy := make(map[string]any)
-	if job.Strategy != nil {
-		setStrategyContext(strategy, job.Strategy)
-	}
-
-	jobs := rc.Run.Workflow.Jobs
-	jobNeeds := rc.Run.Job().Needs()
-
-	using := make(map[string]exprparser.Needs)
-	for _, needs := range jobNeeds {
-		using[needs] = exprparser.Needs{
-			Outputs: jobs[needs].Outputs,
-			Result:  jobs[needs].NeedsResult(),
-		}
-	}
-
 	ee := &exprparser.EvaluationEnvironment{
 		Github:   step.getGithubContext(ctx),
 		Env:      *step.getEnv(),
@@ -161,9 +106,9 @@ func (rc *RunContext) newStepExpressionEvaluator(ctx context.Context, step step,
 		Steps:    rc.getStepsContext(),
 		Secrets:  getWorkflowSecrets(rc),
 		Vars:     getWorkflowVars(ctx, rc),
-		Strategy: strategy,
+		Strategy: exprparser.StrategyContext(rc.Run.Job().Strategy, rc.jobIndex, rc.jobTotal),
 		Matrix:   rc.Matrix,
-		Needs:    using,
+		Needs:    exprparser.NeedsContext(rc.Run),
 		// todo: should be unavailable
 		// but required to interpolate/evaluate the inputs in actions/composite
 		Inputs:    getEvaluatorInputs(rc, stepInputs, rc.getGithubContext(ctx)),
@@ -306,45 +251,30 @@ func getEvaluatorInputs(rc *RunContext, stepInputs map[string]any, ghc *model.Gi
 	maps.Copy(inputs, rc.workflowCallInputs)
 	maps.Copy(inputs, stepInputs)

-	if ghc.EventName == "workflow_dispatch" {
-		config := rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowDispatchConfig()
-		if config != nil && config.Inputs != nil {
-			for k, v := range config.Inputs {
-				value := nestedMapLookup(ghc.Event, "inputs", k)
-				if value == nil {
-					value = v.Default
+	switch ghc.EventName {
+	case "workflow_dispatch":
+		if config := rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowDispatchConfig(); config != nil {
+			for name, input := range config.Inputs {
+				if input.Type == "number" {
+					input.Type = "string" // boolean is the only typed dispatch input, as in Gitea
 				}
-				inputs[k] = coerceInputValue(value, v.Type)
+				setEvaluatorInput(inputs, ghc, name, model.WorkflowCallInput{Type: input.Type, Default: input.Default})
 			}
 		}
-	}
-
-	if ghc.EventName == "workflow_call" {
-		config := rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowCallConfig()
-		if config != nil && config.Inputs != nil {
-			for k, v := range config.Inputs {
-				value := nestedMapLookup(ghc.Event, "inputs", k)
-				if value == nil {
-					value = v.Default
-				}
-				inputs[k] = coerceInputValue(value, v.Type)
-			}
+	case "workflow_call":
+		for name, input := range rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowCallConfig().Inputs {
+			setEvaluatorInput(inputs, ghc, name, input)
 		}
 	}
 	return inputs
 }

-// coerceInputValue converts an input value to the type declared by the workflow.
-// The event payload carries natively typed JSON values on newer Gitea versions,
-// while defaults and older servers provide strings.
-func coerceInputValue(value any, inputType string) any {
-	if inputType != "boolean" {
-		return value
+func setEvaluatorInput(inputs map[string]any, ghc *model.GithubContext, name string, input model.WorkflowCallInput) {
+	value := model.NestedMapLookup(ghc.Event, "inputs", name)
+	if value == nil {
+		value, _ = input.DefaultValue()
 	}
-	if b, ok := value.(bool); ok {
-		return b
-	}
-	return value == "true"
+	inputs[name] = model.CoerceInputValue(value, input.Type)
 }

 // resolveWorkflowCall evaluates the caller's with: and secrets: once, as the server does before dispatching a called workflow.
@@ -352,40 +282,32 @@ func (rc *RunContext) resolveWorkflowCall(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if rc.caller == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
+	logger := common.Logger(ctx)
 	callerJob := rc.caller.runContext.Run.Job()
-	callerEval := rc.caller.runContext.ExprEval
-	callerWith := callerJob.With
-	if err := decodeDeferred(ctx, callerEval, "workflow inputs", callerJob.RawWith, &callerWith); err != nil {
+	callerEval := rc.caller.runContext.ExprEval.shared(ctx)
+	var callerWith map[string]any
+	if err := model.DecodeEvaluated("workflow inputs", callerJob.RawWith, callerEval.EvaluateYamlNode, &callerWith); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	calleeEval := sync.OnceValue(func() *expressionEvaluator { return rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx) })
+	if !rc.Run.Workflow.IsWorkflowCall() {
+		logger.Warn("workflow_call key is not defined in the referenced workflow")
+	}
 	config := rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowCallConfig()
-
-	rc.workflowCallInputs = make(map[string]any, len(config.Inputs))
-	for name, input := range config.Inputs {
-		value, eval, label := callerWith[name], callerEval, "input"
-		if value == nil {
-			value, eval, label = input.Default, calleeEval(), "the default of input"
-		}
-		if str, ok := value.(string); ok {
-			var err error
-			if value, err = eval.Interpolate(ctx, str); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate %s %s: %w", label, name, err)
-			}
-		}
-		rc.workflowCallInputs[name] = coerceInputValue(value, input.Type)
+	var err error
+	if rc.workflowCallInputs, err = callerEval.ResolveWorkflowCallInputs(config, callerWith); err != nil {
+		logger.Warn(err)
 	}

+	if callerJob.InheritSecrets() {
+		rc.workflowCallSecrets = getWorkflowSecrets(rc.caller.runContext)
+		return nil
+	}
 	secrets := callerJob.Secrets()
-	if secrets == nil && callerJob.InheritSecrets() {
-		secrets = rc.caller.runContext.Config.Secrets
+	if err := config.ValidateSecrets(secrets); err != nil {
+		logger.Warn(err)
 	}
-	rc.workflowCallSecrets = make(map[string]string, len(secrets))
-	for k, v := range secrets {
-		var err error
-		if rc.workflowCallSecrets[k], err = callerEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate secret %s: %w", k, err)
-		}
+	if rc.workflowCallSecrets, err = callerEval.EvaluateCallerSecrets(secrets); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate %w", err)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -294,6 +294,8 @@ on:
      name:
        type: string
        default: gitea
+      unset:
+        type: boolean
 `,
 		"workflow_dispatch": `
 on:
@@ -305,6 +307,8 @@ on:
      name:
        type: string
        default: gitea
+      unset:
+        type: boolean
 `,
 	}

@@ -356,6 +360,7 @@ on:
 				inputs := getEvaluatorInputs(rc, nil, ghc)
 				assert.Equal(t, table.flag, inputs["flag"])
 				assert.Equal(t, "gitea", inputs["name"])
+				assert.Equal(t, false, inputs["unset"])
 			})
 		}
 	}
@@ -375,11 +380,11 @@ jobs:
 		for _, value := range []string{"true", "false"} {
 			t.Run(value, func(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Parallel()
-				parent, err := (&runnerImpl{config: &Config{}}).newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{Workflow: workflow, JobID: "call"}, map[string]any{"args": `{"flag":` + value + `,"name":"runner"}`})
+				parent, err := (&runnerImpl{config: &Config{}}).newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{Workflow: workflow, JobID: "call"}, map[string]any{"args": `{"flag":` + value + `,"name":"${{ 'runner' }}"}`})
 				require.NoError(t, err)
 				child, err := (&runnerImpl{config: &Config{}, caller: &caller{runContext: parent}}).newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{Workflow: workflow, JobID: "test"}, nil)
 				require.NoError(t, err)
-				assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"flag": value == "true", "name": "runner"}, child.workflowCallInputs)
+				assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"flag": value == "true", "name": "${{ 'runner' }}", "unset": false}, child.workflowCallInputs)
 				assert.Equal(t, rawWith, job.RawWith)
 				assert.Nil(t, job.With)
 			})
@@ -387,6 +392,46 @@ jobs:
 	})
 }

+func TestResolveWorkflowCallToleratesMismatchesAndPassesInheritedSecretsVerbatim(t *testing.T) {
+	callerWorkflow, err := model.ReadWorkflow(strings.NewReader(`
+jobs:
+  call:
+    uses: ./reuse.yml
+    with: {flag: not-a-boolean}
+    secrets: {undeclared: "${{ secrets.token }}"}
+  inherit:
+    uses: ./reuse.yml
+    secrets: inherit
+`))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	callee, err := model.ReadWorkflow(strings.NewReader(`
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      flag: {type: boolean, default: true}
+jobs:
+  test: {}
+`))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	notCallable, err := model.ReadWorkflow(strings.NewReader("on: push\njobs:\n  test: {}\n"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	config := &Config{Secrets: map[string]string{"token": "${{ github.token }}"}}
+	resolve := func(callerJobID string, workflow *model.Workflow) *RunContext {
+		parent, err := (&runnerImpl{config: config}).newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{Workflow: callerWorkflow, JobID: callerJobID}, nil)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		child, err := (&runnerImpl{config: config, caller: &caller{runContext: parent}}).newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{Workflow: workflow, JobID: "test"}, nil)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		return child
+	}
+
+	called := resolve("call", callee)
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"flag": true}, called.workflowCallInputs)
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{"undeclared": "${{ github.token }}"}, called.workflowCallSecrets)
+	inherited := resolve("inherit", notCallable)
+	assert.Empty(t, inherited.workflowCallInputs)
+	assert.Equal(t, config.Secrets, inherited.workflowCallSecrets)
+}
+
 func TestJobNameMasksSecrets(t *testing.T) {
 	workflow, err := model.ReadWorkflow(strings.NewReader(`
 jobs:
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 	"time"
 	"unicode"

@@ -414,49 +413,45 @@ func setJobResult(ctx context.Context, info jobInfo, rc *RunContext, success boo
 	logger.WithField("jobResult", jobResult).Infof("Job %s", jobResultMessage)
 }

