diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 143a741ce3e..bbe6917b836 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	gitignore "github.com/sabhiram/go-gitignore"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra/doc"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 
 	"github.com/nektos/act/pkg/artifactcache"
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ func Execute(ctx context.Context, version string) {
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("graph", "g", false, "draw workflows")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringP("job", "j", "", "run a specific job ID")
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("bug-report", "", false, "Display system information for bug report")
+	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("man-page", "", false, "Print a generated manual page to stdout")
 
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringVar(&input.remoteName, "remote-name", "origin", "git remote name that will be used to retrieve url of git repo")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&input.secrets, "secret", "s", []string{}, "secret to make available to actions with optional value (e.g. -s mysecret=foo or -s mysecret)")
@@ -227,6 +230,18 @@ func bugReport(ctx context.Context, version string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func generateManPage(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
+	header := &doc.GenManHeader{
+		Title:   "act",
+		Section: "1",
+		Source:  fmt.Sprintf("act %s", cmd.Version),
+	}
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	cobra.CheckErr(doc.GenMan(cmd, header, buf))
+	fmt.Print(buf.String())
+	return nil
+}
+
 func readArgsFile(file string, split bool) []string {
 	args := make([]string, 0)
 	f, err := os.Open(file)
@@ -341,6 +356,10 @@ func newRunCommand(ctx context.Context, input *Input) func(*cobra.Command, []str
 		if ok, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("bug-report"); ok {
 			return bugReport(ctx, cmd.Version)
 		}
+		if ok, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("man-page"); ok {
+			return generateManPage(cmd)
+		}
+
 		if ret, err := container.GetSocketAndHost(input.containerDaemonSocket); err != nil {
 			log.Warnf("Couldn't get a valid docker connection: %+v", err)
 		} else {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 9f85299d726..30a1aa1636e 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/cloudflare/circl v1.3.7 // indirect
 	github.com/containerd/containerd v1.7.13 // indirect
 	github.com/containerd/log v0.1.0 // indirect
+	github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.4 // indirect
 	github.com/cyphar/filepath-securejoin v0.2.4 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0 // indirect
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/rivo/uniseg v0.4.7 // indirect
 	github.com/robfig/cron/v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
+	github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/sergi/go-diff v1.3.2-0.20230802210424-5b0b94c5c0d3 // indirect
 	github.com/skeema/knownhosts v1.2.2 // indirect
 	github.com/stretchr/objx v0.5.2 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index ee126c10502..c3fdca18947 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ github.com/containerd/containerd v1.7.13 h1:wPYKIeGMN8vaggSKuV1X0wZulpMz4CrgEsZd
 github.com/containerd/containerd v1.7.13/go.mod h1:zT3up6yTRfEUa6+GsITYIJNgSVL9NQ4x4h1RPzk0Wu4=
 github.com/containerd/log v0.1.0 h1:TCJt7ioM2cr/tfR8GPbGf9/VRAX8D2B4PjzCpfX540I=
 github.com/containerd/log v0.1.0/go.mod h1:VRRf09a7mHDIRezVKTRCrOq78v577GXq3bSa3EhrzVo=
+github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.4 h1:wfIWP927BUkWJb2NmU/kNDYIBTh/ziUX91+lVfRxZq4=
 github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.4/go.mod h1:tgQtvFlXSQOSOSIRvRPT7W67SCa46tRHOmNcaadrF8o=
 github.com/creack/pty v1.1.17/go.mod h1:MOBLtS5ELjhRRrroQr9kyvTxUAFNvYEK993ew/Vr4O4=
 github.com/creack/pty v1.1.21 h1:1/QdRyBaHHJP61QkWMXlOIBfsgdDeeKfK8SYVUWJKf0=
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ github.com/robfig/cron/v3 v3.0.1 h1:WdRxkvbJztn8LMz/QEvLN5sBU+xKpSqwwUO1Pjr4qDs=
 github.com/robfig/cron/v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:eQICP3HwyT7UooqI/z+Ov+PtYAWygg1TEWWzGIFLtro=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.11.0 h1:cWPaGQEPrBb5/AsnsZesgZZ9yb1OQ+GOISoDNXVBh4M=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.11.0/go.mod h1:ddIwULY96R17DhadqLgMfk9H9tvdUzkipdSkR5nkCZA=
+github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0 h1:JIOH55/0cWyOuilr9/qlrm0BSXldqnqwMsf35Ld67mk=
 github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0/go.mod h1:+Rmxgy9KzJVeS9/2gXHxylqXiyQDYRxCVz55jmeOWTM=
 github.com/sabhiram/go-gitignore v0.0.0-20210923224102-525f6e181f06 h1:OkMGxebDjyw0ULyrTYWeN0UNCCkmCWfjPnIA2W6oviI=
 github.com/sabhiram/go-gitignore v0.0.0-20210923224102-525f6e181f06/go.mod h1:+ePHsJ1keEjQtpvf9HHw0f4ZeJ0TLRsxhunSI2hYJSs=
diff --git a/pkg/model/workflow.go b/pkg/model/workflow.go
index e66bf4ce949..57e8f57dc61 100644
--- a/pkg/model/workflow.go
+++ b/pkg/model/workflow.go
@@ -572,6 +572,8 @@ type Step struct {
 	Uses               string            `yaml:"uses"`
 	Run                string            `yaml:"run"`
 	WorkingDirectory   string            `yaml:"working-directory"`
+	// WorkflowShell is the shell really configured in the job, directly at step level or higher in defaults.run.shell
+	WorkflowShell      string            `yaml:"-"`
 	Shell              string            `yaml:"shell"`
 	Env                yaml.Node         `yaml:"env"`
 	With               map[string]string `yaml:"with"`
@@ -614,8 +616,14 @@ func (s *Step) ShellCommand() string {
 
