diff --git a/actions/actions.sh b/actions/actions.sh
index bb21e8a1..b1e6bd8a 100755
--- a/actions/actions.sh
+++ b/actions/actions.sh
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ function test_actions() {
             done
         fi
 
-        for example in echo lxc config-options cache checkout service container expression local-action docker-action if if-fail push tag push-cancel artifacts pull-request context; do
+        for example in shell echo lxc config-options cache checkout service container expression local-action docker-action if if-fail push tag push-cancel artifacts pull-request context; do
             run actions_verify_example $example
         done
 
diff --git a/actions/example-shell/.forgejo/workflows/test.yml b/actions/example-shell/.forgejo/workflows/test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..38a2a6cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actions/example-shell/.forgejo/workflows/test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+on: [push]
+
+env:
+    ASSERT_SHELL: 'set -x ; readlink /proc/$$/exe ; readlink /proc/$$/exe | grep '
+
+jobs:
+  default:
+    # docker:docker://code.forgejo.org/oci/node:22-bookworm
+    runs-on: docker
+    steps:
+      - name: default is bash
+        run: |
+            ${{ env.ASSERT_SHELL }} /bash
+
+  defaults-run:
+    needs: [default]
+    # alpine:docker://code.forgejo.org/oci/alpine:latest
+    runs-on: alpine
+    defaults:
+        run:
+            shell: sh
+    steps:
+      - name: default is sh which is an alias for busybox in alpine
+        run: |
+            ${{ env.ASSERT_SHELL }} /busybox
+
+  alpine:
+    needs: [defaults-run]
+    runs-on: docker
+    container:
+      image: code.forgejo.org/oci/alpine:latest
+    steps:
+      - name: default is sh which is an alias for busybox in alpine
+        run: |
+            ${{ env.ASSERT_SHELL }} /busybox
+
+  python:
+    needs: [alpine]
+    runs-on: docker
+    container:
+      image: code.forgejo.org/oci/python:slim
+    steps:
+      - name: python => python {0}
+        shell: python
+        run: |
+            print("something")
+
+  other:
+    needs: [python]
+    runs-on: docker
+    container:
+      image: code.forgejo.org/oci/node:22-bookworm
+    steps:
+      - name: default is sh which is an alias for dash in bookworm
+        run: |
+            ${{ env.ASSERT_SHELL }} /dash
+
+      - name: bash => bash --noprofile --norc -e -o pipefail {0}
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+            ${{ env.ASSERT_SHELL }} /bash
+            shopt -o
+            shopt -o | grep --quiet 'pipefail.*on'
+
+      - name: sh => sh -e {0}
+        shell: sh
+        run: |
+            ${{ env.ASSERT_SHELL }} /dash
+
+      - name: node => node {0}
+        shell: node
+        run: |
+            console.log("something")
+
+      - name: dash -e {0}
+        shell: dash -e {0}
+        run: |
+            ${{ env.ASSERT_SHELL }} /dash
diff --git a/actions/example-shell/runner-config.yaml b/actions/example-shell/runner-config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4e4974d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actions/example-shell/runner-config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+
+log:
+  level: debug
+
+runner:
+  file: .runner
+  capacity: 1
+  env_file: .env
+  timeout: 3h
+  insecure: false
+  fetch_timeout: 5s
+  fetch_interval: 2s
+  labels:
+      - docker:docker://code.forgejo.org/oci/node:22-bookworm
+      - alpine:docker://code.forgejo.org/oci/alpine:latest
+
+cache:
+  enabled: false
+  dir: ""
+  host: ""
+  port: 0
+
+container:
+  network: ""
+  privileged: false
+  options:
+  workdir_parent:
+  valid_volumes: []
+  docker_host: ""
+
+host:
+  workdir_parent:
diff --git a/actions/example-shell/setup.sh b/actions/example-shell/setup.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..9c1f5adf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actions/example-shell/setup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+FORGEJO_RUNNER_CONFIG=$EXAMPLE_DIR/runner-config.yaml forgejo-runner.sh reload
diff --git a/actions/example-shell/teardown.sh b/actions/example-shell/teardown.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..b410c513
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actions/example-shell/teardown.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+forgejo-runner.sh reload