-// evaluateJobEnvAndDefaults resolves the job's env and defaults.run once, as GitHub does at job setup.
+// evaluateJobEnvAndDefaults resolves the job's env, defaults.run and container env once, as GitHub does at job setup.
 func evaluateJobEnvAndDefaults(ctx context.Context, rc *RunContext) error {
 	rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
+	env := rc.GetEnv()
 	var workflowEnv map[string]string
-	if err := decodeDeferred(ctx, rc.ExprEval, "workflow env", rc.Run.Workflow.RawEnv, &workflowEnv); err != nil {
-		return err
+	if rc.Run.Workflow.Env == nil {
+		if err := model.DecodeEvaluated("workflow env", rc.Run.Workflow.RawEnv, rc.ExprEval.shared(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode, &workflowEnv); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	if workflowEnv != nil {
-		rc.Env = mergeMaps(workflowEnv, rc.GetEnv())
+		rc.Env = mergeMaps(workflowEnv, env)
 		rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 	}
 	var err error
-	for k, v := range rc.GetEnv() {
+	for k, v := range env {
 		if rc.Env[k], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate env %s: %w", k, err)
 		}
 	}
-	defaults := rc.Run.Job().Defaults.Run
-	if rc.jobRunDefaults.Shell, err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, defaults.Shell); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate defaults.run.shell: %w", err)
+	var defaults model.Defaults
+	if err := model.DecodeEvaluated("defaults", rc.Run.Job().RawDefaults, rc.ExprEval.shared(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode, &defaults); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-	if rc.jobRunDefaults.WorkingDirectory, err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, defaults.WorkingDirectory); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate defaults.run.working-directory: %w", err)
+	rc.jobRunDefaults = defaults.Run
+	if rc.containerSpec.Image == "" {
+		return nil
 	}
-	return nil
+	_, containerEnv := splitContainerEnv(rc.Run.Job().RawContainer)
+	return model.DecodeEvaluated("container env", containerEnv, rc.ExprEval.shared(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode, &rc.containerSpec.Env)
 }

 func setJobOutputs(ctx context.Context, rc *RunContext) error {
 	if rc.caller == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	outputs := rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowCallConfig().Outputs
-	callerOutputs := make(map[string]string, len(outputs))
-	ee := sync.OnceValue(func() *expressionEvaluator { return rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx) })
-	for k, v := range outputs {
-		value := v.Value
-		for range 2 { // two passes, the value resolves through a job output
-			var err error
-			if value, err = ee().Interpolate(ctx, value); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate workflow output %s: %w", k, err)
-			}
-		}
-		callerOutputs[k] = value
+	callerOutputs, err := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).shared(ctx).EvaluateWorkflowCallOutputs(rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowCallConfig())
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate workflow %w", err)
 	}

 	// Matrix combinations of a reusable-workflow caller share the caller's *model.Job;
@@ -474,7 +469,7 @@ func applyJobTimeout(ctx context.Context, rc *RunContext, job *model.Job) (conte
 	if err != nil {
 		common.Logger(ctx).Errorf("An error occurred when attempting to determine the job timeout: %s", err)
 	} else if timeout != "" {
-		if timeoutMinutes, err := strconv.ParseInt(timeout, 10, 64); err == nil {
+		if timeoutMinutes, err := strconv.ParseInt(timeout, 10, 64); err == nil && timeoutMinutes > 0 {
 			return context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Duration(timeoutMinutes)*time.Minute)
 		}
 	}
@@ -479,8 +479,7 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 				Config: &Config{},
 			}
 			if tt.output != "" {
-				rc.Run.Job().Outputs = map[string]string{"bad": tt.output}
-				rc.outputTemplate = map[string]string{"bad": tt.output}
+				require.NoError(t, rc.Run.Job().RawOutputs.Encode(map[string]string{"bad": tt.output}))
 			}
 			rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 			executorOrder := make([]string, 0)
@@ -1082,6 +1081,7 @@ func TestApplyJobTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{"empty", "runs-on: ubuntu-latest", false},
 		{"integer", "timeout-minutes: 5\nruns-on: ubuntu-latest", true},
+		{"zero ignored", "timeout-minutes: 0\nruns-on: ubuntu-latest", false},
 		{"non-numeric ignored", "timeout-minutes: abc\nruns-on: ubuntu-latest", false},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range cases {
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"cmp"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"maps"
 	"path"
 	"strings"

@@ -51,11 +50,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) runJobHook(ctx context.Context, hookPath, name string) err
 		rawLogger.Infof("shell: %s", shell)
 	}

-	env := map[string]string{}
-	if jobContainer := rc.Run.Job().Container(); jobContainer != nil {
-		maps.Copy(env, jobContainer.Env)
-	}
-	maps.Copy(env, rc.GetEnv())
+	env := mergeMaps(rc.containerSpec.Env, rc.GetEnv())
 	rc.withGithubEnv(ctx, rc.getGithubContext(ctx), env)
 	rc.ApplyExtraPath(ctx, &env)

@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"path"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"

@@ -20,28 +19,22 @@ import (
 )

 func newLocalReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc *RunContext) common.Executor {
-	if !rc.Config.NoSkipCheckout {
-		fullPath := rc.Run.Job().Uses
-
-		fileName := path.Base(fullPath)
-		workflowDir := strings.TrimSuffix(fullPath, path.Join("/", fileName))
-		workflowDir = strings.TrimPrefix(workflowDir, "./")
-
-		return common.NewPipelineExecutor(
-			// resolve the local workflow against the workspace root, not the process
-			// working directory, so it is found regardless of where the runner is invoked
-			newReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc, filepath.Join(rc.Config.Workdir, workflowDir), fileName),
-		)
+	localWorkflow, err := model.ParseReusableWorkflowUses(rc.Run.Job().Uses)
+	if err != nil {
+		return common.NewErrorExecutor(err)
 	}

-	// ./.gitea/workflows/wf.yml -> .gitea/workflows/wf.yml
-	trimmedUses := strings.TrimPrefix(rc.Run.Job().Uses, "./")
-	// uses string format is {owner}/{repo}/.{git_platform}/workflows/{filename}@{ref}
-	uses := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s@%s", rc.Config.PresetGitHubContext.Repository, trimmedUses, rc.Config.PresetGitHubContext.Sha)
+	if !rc.Config.NoSkipCheckout {
+		// resolve the local workflow against the workspace root, not the process
+		// working directory, so it is found regardless of where the runner is invoked
+		return newReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc, rc.Config.Workdir, localWorkflow.Path)
+	}

-	remoteReusableWorkflow := newRemoteReusableWorkflowWithPlat(rc.Config.GitHubInstance, uses)
-	if remoteReusableWorkflow == nil {
-		return common.NewErrorExecutor(fmt.Errorf("expected format {owner}/{repo}/.{git_platform}/workflows/{filename}@{ref}. Actual '%s' Input string was not in a correct format", uses))
+	uses := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s@%s", rc.Config.PresetGitHubContext.Repository, localWorkflow.Path, rc.Config.PresetGitHubContext.Sha)
+
+	remoteReusableWorkflow, err := newRemoteReusableWorkflow(rc.Config.GitHubInstance, uses)
+	if err != nil {
+		return common.NewErrorExecutor(err)
 	}

 	workflowDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", rc.ActionCacheDir(), safeFilename(uses))
@@ -51,37 +44,27 @@ func newLocalReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc *RunContext) common.Executor {

 	return common.NewPipelineExecutor(
 		cloneRemoteReusableWorkflow(rc, remoteReusableWorkflow.CloneURL(), remoteReusableWorkflow.Ref, workflowDir, token),
-		newReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc, workflowDir, remoteReusableWorkflow.FilePath()),
+		newReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc, workflowDir, remoteReusableWorkflow.Path),
 	)
 }

 func newRemoteReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc *RunContext) common.Executor {
-	uses := rc.Run.Job().Uses
-
-	var remoteReusableWorkflow *remoteReusableWorkflow
-	if strings.HasPrefix(uses, "http://") || strings.HasPrefix(uses, "https://") {
-		remoteReusableWorkflow = newRemoteReusableWorkflowFromAbsoluteURL(uses)
-		if remoteReusableWorkflow == nil {
-			return common.NewErrorExecutor(fmt.Errorf("expected format http(s)://{domain}/{owner}/{repo}/.{git_platform}/workflows/{filename}@{ref}. Actual '%s' Input string was not in a correct format", uses))
-		}
-	} else {
-		remoteReusableWorkflow = newRemoteReusableWorkflowWithPlat(rc.Config.GitHubInstance, uses)
-		if remoteReusableWorkflow == nil {
-			return common.NewErrorExecutor(fmt.Errorf("expected format {owner}/{repo}/.{git_platform}/workflows/{filename}@{ref}. Actual '%s' Input string was not in a correct format", uses))
-		}
+	remoteReusableWorkflow, err := newRemoteReusableWorkflow(rc.Config.GitHubInstance, rc.Run.Job().Uses)
+	if err != nil {
+		return common.NewErrorExecutor(err)
 	}

 	// uses with safe filename makes the target directory look something like this {owner}-{repo}-.github-workflows-{filename}@{ref}
 	// instead we will just use {owner}-{repo}@{ref} as our target directory. This should also improve performance when we are using
 	// multiple reusable workflows from the same repository and ref since for each workflow we won't have to clone it again
-	filename := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s@%s", remoteReusableWorkflow.Org, remoteReusableWorkflow.Repo, remoteReusableWorkflow.Ref)
+	filename := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s@%s", remoteReusableWorkflow.Owner, remoteReusableWorkflow.Repo, remoteReusableWorkflow.Ref)
 	workflowDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", rc.ActionCacheDir(), safeFilename(filename))

 	token := getGitCloneToken(rc.Config, remoteReusableWorkflow.CloneURL())

 	return common.NewPipelineExecutor(
 		cloneRemoteReusableWorkflow(rc, remoteReusableWorkflow.CloneURL(), remoteReusableWorkflow.Ref, workflowDir, token),
-		newReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc, workflowDir, remoteReusableWorkflow.FilePath()),
+		newReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc, workflowDir, remoteReusableWorkflow.Path),
 	)
 }

@@ -90,7 +73,7 @@ func newRemoteReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc *RunContext) common.Executor {
 //
 // Callers must not change remoteReusableWorkflow.URL, because:
 //  1. Gitea doesn't support specifying GithubContext.ServerURL by the GITHUB_SERVER_URL env
-//  2. Gitea has already full URL with rc.Config.GitHubInstance when calling newRemoteReusableWorkflowWithPlat
+//  2. Gitea has already full URL with rc.Config.GitHubInstance when calling newRemoteReusableWorkflow
 //
 // remoteReusableWorkflow.URL = rc.getGithubContext(ctx).ServerURL
 func cloneRemoteReusableWorkflow(rc *RunContext, cloneURL, ref, targetDirectory, token string) common.Executor {
@@ -153,64 +136,34 @@ func newReusableWorkflowRunner(rc *RunContext) (*runnerImpl, error) {
 }

 type remoteReusableWorkflow struct {
-	URL      string
-	Org      string
-	Repo     string
-	Filename string
-	Ref      string
-
-	GitPlatform string
+	*model.ReusableWorkflowUses
+	URL string
 }

 func (r *remoteReusableWorkflow) CloneURL() string {
 	// In Gitea, r.URL always has the protocol prefix, we don't need to add extra prefix in this case.
 	if strings.HasPrefix(r.URL, "http://") || strings.HasPrefix(r.URL, "https://") {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", r.URL, r.Org, r.Repo)
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", r.URL, r.Owner, r.Repo)
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("https://%s/%s/%s", r.URL, r.Org, r.Repo)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("https://%s/%s/%s", r.URL, r.Owner, r.Repo)
 }