 	//Reference: https://github.com/actions/runner/blob/8109c962f09d9acc473d92c595ff43afceddb347/src/Runner.Worker/Handlers/ScriptHandlerHelpers.cs#L9-L17
 	switch s.Shell {
-	case "", "bash":
-		shellCommand = "bash --noprofile --norc -e -o pipefail {0}"
+	case "":
+		shellCommand = "bash -e {0}"
+	case "bash":
+		if s.WorkflowShell == "" {
+			shellCommand = "bash -e {0}"
+		} else {
+			shellCommand = "bash --noprofile --norc -e -o pipefail {0}"
+		}
 	case "pwsh":
 		shellCommand = "pwsh -command . '{0}'"
 	case "python":
diff --git a/pkg/model/workflow_test.go b/pkg/model/workflow_test.go
index 03f29fd6967..92de8ca33fe 100644
--- a/pkg/model/workflow_test.go
+++ b/pkg/model/workflow_test.go
@@ -397,15 +397,18 @@ func TestReadWorkflow_Strategy(t *testing.T) {
 func TestStep_ShellCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		shell string
+		workflowShell string
 		want  string
 	}{
-		{"pwsh -v '. {0}'", "pwsh -v '. {0}'"},
-		{"pwsh", "pwsh -command . '{0}'"},
-		{"powershell", "powershell -command . '{0}'"},
+		{"pwsh -v '. {0}'", "", "pwsh -v '. {0}'"},
+		{"pwsh", "", "pwsh -command . '{0}'"},
+		{"powershell", "", "powershell -command . '{0}'"},
+		{"bash", "", "bash -e {0}"},
+		{"bash", "bash", "bash --noprofile --norc -e -o pipefail {0}"},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.shell, func(t *testing.T) {
-			got := (&Step{Shell: tt.shell}).ShellCommand()
+			got := (&Step{Shell: tt.shell, WorkflowShell: tt.workflowShell}).ShellCommand()
 			assert.Equal(t, got, tt.want)
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/runner/run_context_test.go b/pkg/runner/run_context_test.go
index 692b4eefa75..0656aad881c 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/run_context_test.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/run_context_test.go
@@ -387,15 +387,15 @@ func TestGetGitHubContext(t *testing.T) {
 		owner = o
 	}
 
-	assert.Equal(t, ghc.RunID, "1")
-	assert.Equal(t, ghc.RunNumber, "1")
-	assert.Equal(t, ghc.RetentionDays, "0")
-	assert.Equal(t, ghc.Actor, actor)
-	assert.Equal(t, ghc.Repository, repo)
-	assert.Equal(t, ghc.RepositoryOwner, owner)
-	assert.Equal(t, ghc.RunnerPerflog, "/dev/null")
-	assert.Equal(t, ghc.Token, rc.Config.Secrets["GITHUB_TOKEN"])
-	assert.Equal(t, ghc.Job, "job1")
+	assert.Equal(t, "1", ghc.RunID)
+	assert.Equal(t, "1", ghc.RunNumber)
+	assert.Equal(t, "0", ghc.RetentionDays)
+	assert.Equal(t, actor, ghc.Actor)
+	assert.Equal(t, repo, ghc.Repository)
+	assert.Equal(t, owner, ghc.RepositoryOwner)
+	assert.Equal(t, "/dev/null", ghc.RunnerPerflog)
+	assert.Equal(t, rc.Config.Secrets["GITHUB_TOKEN"], ghc.Token)
+	assert.Equal(t, "job1", ghc.Job)
 }
 
 func TestGetGithubContextRef(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/runner/step_run.go b/pkg/runner/step_run.go
index 054ed702321..a905a20e1f6 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/step_run.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/step_run.go
@@ -166,16 +166,18 @@ func (sr *stepRun) setupShell(ctx context.Context) {
 	step := sr.Step
 
 	if step.Shell == "" {
-		step.Shell = rc.Run.Job().Defaults.Run.Shell
+		step.WorkflowShell = rc.Run.Job().Defaults.Run.Shell
+	} else {
+		step.WorkflowShell = step.Shell
 	}
 
-	step.Shell = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, step.Shell)
+	step.WorkflowShell = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, step.WorkflowShell)
 
-	if step.Shell == "" {
-		step.Shell = rc.Run.Workflow.Defaults.Run.Shell
+	if step.WorkflowShell == "" {
+		step.WorkflowShell = rc.Run.Workflow.Defaults.Run.Shell
 	}
 
-	if step.Shell == "" {
+	if step.WorkflowShell == "" {
 		if _, ok := rc.JobContainer.(*container.HostEnvironment); ok {
 			shellWithFallback := []string{"bash", "sh"}
 			// Don't use bash on windows by default, if not using a docker container
@@ -196,6 +198,8 @@ func (sr *stepRun) setupShell(ctx context.Context) {
 			// Currently only linux containers are supported, use sh by default like actions/runner
 			step.Shell = "sh"
 		}
+	} else {
+		step.Shell = step.WorkflowShell
 	}
 }