-func (r *remoteReusableWorkflow) FilePath() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("./.%s/workflows/%s", r.GitPlatform, r.Filename)
-}
+var absoluteReusableWorkflowURLRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^(https?://.*)/([^/]+/[^/]+/\.[^/]+/workflows/[^@]+@.*)$`)

 // For Gitea
-// newRemoteReusableWorkflowWithPlat create a `remoteReusableWorkflow`
-// workflows from `.gitea/workflows` and `.github/workflows` are supported
-func newRemoteReusableWorkflowWithPlat(url, uses string) *remoteReusableWorkflow {
-	// GitHub docs:
-	// https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions#jobsjob_iduses
-	r := regexp.MustCompile(`^([^/]+)/([^/]+)/\.([^/]+)/workflows/([^@]+)@(.*)$`)
-	matches := r.FindStringSubmatch(uses)
-	if len(matches) != 6 {
-		return nil
+// newRemoteReusableWorkflow parses a remote `uses`, an absolute URL up to `{owner}/{repo}/.{git_platform}/workflows/` replaces baseURL
+func newRemoteReusableWorkflow(baseURL, uses string) (*remoteReusableWorkflow, error) {
+	if matches := absoluteReusableWorkflowURLRegex.FindStringSubmatch(uses); matches != nil {
+		baseURL, uses = matches[1], matches[2]
 	}
-	return &remoteReusableWorkflow{
-		Org:         matches[1],
-		Repo:        matches[2],
-		GitPlatform: matches[3],
-		Filename:    matches[4],
-		Ref:         matches[5],
-		URL:         url,
+	parsed, err := model.ParseReusableWorkflowUses(uses)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
-}
-
-// For Gitea
-// newRemoteReusableWorkflowWithPlat create a `remoteReusableWorkflow` from an absolute url
-func newRemoteReusableWorkflowFromAbsoluteURL(uses string) *remoteReusableWorkflow {
-	r := regexp.MustCompile(`^(https?://.*)/([^/]+)/([^/]+)/\.([^/]+)/workflows/([^@]+)@(.*)$`)
-	matches := r.FindStringSubmatch(uses)
-	if len(matches) != 7 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return &remoteReusableWorkflow{
-		URL:         matches[1],
-		Org:         matches[2],
-		Repo:        matches[3],
-		GitPlatform: matches[4],
-		Filename:    matches[5],
-		Ref:         matches[6],
+	if parsed.IsLocal() {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("expected a remote reusable workflow, got %q", uses)
 	}
+	return &remoteReusableWorkflow{ReusableWorkflowUses: parsed, URL: baseURL}, nil
 }

 // For Gitea
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package runner

 import (
 	"context"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -106,6 +107,22 @@ func TestNewReusableWorkflowExecutorHoldsCloneLock(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }

+func TestNewLocalReusableWorkflowExecutorFindsSameRepositoryPaths(t *testing.T) {
+	workdir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(workdir, ".gitea", "workflows"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(workdir, ".gitea", "workflows", "reusable.yml"), []byte(":"), 0o644))
+
+	for _, uses := range []string{"./.gitea/workflows/reusable.yml", "$/.gitea/workflows/reusable.yml"} {
+		rc := &RunContext{
+			Config: &Config{Workdir: workdir},
+			Run:    &model.Run{JobID: "job", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"job": {Uses: uses}}}},
+		}
+		err := newLocalReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc)(t.Context())
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.NotErrorIs(t, err, fs.ErrNotExist)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetGitCloneTokenWithSchemalessGiteaInstance(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := &Config{
 		GitHubInstance: "gitea.example.net",
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ import (
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/compose/loader"
 	"github.com/docker/go-connections/nat"
+	"github.com/kballard/go-shellquote"
 	"github.com/moby/moby/api/types/mount"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/selinux/go-selinux"
+	"go.yaml.in/yaml/v4"
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 	"golang.org/x/text/encoding/unicode"
 	"golang.org/x/text/transform"
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ type RunContext struct {
 	ExprEval            *expressionEvaluator
 	JobContainer        container.ExecutionsEnvironment
 	serviceContainers   []*serviceContainer
+	containerSpec       model.ContainerSpec // container:, resolved once with platformImage, zero without a job container
 	JobName             string
 	ActionPath          string
 	Parent              *RunContext
@@ -74,6 +77,7 @@ type RunContext struct {
 	workflowCallSecrets map[string]string // the caller's secrets:, resolved once by resolveWorkflowCall
 	jobRunDefaults      model.RunDefaults // defaults.run, resolved once at job setup as GitHub does
 	platformImage       string            // container.image or the runs-on pick, resolved once by isEnabled
+	jobIndex, jobTotal  int               // strategy.job-index and job-total, total 0 when unknown
 	// summaryFileInitialized tracks which per-step summary files (workflow/step-summary-N.md)
 	// have already been created on the JobContainer. The runner sets up file-command files
 	// via JobContainer.Copy at the start of every phase, which truncates them — fine for
@@ -82,10 +86,6 @@ type RunContext struct {
 	// so writes from later phases and from composite sub-steps append to the same file.
 	// Only populated on the top-level RunContext; child RCs walk Parent via topLevelRunContext.
 	summaryFileInitialized map[int]bool
-	// outputTemplate is this combination's pristine snapshot of the job's output expressions,
-	// captured before execution so each matrix combo interpolates from the originals rather
-	// than from a sibling's already-resolved values written into the shared Job.Outputs.
-	outputTemplate map[string]string
 	// jobCancelled records that this job's run was cancelled (context.Canceled). It makes
 	// getJobContext report the "cancelled" status so cancelled()/always() evaluate the way
 	// GitHub Actions does, letting cleanup and always() steps run while normal steps skip.
@@ -334,26 +334,12 @@ func splitVolumes(specs []string) ([]string, map[string]string, map[string]bool)
 }

 // Returns the binds and mounts for the container, resolving paths as appopriate
-func (rc *RunContext) GetBindsAndMounts() ([]string, map[string]string, error) {
+func (rc *RunContext) GetBindsAndMounts() ([]string, map[string]string) {
 	name := rc.jobContainerName()
 	ext := container.LinuxContainerEnvironmentExtensions{}

-	var volumes []string
-	if job := rc.Run.Job(); job != nil {
-		if container := job.Container(); container != nil {
-			for _, v := range container.Volumes {
-				if rc.ExprEval != nil {
-					var err error
-					if v, err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(context.Background(), v); err != nil {
-						return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate container.volumes: %w", err)
-					}
-				}
-				volumes = append(volumes, v)
-			}
-		}
-	}
 	// the runner's own mounts below yield to the targets the job claims
-	binds, mounts, claimed := splitVolumes(volumes)
+	binds, mounts, claimed := splitVolumes(rc.containerSpec.Volumes)

 	if rc.containerDaemonSocket() != "-" && !claimed["/var/run/docker.sock"] {
 		binds = append(binds, rc.jobDockerSocket()+":/var/run/docker.sock")
@@ -385,7 +371,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) GetBindsAndMounts() ([]string, map[string]string, error) {
 		}
 	}

-	return binds, mounts, nil
+	return binds, mounts
 }

 func (rc *RunContext) startHostEnvironment() common.Executor {
@@ -486,7 +472,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 		image := rc.platformImage
 		logWriter := rc.commandLogWriter(ctx)

-		username, password, err := rc.handleCredentials(ctx)
+		username, password, err := registryCredentials(rc.containerSpec.Credentials, "container.")
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to handle credentials: %s", err)
 		}
@@ -507,78 +493,57 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 		networkName, createAndDeleteNetwork := rc.networkNameForGitea()
 		rc.cleanUpJobContainer = rc.cleanupJobResources(networkName, createAndDeleteNetwork, false)

-		services := rc.Run.Job().Services
-		if err := decodeDeferred(ctx, rc.ExprEval, "job services", rc.Run.Job().RawServices, &services); err != nil {
+		var services map[string]*model.ContainerSpec
+		if err := model.DecodeEvaluated("job services", rc.Run.Job().RawServices, rc.ExprEval.shared(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode, &services); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		for serviceID, spec := range services {
+			if spec == nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("service %s has no container definition", serviceID)
+			}
 			// GitHub compatibility: skip services whose image evaluates to an
 			// empty string, enabling conditional services via expressions
-			serviceImage, err := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, spec.Image)
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s image: %w", serviceID, err)
-			}
-			if serviceImage == "" {
+			if spec.Image == "" {
 				logger.Infof("The service '%s' will not be started because the container definition has an empty image.", serviceID)
 				continue
 			}
-			// interpolate env
-			interpolatedEnvs := make(map[string]string, len(spec.Env)+len(rc.Config.ProxyEnv))
+			envs := make([]string, 0, len(spec.Env)+len(rc.Config.ProxyEnv))
 			// a service reaches the internet the way the job does; its own env still wins
-			maps0.Copy(interpolatedEnvs, rc.Config.ProxyEnv)
-			for k, v := range spec.Env {
-				if interpolatedEnvs[k], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s env %s: %w", serviceID, k, err)
-				}
-			}
-			envs := make([]string, 0, len(interpolatedEnvs))
-			for k, v := range interpolatedEnvs {
+			for k, v := range mergeMaps(rc.Config.ProxyEnv, spec.Env) {
 				envs = append(envs, fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", k, v))
 			}
-			// interpolate cmd
-			interpolatedCmd := make([]string, len(spec.Cmd))
-			for i, v := range spec.Cmd {
-				if interpolatedCmd[i], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s command: %w", serviceID, err)
-				}
-			}
 			// keep these local: reusing username/password would overwrite the
 			// credentials the job container is pulled with further down
-			serviceUsername, servicePassword, err := rc.interpolateCredentials(ctx, spec.Credentials, "")
+			serviceUsername, servicePassword, err := registryCredentials(spec.Credentials, "")
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to handle service %s credentials: %w", serviceID, err)
 			}
-
-			interpolatedVolumes := make([]string, len(spec.Volumes))
-			for i, volume := range spec.Volumes {
-				if interpolatedVolumes[i], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, volume); err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s volumes: %w", serviceID, err)
+			cmd := spec.Cmd
+			if len(cmd) == 0 && spec.Command != "" {
+				if cmd, err = shellquote.Split(spec.Command); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse service %s command: %w", serviceID, err)
 				}
 			}
-			serviceBinds, serviceMounts, _ := splitVolumes(interpolatedVolumes)
-
-			interpolatedPorts := make([]string, len(spec.Ports))
-			for i, port := range spec.Ports {
-				if interpolatedPorts[i], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, port); err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s ports: %w", serviceID, err)
-				}
+			var entrypoint []string
+			if spec.Entrypoint != "" {
+				entrypoint = []string{spec.Entrypoint}
 			}
-			exposedPorts, portBindings, err := nat.ParsePortSpecs(interpolatedPorts)
+
+			serviceBinds, serviceMounts, _ := splitVolumes(spec.Volumes)
+
+			exposedPorts, portBindings, err := nat.ParsePortSpecs(spec.Ports)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse service %s ports: %w", serviceID, err)
 			}
-			serviceOptions, err := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, spec.Options)
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s options: %w", serviceID, err)
-			}

 			serviceContainerName := createContainerName(rc.jobContainerName(), serviceID)
 			c := newContainer(&container.NewContainerInput{
 				Name:            serviceContainerName,
-				Image:           serviceImage,
+				Image:           spec.Image,
 				Username:        serviceUsername,
 				Password:        servicePassword,
-				Cmd:             interpolatedCmd,
+				Entrypoint:      entrypoint,
+				Cmd:             cmd,
 				Env:             envs,
 				Mounts:          serviceMounts,
 				Binds:           serviceBinds,
@@ -588,7 +553,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 				UsernsMode:      rc.Config.UsernsMode,
 				Platform:        rc.Config.ContainerArchitecture,
 				AutoRemove:      false, // so a dead service's log survives, cleanupJobResources removes it
-				WorkflowOptions: serviceOptions,
+				WorkflowOptions: spec.Options,
 				NetworkMode:     networkName,
 				NetworkAliases:  []string{serviceID},
 				ExposedPorts:    exposedPorts,
@@ -596,16 +561,12 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 				ValidVolumes:    rc.Config.ValidVolumes, // not validVolumes(), a service gets no docker socket
 				AllocatePTY:     rc.Config.AllocatePTY,
 			})
-			rc.serviceContainers = append(rc.serviceContainers, &serviceContainer{name: serviceID, image: serviceImage, container: c})
+			rc.serviceContainers = append(rc.serviceContainers, &serviceContainer{name: serviceID, image: spec.Image, container: c})
 		}

 		// For Gitea, `jobContainerNetwork` should be the same as `networkName`
 		jobContainerNetwork := networkName

-		workflowOptions, err := rc.workflowOptions(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 		ext := container.LinuxContainerEnvironmentExtensions{}
 		containerInput := &container.NewContainerInput{
 			Cmd:             nil,
@@ -624,7 +585,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 			UsernsMode:      rc.Config.UsernsMode,
 			Platform:        rc.Config.ContainerArchitecture,
 			RunnerOptions:   rc.Config.ContainerOptions,
-			WorkflowOptions: workflowOptions,
+			WorkflowOptions: rc.containerSpec.Options,
 			AutoRemove:      true,
 			AllocatePTY:     rc.Config.AllocatePTY,
 		}
@@ -641,9 +602,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 			return err
 		}
 		rc.startDockerProxy(ctx)
-		if containerInput.Binds, containerInput.Mounts, err = rc.GetBindsAndMounts(); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		containerInput.Binds, containerInput.Mounts = rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
 		containerInput.ValidVolumes = rc.validVolumes()

 		rc.jobNetworkName = networkName
@@ -1033,39 +992,16 @@ func lockJob(job *model.Job) func() {

 func (rc *RunContext) interpolateOutputs() common.Executor {
 	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
-		ee := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 		job := rc.Run.Job()
-		// Matrix combinations share this Job and its Outputs map. Interpolate from this combo's
-		// pristine snapshot (outputTemplate) and write under the lock, so each combo overwrites
-		// with its own resolved values (last wins, as on GitHub) instead of the first combo's
-		// resolved values freezing the shared template against later combos.
-		// Resolved up front so one failure publishes none of them, as GitHub does.
-		var deferredOutputs map[string]string
-		if err := decodeDeferred(ctx, ee, "job outputs", job.RawOutputs, &deferredOutputs); err != nil {
+		var outputs map[string]string
+		if err := model.DecodeEvaluated("job outputs", job.RawOutputs, rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).shared(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode, &outputs); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if deferredOutputs != nil {
-			defer lockJob(job)()
-			job.Outputs = deferredOutputs
-			return nil
-		}
-		outputs := make(map[string]string, len(rc.outputTemplate))
-		var err error
-		for k, v := range rc.outputTemplate {
-			if outputs[k], err = ee.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
-				err = fmt.Errorf("failed to evaluate job output %q: %w", k, err)
-				break
-			}
-		}
+		// Matrix combinations share the job, so as on GitHub a failure publishes nothing and the last non-empty value wins.
+		maps0.DeleteFunc(outputs, func(_, value string) bool { return value == "" })
 		defer lockJob(job)()
-		for k := range rc.outputTemplate {
-			if err != nil {
-				job.Outputs[k] = ""
-				continue
-			}
-			job.Outputs[k] = outputs[k]
-		}
-		return err
+		job.Outputs = mergeMaps(job.Outputs, outputs)
+		return nil
 	}
 }

@@ -1184,18 +1120,6 @@ func (rc *RunContext) Executor() (common.Executor, error) {
 	}, nil
 }

-func (rc *RunContext) containerImage(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
-	c := rc.Run.Job().Container()
-	if c == nil {
-		return "", nil
-	}
-	image, err := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, c.Image)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate container.image: %w", err)
-	}
-	return image, nil
-}
-
 func (rc *RunContext) runsOnImage(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	if rc.Run.Job().RunsOn() == nil {
 		common.Logger(ctx).Errorf("'runs-on' key not defined in %s", rc.String())
@@ -1233,26 +1157,37 @@ func (rc *RunContext) runsOnPlatformNames(ctx context.Context) []string {
 	return model.RunsOnFromNode(rawRunsOn)
 }

-// resolvePlatformImage evaluates the job's image once, so every consumer sees the image the job started with.
+// resolvePlatformImage evaluates the job's container once for every consumer, ignoring one without an image as GitHub does.
 func (rc *RunContext) resolvePlatformImage(ctx context.Context) error {
-	image, err := rc.containerImage(ctx)
-	if err == nil && image == "" {
-		image, err = rc.runsOnImage(ctx)
+	withoutEnv, _ := splitContainerEnv(rc.Run.Job().RawContainer)
+	var spec *model.ContainerSpec
+	if err := model.DecodeEvaluated("container", withoutEnv, rc.ExprEval.shared(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode, &spec); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
+	if spec != nil && spec.Image != "" {
+		rc.containerSpec, rc.platformImage = *spec, spec.Image
+		return nil
+	}
+	image, err := rc.runsOnImage(ctx)
 	rc.platformImage = image
 	return err
 }

-func (rc *RunContext) workflowOptions(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
-	c := rc.Run.Job().Container()
-	if c == nil {
-		return "", nil
+// splitContainerEnv takes `env` out of a container mapping, since env reads the job env that resolves after the job environment starts.
+func splitContainerEnv(container yaml.Node) (withoutEnv, env yaml.Node) {
+	if container.Kind != yaml.MappingNode {
+		return container, env
 	}
-	options, err := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, c.Options)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate container.options: %w", err)
+	withoutEnv = container
+	withoutEnv.Content = nil
+	for i := 0; i+1 < len(container.Content); i += 2 {
+		if container.Content[i].Value == "env" {
+			env = *container.Content[i+1]
+		} else {
+			withoutEnv.Content = append(withoutEnv.Content, container.Content[i:i+2]...)
+		}
 	}
-	return options, nil
+	return withoutEnv, env
 }

 func (rc *RunContext) isEnabled(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
@@ -1471,22 +1406,11 @@ func (rc *RunContext) getGithubContext(ctx context.Context) *model.GithubContext

 	{ // Adapt to Gitea
 		if preset := rc.Config.PresetGitHubContext; preset != nil {
-			ghc.Event = preset.Event
-			ghc.RunID = preset.RunID
-			ghc.RunNumber = preset.RunNumber
-			ghc.RunAttempt = preset.RunAttempt
-			ghc.Actor = preset.Actor
-			ghc.Repository = preset.Repository
-			ghc.EventName = preset.EventName
-			ghc.Sha = preset.Sha
-			ghc.Ref = preset.Ref
-			ghc.RefName = preset.RefName
-			ghc.RefType = preset.RefType
-			ghc.HeadRef = preset.HeadRef
-			ghc.BaseRef = preset.BaseRef
-			ghc.Token = preset.Token
-			ghc.RepositoryOwner = preset.RepositoryOwner
-			ghc.RetentionDays = preset.RetentionDays
+			merged := *preset
+			merged.Workflow, merged.Job, merged.Workspace, merged.EventPath = ghc.Workflow, ghc.Job, ghc.Workspace, ghc.EventPath
+			merged.Action, merged.ActionPath, merged.ActionRepository, merged.ActionRef = ghc.Action, ghc.ActionPath, ghc.ActionRepository, ghc.ActionRef
+			merged.RunnerPerflog, merged.RunnerTrackingID = ghc.RunnerPerflog, ghc.RunnerTrackingID
+			*ghc = merged

 			instance := rc.Config.GitHubInstance
 			if !strings.HasPrefix(instance, "http://") &&
@@ -1563,12 +1487,7 @@ func isLocalCheckout(ghc *model.GithubContext, step *model.Step) bool {
 	if step.Type() != model.StepTypeUsesActionRemote {
 		return false
 	}
-	remoteAction := newRemoteAction(step.Uses)
-	if remoteAction == nil {
-		// IsCheckout() will nil panic if we dont bail out early
-		return false
-	}
-	if !remoteAction.IsCheckout() {
+	if uses, err := model.ParseActionUses(step.Uses); err != nil || uses.Owner != "actions" || uses.Repo != "checkout" {
 		return false
 	}

@@ -1581,23 +1500,6 @@ func isLocalCheckout(ghc *model.GithubContext, step *model.Step) bool {
 	return true
 }

-func nestedMapLookup(m map[string]any, ks ...string) (rval any) {
-	var ok bool
-
-	if len(ks) == 0 { // degenerate input
-		return nil
-	}
-	if rval, ok = m[ks[0]]; !ok {
-		return nil
-	} else if len(ks) == 1 { // we've reached the final key
-		return rval
-	} else if m, ok = rval.(map[string]any); !ok {
-		return nil
-	} else { // 1+ more keys
-		return nestedMapLookup(m, ks[1:]...)
-	}
-}
-
 func (rc *RunContext) withGithubEnv(ctx context.Context, github *model.GithubContext, env map[string]string) {
 	env["CI"] = "true"
 	env["GITHUB_WORKFLOW"] = github.Workflow
@@ -1721,41 +1623,17 @@ func setActionRuntimeVars(rc *RunContext, env map[string]string) {
 	env["ACTIONS_RUNTIME_TOKEN"] = actionsRuntimeToken
 }

-func (rc *RunContext) handleCredentials(ctx context.Context) (string, string, error) {
-	container := rc.Run.Job().Container()
-	if container == nil || container.Credentials == nil {
-		return "", "", nil
-	}
-
-	return rc.interpolateCredentials(ctx, container.Credentials, "container.")
-}
-
-func (rc *RunContext) interpolateCredentials(ctx context.Context, credentials map[string]string, prefix string) (string, string, error) {
+func registryCredentials(credentials map[string]string, prefix string) (string, string, error) {
 	if credentials == nil {
 		return "", "", nil
 	}
 	if len(credentials) != 2 {
 		return "", "", errors.New("invalid property count for key 'credentials:'")
 	}
-
-	ee := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-	interpolate := func(key string) (string, error) {
-		value, err := ee.Interpolate(ctx, credentials[key])
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to interpolate %scredentials.%s: %w", prefix, key, err)
+	for _, key := range []string{"username", "password"} {
+		if credentials[key] == "" {
+			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("failed to interpolate %scredentials.%s", prefix, key)
 		}
-		if value == "" {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to interpolate %scredentials.%s", prefix, key)
-		}
-		return value, nil
 	}
-	username, err := interpolate("username")
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", "", err
-	}
-	password, err := interpolate("password")
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", "", err
-	}
-	return username, password, nil
+	return credentials["username"], credentials["password"], nil
 }
@@ -185,38 +185,6 @@ func TestRunContext_EvalBool(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }

-func TestRunContextHandleCredentialsDoesNotUseDockerSecrets(t *testing.T) {
-	workflow, err := model.ReadWorkflow(strings.NewReader(`
-name: test
-on: push
-jobs:
-  job:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps: []
-`))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	rc := &RunContext{
-		Config: &Config{
-			Secrets: map[string]string{
-				"DOCKER_USERNAME": "docker-user",
-				"DOCKER_PASSWORD": "docker-password",
-			},
-			Env: map[string]string{},
-		},
-		Run: &model.Run{
-			JobID:    "job",
-			Workflow: workflow,
-		},
-	}
-
-	// DOCKER_USERNAME/DOCKER_PASSWORD secrets should not be used as implicit job container pull credentials.
-	username, password, err := rc.handleCredentials(t.Context())
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Empty(t, username)
-	assert.Empty(t, password)
-}
-
 // fakeContainer turns every container operation into a no-op, so startJobContainer
 // runs without a Docker daemon. The embedded interface is nil, so any method the
 // test does not exercise panics rather than silently doing the wrong thing.
@@ -370,19 +338,28 @@ jobs:
 	require.Equal(t, map[string]string{"data": "/data"}, redis.Mounts)
 	require.Empty(t, redis.Binds) // the docker socket is the job container's alone
 	require.Empty(t, redis.WorkingDir)
+	require.Nil(t, redis.Entrypoint)
+	require.Nil(t, redis.Cmd)
 }

-// A whole-value `services:` expression only reaches the typed field through DecodeRaw.
-func TestStartJobContainerGivesServicesTheirVolumesFromExpression(t *testing.T) {
-	redis := startJobContainerInputs(t, `
+func TestStartJobContainerEvaluatesContainersOnce(t *testing.T) {
+	inputs := startJobContainerInputs(t, `
 jobs:
  job:
-    services: ${{ fromJSON('{"redis":{"image":"redis:latest","volumes":["data:/data"]}}') }}
-`, &Config{ValidVolumes: []string{"data"}})[0]
+    container: ${{ fromJSON('{"image":"node:20","options":"--label ${{ github.job }}","credentials":{"username":"user","password":"${{ vars.TITLE }}"}}') }}
+    services: ${{ fromJSON('{"redis":{"image":"redis:latest","volumes":["data:/data"],"env":{"TITLE":"${{ github.job }}"},"credentials":{"username":"user","password":"${{ github.job }}"},"entrypoint":"/entry.sh","command":"redis-server --port 6380"}}') }}
+`, &Config{})
+	redis, job := inputs[0], inputs[1]

 	require.Equal(t, "redis:latest", redis.Image)
-	require.Equal(t, []string{"data"}, redis.ValidVolumes)
 	require.Equal(t, map[string]string{"data": "/data"}, redis.Mounts)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"TITLE=${{ github.job }}"}, redis.Env)
+	require.Equal(t, "${{ github.job }}", redis.Password)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"/entry.sh"}, redis.Entrypoint)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"redis-server", "--port", "6380"}, redis.Cmd)
+	require.Equal(t, "node:20", job.Image)
+	require.Equal(t, "--label ${{ github.job }}", job.WorkflowOptions)
+	require.Equal(t, "${{ vars.TITLE }}", job.Password)
 }

 // Only the workflow's options may be stripped later, so the two sources have to reach the
@@ -506,8 +483,7 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {
 					config := testcase.rc.Config
 					config.Workdir = testcase.name
 					config.BindWorkdir = bindWorkDir
-					gotbind, gotmount, err := rctemplate.GetBindsAndMounts()
-					require.NoError(t, err)
+					gotbind, gotmount := rctemplate.GetBindsAndMounts()

 					// Name binds/mounts are either/or
 					if config.BindWorkdir {
@@ -543,8 +519,9 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {

 		t.Run("InterpolatedContainerVolumes", func(t *testing.T) {
 			job := &model.Job{}
-			err := job.RawContainer.Encode(map[string][]string{
-				"volumes": {"${{ secrets.MAME }}:/root/.mame/roms:ro"},
+			err := job.RawContainer.Encode(map[string]any{
+				"image":   "node:20",
+				"volumes": []string{"${{ secrets.MAME }}:/root/.mame/roms:ro"},
 			})
 			require.NoError(t, err)

@@ -565,9 +542,9 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {
 			rc.Run.JobID = "job1"
 			rc.Run.Workflow.Jobs = map[string]*model.Job{"job1": job}
 			rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(context.Background())
+			require.NoError(t, rc.resolvePlatformImage(context.Background()))

-			gotbind, gotmount, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
-			require.NoError(t, err)
+			gotbind, gotmount := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
 			assert.Contains(t, gotbind, "/host/mame/roms:/root/.mame/roms:ro")
 			assert.NotContains(t, gotbind, "${{ secrets.MAME }}")
 			assert.NotContains(t, gotmount, "${{ secrets.MAME }}")
@@ -575,12 +552,6 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {

 		for _, testcase := range tests {
 			t.Run(testcase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-				job := &model.Job{}
-				err := job.RawContainer.Encode(map[string][]string{
-					"volumes": testcase.volumes,
-				})
-				assert.NoError(t, err) //nolint:testifylint // pre-existing issue from nektos/act
-
 				rc := &RunContext{
 					Name: "TestRCName",
 					Run: &model.Run{
@@ -592,12 +563,11 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {
 						BindWorkdir:     false,
 						SharedToolCache: true, // so OverridesToolCache has a mount to displace
 					},
+					containerSpec: model.ContainerSpec{Volumes: testcase.volumes},
 				}
 				rc.Run.JobID = "job1"
-				rc.Run.Workflow.Jobs = map[string]*model.Job{"job1": job}

-				gotbind, gotmount, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
-				require.NoError(t, err)
+				gotbind, gotmount := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()

 				if len(testcase.wantbind) > 0 {
 					assert.Contains(t, gotbind, testcase.wantbind)
@@ -632,13 +602,11 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {
 			Config: &Config{},
 		}

-		_, gotmount, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
-		require.NoError(t, err)
+		_, gotmount := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
 		assert.NotContains(t, gotmount, sharedToolCacheVolume)

 		rc.Config.SharedToolCache = true
-		_, gotmount, err = rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
-		require.NoError(t, err)
+		_, gotmount = rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
 		assert.Equal(t, container.DefaultToolCache, gotmount[sharedToolCacheVolume])
 	})

@@ -651,18 +619,15 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {
 			Config: &Config{BindWorkdir: true, Workdir: "/workspace/1/owner/repo", PresetGitHubContext: &model.GithubContext{}},
 		}

-		gotbind, _, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
-		require.NoError(t, err)
+		gotbind, _ := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
 		assert.True(t, slices.ContainsFunc(gotbind, func(bind string) bool { return strings.HasPrefix(bind, "/workspace/1:/workspace/1") }), gotbind)

 		rc.Config.BindWorkdir = false
-		_, gotmount, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
-		require.NoError(t, err)
+		_, gotmount := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
 		assert.Equal(t, "/workspace/1", gotmount[rc.jobContainerName()])

-		require.NoError(t, rc.Run.Job().RawContainer.Encode(map[string][]string{"volumes": {"claimed:/workspace/1"}}))
-		_, gotmount, err = rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
-		require.NoError(t, err)
+		rc.containerSpec.Volumes = []string{"claimed:/workspace/1"}
+		_, gotmount = rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
 		assert.Equal(t, "/workspace/1/owner/repo", gotmount[rc.jobContainerName()])
 	})
 }
@@ -845,25 +810,30 @@ func TestCleanupJobResourcesContinuesAfterFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }

-// TestInterpolateOutputsIsPerMatrixCombo guards the matrix-output fix: combinations share one
-// *model.Job, so each must interpolate from its own pristine snapshot. Otherwise the first
-// combo's resolved value freezes the shared template and later combos can't resolve their own.
-func TestInterpolateOutputsIsPerMatrixCombo(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInterpolateOutputsIsPerMatrixComboKeepingNeedsOutputs(t *testing.T) {
 	job := &model.Job{Outputs: map[string]string{"o": "${{ matrix.v }}"}}
-	run := &model.Run{JobID: "j", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Name: "w", Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"j": job}}}
+	require.NoError(t, job.RawOutputs.Encode(job.Outputs))
+	needed := &model.Job{Outputs: map[string]string{"o": "from-gitea"}}
+	run := &model.Run{JobID: "j", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Name: "w", Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"j": job, "needed": needed}}}
 	r := &runnerImpl{config: &Config{}}
 	ctx := context.Background()

+	_, err := r.newRunContext(ctx, &model.Run{JobID: "needed", Workflow: run.Workflow}, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	rcA, err := r.newRunContext(ctx, run, map[string]any{"v": "a"})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	rcB, err := r.newRunContext(ctx, run, map[string]any{"v": "b"})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	rcEmpty, err := r.newRunContext(ctx, run, map[string]any{"v": ""})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Empty(t, job.Outputs)

 	require.NoError(t, rcA.interpolateOutputs()(ctx))
 	require.NoError(t, rcB.interpolateOutputs()(ctx))
+	require.NoError(t, rcEmpty.interpolateOutputs()(ctx))

-	// Last combo wins (matching GitHub) instead of being frozen to combo A's "a".
-	require.Equal(t, "b", job.Outputs["o"])
+	require.Equal(t, map[string]string{"o": "b"}, job.Outputs)
+	require.Equal(t, map[string]string{"o": "from-gitea"}, needed.Outputs)
 }

 // A whole-value `outputs:` expression only reaches the typed field through DecodeRaw.
@@ -936,6 +906,12 @@ func TestGetGitHubContext(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, ghc.RunnerPerflog, "/dev/null") //nolint:testifylint // pre-existing issue from nektos/act
 	assert.Equal(t, ghc.Token, rc.Config.Secrets["GITHUB_TOKEN"])
 	assert.Equal(t, ghc.Job, "job1") //nolint:testifylint // pre-existing issue from nektos/act
+
+	rc.Config.PresetGitHubContext = &model.GithubContext{Actor: "preset-actor", TriggeringActor: "triggerer", Job: "preset-job"}
+	ghc = rc.getGithubContext(context.Background())
+	assert.Equal(t, "preset-actor", ghc.Actor)
+	assert.Equal(t, "triggerer", ghc.TriggeringActor)
+	assert.Equal(t, "job1", ghc.Job)
 }

 func TestGetGithubContextRef(t *testing.T) {
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package runner
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"maps"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 	"sync"
@@ -159,9 +158,9 @@ func (runner *runnerImpl) configure() (*runnerImpl, error) {
 func maxParallelFor(strategy *model.Strategy, combinations int) int {
 	maxParallel := 4 // actionslib has no default for an undeclared max-parallel
 	if strategy != nil {
-		if limit, declared, err := strategy.ParseMaxParallel(); err != nil {
+		if limit, err := strategy.MaxParallel(); err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("Ignoring invalid max-parallel: %v", err)
-		} else if declared {
+		} else if limit > 0 {
 			maxParallel = limit
 		}
 	}
@@ -210,7 +209,7 @@ func (runner *runnerImpl) NewPlanExecutor(plan *model.Plan) common.Executor {
 						return err
 					}
 					if job.RawStrategy.Kind == yaml.ScalarNode {
-						if err := decodeDeferred(ctx, strategyRc.ExprEval, "job strategy", job.RawStrategy, &job.Strategy); err != nil {
+						if err := model.DecodeEvaluated("job strategy", job.RawStrategy, strategyRc.ExprEval.shared(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode, &job.Strategy); err != nil {
 							return err
 						}
 					} else {
@@ -222,6 +221,11 @@ func (runner *runnerImpl) NewPlanExecutor(plan *model.Plan) common.Executor {
 						if err := strategyRc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode(ctx, &job.Strategy.RawMatrix); err != nil {
 							log.Errorf("Error while evaluating matrix: %v", err)
 						}
+						for _, value := range []*string{&job.Strategy.FailFastString, &job.Strategy.MaxParallelString} {
+							if evaluated, err := strategyRc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, *value); err == nil {
+								*value = evaluated
+							}
+						}
 					}
 				}

@@ -236,7 +240,16 @@ func (runner *runnerImpl) NewPlanExecutor(plan *model.Plan) common.Executor {
 				log.Infof("Running job with maxParallel=%d for %d matrix combinations", maxParallel, len(matrixes))

 				for i, matrix := range matrixes {
-					rc, err := runner.newRunContext(ctx, run, matrix)
+					index, total := i, len(matrixes)
+					if runner.caller == nil && runner.config.PresetGitHubContext != nil && len(matrix) > 0 {
+						var expanded struct {
+							Index int `yaml:"job-index"`
+							Total int `yaml:"job-total"`
+						}
+						_ = job.RawStrategy.Decode(&expanded) // Gitea expanded the combination, a version writing neither leaves them unknown
+						index, total = expanded.Index, expanded.Total
+					}
+					rc, err := runner.newCombinationRunContext(ctx, run, matrix, index, total)
 					if err != nil {
 						return err
 					}
@@ -325,6 +338,10 @@ func handleFailure(plan *model.Plan) common.Executor {
 }

 func (runner *runnerImpl) newRunContext(ctx context.Context, run *model.Run, matrix map[string]any) (*RunContext, error) {
+	return runner.newCombinationRunContext(ctx, run, matrix, 0, 1)
+}
+
+func (runner *runnerImpl) newCombinationRunContext(ctx context.Context, run *model.Run, matrix map[string]any, index, total int) (*RunContext, error) {
 	rc := &RunContext{
 		Config:      runner.config,
 		Run:         run,
@@ -332,16 +349,16 @@ func (runner *runnerImpl) newRunContext(ctx context.Context, run *model.Run, mat
 		StepResults: make(map[string]*model.StepResult),
 		Matrix:      matrix,
 		caller:      runner.caller,
+		jobIndex:    index,
+		jobTotal:    total,
 	}
 	if err := rc.resolveWorkflowCall(ctx); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 	rc.Name = rc.maskSecrets(rc.ExprEval.InterpolateName(ctx, run.String()))
-	// Snapshot the job's pristine output expressions now, before any matrix combo runs and
-	// rewrites the shared Job.Outputs (see interpolateOutputs).
-	if job := run.Job(); job != nil {
-		rc.outputTemplate = maps.Clone(job.Outputs)
+	if job := run.Job(); job != nil && job.RawOutputs.Kind != 0 {
+		job.Outputs = nil // a job no combination ran for reads "" as on GitHub, a Gitea needs placeholder has no RawOutputs and keeps its outputs
 	}

 	return rc, nil
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package runner
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"crypto/rand"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ var (
 	logLevel  = log.DebugLevel
 	workdir   = "testdata"
 	secrets   map[string]string
+	testRunID = strings.ToLower(rand.Text()[:8]) // keeps docker names apart from concurrent test processes on one daemon
 )

 func mapPlatformPicker(platforms map[string]string) func([]string) string {
@@ -216,7 +218,7 @@ func (j *TestJobFileInfo) runTest(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, cfg *Config
 		EventPath:      cfg.EventPath,
 		PlatformPicker: mapPlatformPicker(j.platforms),
 		// fixtures reuse workflow and job names, so parallel tests would collide without this
-		ContainerNamePrefix: strings.ReplaceAll(t.Name(), "/", "-"),
+		ContainerNamePrefix: strings.ReplaceAll(t.Name(), "/", "-") + "-" + testRunID,
 		// 0 would run jobs runtime.NumCPU()-wide, making the network peak machine-dependent
 		MaxParallel:           2,
 		ForceRebuild:          true,
@@ -346,7 +348,7 @@ func TestRunEvent(t *testing.T) {

 			config := &Config{
 				Secrets: table.secrets,
-				Env:     map[string]string{"GITHUB_REPOSITORY": t.Name()},
+				Env:     map[string]string{"GITHUB_REPOSITORY": t.Name() + "-" + testRunID},
 			}

 			eventFile := filepath.Join(workdir, table.workflowPath, "event.json")
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 	"time"

 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
@@ -19,7 +18,6 @@ import (

 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/exprparser"
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
-	"go.yaml.in/yaml/v4"
 )

 type step interface {
@@ -89,6 +87,9 @@ func runStepExecutor(step step, stage stepStage, executor common.Executor) commo
 		if err == nil {
 			runStep, err = isStepEnabled(ctx, ifExpression, step, stage)
 		}
+		if err == nil && runStep {
+			err = setupInputs(ctx, step)
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			stepResult.Conclusion = model.StepStatusFailure
 			stepResult.Outcome = model.StepStatusFailure
@@ -240,51 +241,39 @@ func setupEnv(ctx context.Context, step step) error {
 	rc := step.getRunContext()

 	mergeEnv(ctx, step)
-	// merge step env last, since it should not be overwritten
-	mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), step.getStepModel().GetEnv())

 	var err error
 	exprEval := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-	for k, v := range *step.getEnv() {
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(k, "INPUT_") {
-			if (*step.getEnv())[k], err = exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate env %s: %w", k, err)
-			}
+	stepEnv := step.getStepModel().Environment()
+	for k, v := range stepEnv {
+		if stepEnv[k], err = exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate env %s: %w", k, err)
 		}
 	}
-	// after we have an evaluated step context, update the expressions evaluator with a new env context
-	// you can use step level env in the with property of a uses construct
-	inputEval := sync.OnceValue(func() *expressionEvaluator { return rc.NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx, *step.getEnv()) })
-	for k, v := range *step.getEnv() {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(k, "INPUT_") {
-			if (*step.getEnv())[k], err = inputEval().Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate env %s: %w", k, err)
-			}
-		}
+	// merge step env last, since it should not be overwritten
+	mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), stepEnv)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// setupInputs evaluates `with` once the condition passed, as GitHub does, so every consumer reads the evaluated With.
+func setupInputs(ctx context.Context, step step) error {
+	stepModel := step.getStepModel()
+	if stepModel.RawWith.Kind == 0 {
+		return nil
 	}
-	if step.getStepModel().RawWith.Kind == yaml.ScalarNode {
-		decoded := &model.Step{}
-		if err := decodeDeferred(ctx, inputEval(), "with", step.getStepModel().RawWith, &decoded.With); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		step.getStepModel().With = decoded.With
-		mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), decoded.GetEnv())
+	if err := model.DecodeEvaluated("with", stepModel.RawWith, step.getRunContext().NewStepExpressionEvaluator(ctx, step).shared(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode, &stepModel.With); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
+	mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), (&model.Step{With: stepModel.With}).GetEnv())
 	return nil
 }

 func mergeEnv(ctx context.Context, step step) {
 	env := step.getEnv()
 	rc := step.getRunContext()
-	job := rc.Run.Job()

-	c := job.Container()
-	if c != nil {
-		// container env is the image's baseline, which job env and $GITHUB_ENV override
-		mergeIntoMap(step, env, c.Env, rc.GetEnv())
-	} else {
-		mergeIntoMap(step, env, rc.GetEnv())
-	}
+	// container env is the image's baseline, which job env and $GITHUB_ENV override
+	mergeIntoMap(step, env, rc.containerSpec.Env, rc.GetEnv())

 	rc.withGithubEnv(ctx, step.getGithubContext(ctx), *env)
 }
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"

 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
@@ -58,13 +57,8 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) prepareActionExecutor() common.Executor {
 		sar.Step.Uses = uses

 		github := sar.getGithubContext(ctx) // read before remoteAction is set, so `$/` resolves against the enclosing action
-		if strings.HasPrefix(sar.Step.Uses, selfRepoPrefix) {
-			sar.remoteAction = newSelfRepoAction(sar.Step.Uses, github)
-		} else {
-			sar.remoteAction = newRemoteAction(sar.Step.Uses)
-		}
-		if sar.remoteAction == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("expected format {org}/{repo}[/path]@ref or %s{path}. Actual '%s' Input string was not in a correct format", selfRepoPrefix, sar.Step.Uses)
+		if sar.remoteAction, err = newRemoteAction(sar.Step.Uses, github, sar.RunContext.Config.GitHubInstance); err != nil {
+			return err
 		}

 		if sar.remoteAction.IsCheckout() && isLocalCheckout(github, sar.Step) && !sar.RunContext.Config.NoSkipCheckout {
@@ -164,11 +158,7 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) main() common.Executor {
 					common.Logger(ctx).Debugf("Skipping local actions/checkout because you bound your workspace")
 					return nil
 				}
-				checkoutPath, err := sar.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, sar.Step.With["path"])
-				if err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.path: %w", err)
-				}
-				copyToPath := path.Join(sar.RunContext.JobContainer.ToContainerPath(sar.RunContext.Config.Workdir), checkoutPath)
+				copyToPath := path.Join(sar.RunContext.JobContainer.ToContainerPath(sar.RunContext.Config.Workdir), sar.Step.With["path"])
 				return sar.RunContext.JobContainer.CopyDir(copyToPath, sar.RunContext.Config.Workdir+string(filepath.Separator)+".", sar.RunContext.Config.UseGitIgnore, false)(ctx)
 			}

@@ -324,61 +314,34 @@ func (ra *remoteAction) IsCheckout() bool {
 	return false
 }

-// newSelfRepoAction resolves `$/{path}` against the enclosing composite action, falling back to the workflow's own repo and commit.
-func newSelfRepoAction(action string, github *model.GithubContext) *remoteAction {
-	subPath := strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(action, selfRepoPrefix), "/")
-	if subPath == "" || strings.Contains(subPath, "@") || path.Clean("/"+subPath) != "/"+subPath { // rooted, so a leading ".." is rejected too
-		return nil
+// newRemoteAction resolves `self:` on instanceURL and `$/` in the enclosing composite action, else the workflow's repo and commit.
+func newRemoteAction(action string, github *model.GithubContext, instanceURL string) (*remoteAction, error) {
+	uses, err := model.ParseActionUses(action)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	repo, ref := github.ActionRepository, github.ActionRef
-	if repo == "" || ref == "" {
-		repo, ref = github.Repository, github.Sha
-	}
-	org, name, _ := strings.Cut(repo, "/")
-	if org == "" || name == "" || ref == "" {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return &remoteAction{URL: github.ServerURL, Org: org, Repo: name, Path: subPath, Ref: ref}
-}
-
-func newRemoteAction(action string) *remoteAction {
-	// support http(s)://host/owner/repo@v3
-	for _, schema := range []string{"https://", "http://", "ssh://"} {
-		if after, ok := strings.CutPrefix(action, schema); ok {
-			splits := strings.SplitN(after, "/", 2)
-			if len(splits) != 2 {
-				return nil
-			}
-			ret := parseAction(splits[1])
-			if ret == nil {
-				return nil
-			}
-			ret.URL = schema + splits[0]
-			return ret
+	ra := &remoteAction{URL: uses.URL, Org: uses.Owner, Repo: uses.Repo, Path: uses.Path, Ref: uses.Ref}
+	switch uses.Kind {
+	case model.ActionUsesInstance:
+		if instanceURL == "" {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to resolve %q without a Gitea instance", action)
+		}
+		ra.URL = instanceURL
+		if !strings.Contains(instanceURL, "://") {
+			ra.URL = "https://" + instanceURL
+		}
+	case model.ActionUsesSelfRepo:
+		repo, ref := github.ActionRepository, github.ActionRef
+		if repo == "" || ref == "" {
+			repo, ref = github.Repository, github.Sha
+		}
+		ra.Org, ra.Repo, _ = strings.Cut(repo, "/")
+		ra.URL, ra.Ref = github.ServerURL, ref
+		if ra.Org == "" || ra.Repo == "" || ra.Ref == "" {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to resolve %q without a repository and commit", action)
 		}
 	}
-
-	return parseAction(action)
-}
-
-func parseAction(action string) *remoteAction {
-	// GitHub's document[^] describes:
-	// > We strongly recommend that you include the version of
-	// > the action you are using by specifying a Git ref, SHA, or Docker tag number.
-	// Actually, the workflow stops if there is the uses directive that hasn't @ref.
-	// [^]: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/reference/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions
-	r := regexp.MustCompile(`^([^/@]+)/([^/@]+)(/([^@]*))?(@(.*))?$`)
-	matches := r.FindStringSubmatch(action)
-	if len(matches) < 7 || matches[6] == "" {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return &remoteAction{
-		Org:  matches[1],
-		Repo: matches[2],
-		Path: matches[4],
-		Ref:  matches[6],
-		URL:  "",
-	}
+	return ra, nil
 }

 func safeFilename(s string) string {
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemote(t *testing.T) {
 				sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, actionDirSuffix(sar.Step.UsesHash()), "", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
 			}
 			if tt.mocks.run {
-				sarm.On("runAction", sar, actionDirSuffix(sar.Step.UsesHash()), newRemoteAction(sar.Step.Uses)).Return(func(ctx context.Context) error { return tt.runError })
+				sarm.On("runAction", sar, actionDirSuffix(sar.Step.UsesHash()), mustNewRemoteAction(t, sar.Step.Uses)).Return(func(ctx context.Context) error { return tt.runError })

 				cm.On("Copy", "/var/run/act", mock.AnythingOfType("[]*container.FileEntry")).Return(noopExecutor)

@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemote(t *testing.T) {
 			RunContext:   &RunContext{Config: &Config{ActionCacheDir: t.TempDir()}, Run: &model.Run{JobID: "job", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"job": {}}}}, JobContainer: &jobContainerMock{}},
 			action:       &model.Action{Inputs: map[string]model.Input{"shared": {}}},
 			env:          map[string]string{},
-			remoteAction: newRemoteAction("org/composite@v1"),
+			remoteAction: mustNewRemoteAction(t, "org/composite@v1"),
 		}

 		for _, value := range []string{"first", "second"} {
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemotePost(t *testing.T) {
 				Step:   tt.stepModel,
 				action: tt.actionModel,
 				// post only ever runs after prepareActionExecutor resolved the action
-				remoteAction: newRemoteAction(tt.stepModel.Uses),
+				remoteAction: mustNewRemoteAction(t, tt.stepModel.Uses),
 			}
 			sar.RunContext.ExprEval = sar.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)

@@ -611,10 +611,21 @@ func Test_newRemoteAction(t *testing.T) {
 			action: "ssh://gitea.com/onlyonesegment@main", // missing org/repo after the host
 			want:   nil,
 		},
+		{
+			action: "self:owner/repo/sub@v1",
+			want: &remoteAction{
+				URL:  "https://gitea.example.com",
+				Org:  "owner",
+				Repo: "repo",
+				Path: "sub",
+				Ref:  "v1",
+			},
+			wantCloneURL: "https://gitea.example.com/owner/repo",
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.action, func(t *testing.T) {
-			got := newRemoteAction(tt.action)
+			got, _ := newRemoteAction(tt.action, nil, "gitea.example.com")
 			assert.Equalf(t, tt.want, got, "newRemoteAction(%v)", tt.action)
 			cloneURL := ""
 			if got != nil {
@@ -623,9 +634,18 @@ func Test_newRemoteAction(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Equalf(t, tt.wantCloneURL, cloneURL, "newRemoteAction(%v).CloneURL()", tt.action)
 		})
 	}
+	_, err := newRemoteAction("self:owner/repo@v1", nil, "")
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "without a Gitea instance")
 }

-func Test_newSelfRepoAction(t *testing.T) {
+func mustNewRemoteAction(t *testing.T, uses string) *remoteAction {
+	t.Helper()
+	action, err := newRemoteAction(uses, nil, "")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return action
+}
+
+func Test_newRemoteActionSelfRepo(t *testing.T) {
 	workflow := &model.GithubContext{
 		ServerURL:  "https://gitea.example.com",
 		Repository: "owner/workflow-repo",
@@ -674,7 +694,8 @@ func Test_newSelfRepoAction(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, newSelfRepoAction(tt.action, tt.github))
+			got, _ := newRemoteAction(tt.action, tt.github, "")
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, got)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -704,7 +725,7 @@ func Test_remoteActionReference(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.uses, func(t *testing.T) {
-			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, newRemoteAction(tt.uses).Reference())
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, mustNewRemoteAction(t, tt.uses).Reference())
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -761,7 +782,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemotePreResolvesDownloadedCommit(t *testing.T) {
 func TestStepActionRemoteActionDownloadInfo(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("reports the action and its resolved commit", func(t *testing.T) {
 		sar := &stepActionRemote{
-			remoteAction: newRemoteAction("actions/checkout@v7"),
+			remoteAction: mustNewRemoteAction(t, "actions/checkout@v7"),
 			action:       &model.Action{},
 			resolvedSha:  "9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0",
 		}
@@ -775,7 +796,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemoteActionDownloadInfo(t *testing.T) {

 	t.Run("reports nothing when no action was downloaded", func(t *testing.T) {
 		// The local checkout of the workflow's own repository resolves no action.
-		sar := &stepActionRemote{remoteAction: newRemoteAction("actions/checkout@v7")}
+		sar := &stepActionRemote{remoteAction: mustNewRemoteAction(t, "actions/checkout@v7")}

 		_, _, ok := sar.actionDownloadInfo()

@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package runner

 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"strings"

 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
@@ -58,29 +57,17 @@ func (sd *stepDocker) runUsesContainer() common.Executor {

 	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		image := strings.TrimPrefix(step.Uses, "docker://")
-		eval := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-		args, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.With["args"])
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.args: %w", err)
-		}
-		cmd, err := shellquote.Split(args)
+		cmd, err := shellquote.Split(step.With["args"])
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}

 		var entrypoint []string
-		entry, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.With["entrypoint"])
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.entrypoint: %w", err)
-		}
-		if entry != "" {
+		if entry := step.With["entrypoint"]; entry != "" {
 			entrypoint = []string{entry}
 		}

-		stepContainer, err := newStepContainer(ctx, sd, image, cmd, entrypoint, "")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		stepContainer := newStepContainer(ctx, sd, image, cmd, entrypoint, "")

 		return common.NewPipelineExecutor(
 			stepContainer.Pull(rc.Config.ForcePull),
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func TestStepDockerNewStepContainerAllocatePTY(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			sd.RunContext.ExprEval = sd.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)

-			_, _ = newStepContainer(ctx, sd, "node:14", []string{"echo", "hi"}, nil, "")
+			newStepContainer(ctx, sd, "node:14", []string{"echo", "hi"}, nil, "")
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.allocPTY, captured.AllocatePTY)
 		})
 	}
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func TestStepDockerNewStepContainerNetworkMode(t *testing.T) {
 			require.NoError(t, sd.RunContext.resolvePlatformImage(ctx))
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectDefault, sd.RunContext.IsHostEnv(), "IsHostEnv mismatch for platform %q", tc.platform)

-			_, _ = newStepContainer(ctx, sd, "alpine:3.20", []string{"echo", "hello"}, nil, "")
+			newStepContainer(ctx, sd, "alpine:3.20", []string{"echo", "hello"}, nil, "")

 			if tc.expectDefault {
 				assert.Equal(t, "default", captured.NetworkMode,
@@ -149,11 +149,8 @@ func TestSetupEnv(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		JobContainer: cm,
 	}
-	step := &model.Step{
-		With: map[string]string{
-			"STEP_WITH": "with-value",
-		},
-	}
+	step := &model.Step{}
+	require.NoError(t, step.RawWith.Encode(map[string]string{"STEP_WITH": "with-value", "ID": "${{ fromJSON('1234567') }}"}))
 	env := map[string]string{}

 	sm.On("getRunContext").Return(rc)
@@ -162,6 +159,7 @@ func TestSetupEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	sm.On("getEnv").Return(&env)

 	require.NoError(t, setupEnv(context.Background(), sm))
+	require.NoError(t, setupInputs(context.Background(), sm))

 	// These are commit or system specific
 	delete(env, "GITHUB_REF")
@@ -198,6 +196,7 @@ func TestSetupEnv(t *testing.T) {
 		"GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER":        "1",
 		"GITHUB_SERVER_URL":        "https://",
 		"GITHUB_WORKFLOW":          "",
+		"INPUT_ID":                 "1234567",
 		"INPUT_STEP_WITH":          "with-value",
 		"RC_KEY":                   "rcvalue",
 		"RUNNER_ENVIRONMENT":       "self-hosted",
@@ -214,7 +213,13 @@ env: ${{ fromJSON(matrix.env) }}
 jobs:
  test:
    env:
-      PRIORITY: job
+      PRIORITY: ${{ matrix.priority }}
+    defaults:
+      run: ${{ fromJSON(matrix.defaults) }}
+    container:
+      image: node:20
+      env:
+        CONTAINER: ${{ env.PRIORITY }}
    steps:
      - uses: ./act
        env:
@@ -228,16 +233,22 @@ jobs:
 			for _, value := range []string{"first", "second"} {
 				t.Run(value, func(t *testing.T) {
 					t.Parallel()
-					rc, err := (&runnerImpl{config: &Config{}}).newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{Workflow: workflow, JobID: "test"}, map[string]any{"env": `{"WORKFLOW":"` + value + `","PRIORITY":"workflow"}`})
+					rc, err := (&runnerImpl{config: &Config{}}).newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{Workflow: workflow, JobID: "test"}, map[string]any{"env": `{"WORKFLOW":"` + value + `${{ github.job }}","PRIORITY":"workflow"}`, "priority": "${{ github.job }}", "defaults": `{"shell":"` + value + `"}`})
 					require.NoError(t, err)
-					rc.workflowCallInputs = map[string]any{"args": `{"name":"` + value + `","fetch-depth":2}`}
+					rc.workflowCallInputs = map[string]any{"args": `{"name":"` + value + `${{ github.job }}","fetch-depth":1234567}`}
+					enabled, err := rc.isEnabled(t.Context())
+					require.NoError(t, err)
+					require.True(t, enabled)
 					require.NoError(t, evaluateJobEnvAndDefaults(t.Context(), rc))
+					assert.Equal(t, model.RunDefaults{Shell: value}, rc.jobRunDefaults)
 					step := &stepRun{RunContext: rc, Step: job.Steps[0].Clone(), env: map[string]string{}}
 					require.NoError(t, setupEnv(t.Context(), step))
-					assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{"ARGS": `${{ inputs.args }}`, "INPUT_NAME": value, "INPUT_FETCH-DEPTH": "2"}, step.Step.GetEnv())
-					assert.Equal(t, value, step.env["INPUT_NAME"])
-					assert.Equal(t, value, step.env["WORKFLOW"])
-					assert.Equal(t, "job", step.env["PRIORITY"])
+					require.NoError(t, setupInputs(t.Context(), step))
+					assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{"ARGS": `${{ inputs.args }}`, "INPUT_NAME": value + "${{ github.job }}", "INPUT_FETCH-DEPTH": "1234567"}, step.Step.GetEnv())
+					assert.Equal(t, value+"${{ github.job }}", step.env["INPUT_NAME"])
+					assert.Equal(t, value+"${{ github.job }}", step.env["WORKFLOW"])
+					assert.Equal(t, "${{ github.job }}", step.env["PRIORITY"])
+					assert.Equal(t, "${{ github.job }}", step.env["CONTAINER"])
 					assert.Equal(t, rawEnv, workflow.RawEnv)
 					assert.Equal(t, rawWith, job.Steps[0].RawWith)
 					assert.Nil(t, workflow.Env)
@@ -253,7 +264,7 @@ jobs:
 		rc, err := (&runnerImpl{config: &Config{}}).newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{Workflow: workflow, JobID: "test"}, nil)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		rc.workflowCallInputs = map[string]any{"args": "${{ inputs.unresolved }}"}
-		require.ErrorContains(t, setupEnv(t.Context(), &stepRun{RunContext: rc, Step: workflow.Jobs["test"].Steps[0].Clone(), env: map[string]string{}}), "with:")
+		require.ErrorContains(t, setupInputs(t.Context(), &stepRun{RunContext: rc, Step: workflow.Jobs["test"].Steps[0].Clone(), env: map[string]string{}}), "with:")
 	})
 }

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ toolchain go1.27.1
 require (
 	connectrpc.com/connect v1.21.0
 	dario.cat/mergo v1.0.2
-	gitea.dev/actionslib v1.0.0
+	gitea.dev/actionslib v1.2.0
 	github.com/avast/retry-go/v5 v5.0.0
 	github.com/containerd/errdefs v1.0.0
 	github.com/creack/pty v1.1.24
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ cyphar.com/go-pathrs v0.2.5 h1:SnX9FBvnoyn3lUs1dkMgZ52bAETpirNu3FTRh5HlRik=
 cyphar.com/go-pathrs v0.2.5/go.mod h1:y8f1EMG7r+hCuFf/rXsKqMJrJAUoADZGNh5/vZPKcGc=
 dario.cat/mergo v1.0.2 h1:85+piFYR1tMbRrLcDwR18y4UKJ3aH1Tbzi24VRW1TK8=
 dario.cat/mergo v1.0.2/go.mod h1:E/hbnu0NxMFBjpMIE34DRGLWqDy0g5FuKDhCb31ngxA=
-gitea.dev/actionslib v1.0.0 h1:l0oFJP+P4Ds1rlCI5zk618dYkuBc2mU7Gz5wPeG0lZY=
-gitea.dev/actionslib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:6O8YHkqVTKSR0LL2e5VhIDePYzGTZCbfmSVqJWEhk9g=
+gitea.dev/actionslib v1.2.0 h1:R/PBu9DwD04tCd5rjAWT9dAa+S6GOk1XnXCC3T2Rrnw=
+gitea.dev/actionslib v1.2.0/go.mod h1:1+gqOKGSEPn2IFHgY8S3GC5Ld+Hn8jF3OxiFHQ/fpx4=
 github.com/AdaLogics/go-fuzz-headers v0.0.0-20240806141605-e8a1dd7889d6 h1:He8afgbRMd7mFxO99hRNu+6tazq8nFF9lIwo9JFroBk=
 github.com/AdaLogics/go-fuzz-headers v0.0.0-20240806141605-e8a1dd7889d6/go.mod h1:8o94RPi1/7XTJvwPpRSzSUedZrtlirdB3r9Z20bi2f8=
 github.com/Microsoft/go-winio v0.5.2/go.mod h1:WpS1mjBmmwHBEWmogvA2mj8546UReBk4v8QkMxJ6pZY=
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import (
 	runnerv1 "gitea.dev/actionslib/runner/v1"
 	docker_container "github.com/moby/moby/api/types/container"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"go.yaml.in/yaml/v4"
 )

 // CapabilityCancelling tells the server this runner understands the
@@ -414,7 +415,9 @@ func (r *Runner) run(ctx context.Context, task *runnerv1.Task, reporter *report.

 	// Added per task because this job's service containers must be reached directly, and
 	// act reaches them by their workflow key.
-	proxyEnv := JobProxyEnv(envs, r.builtInCacheURL(), slices.Sorted(maps.Keys(job.Services)))
+	var services map[string]yaml.Node
+	_ = job.RawServices.Decode(&services) // a whole-value expression names no service before evaluation
+	proxyEnv := JobProxyEnv(envs, r.builtInCacheURL(), slices.Sorted(maps.Keys(services)))
 	maps.Copy(envs, proxyEnv)

 	if r.capabilities != "" {
@@ -428,24 +431,7 @@ func (r *Runner) run(ctx context.Context, task *runnerv1.Task, reporter *report.
 		r.getDefaultActionsURL(task),
 		r.client.Address())

-	preset := &model.GithubContext{
-		Event:           taskContext["event"].GetStructValue().AsMap(),
-		RunID:           taskContext["run_id"].GetStringValue(),
-		RunNumber:       taskContext["run_number"].GetStringValue(),
-		RunAttempt:      taskContext["run_attempt"].GetStringValue(),
-		Actor:           taskContext["actor"].GetStringValue(),
-		Repository:      taskContext["repository"].GetStringValue(),
-		EventName:       taskContext["event_name"].GetStringValue(),
-		Sha:             taskContext["sha"].GetStringValue(),
-		Ref:             taskContext["ref"].GetStringValue(),
-		RefName:         taskContext["ref_name"].GetStringValue(),
-		RefType:         taskContext["ref_type"].GetStringValue(),
-		HeadRef:         taskContext["head_ref"].GetStringValue(),
-		BaseRef:         taskContext["base_ref"].GetStringValue(),
-		Token:           taskContext["token"].GetStringValue(),
-		RepositoryOwner: taskContext["repository_owner"].GetStringValue(),
-		RetentionDays:   taskContext["retention_days"].GetStringValue(),
-	}
+	preset := model.GithubContextFromMap(task.Context.AsMap())
 	if t := task.Secrets["GITEA_TOKEN"]; t != "" {
 		preset.Token = t
 	} else if t := task.Secrets["GITHUB_TOKEN"]; t != "" {