diff --git a/pkg/model/workflow.go b/pkg/model/workflow.go
index 35e4587..68f7b68 100644
--- a/pkg/model/workflow.go
+++ b/pkg/model/workflow.go
@@ -248,15 +248,13 @@ func (j *Job) Container() *ContainerSpec {
 	switch j.RawContainer.Kind {
 	case yaml.ScalarNode:
 		val = new(ContainerSpec)
-		err := j.RawContainer.Decode(&val.Image)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		if !decodeNode(j.RawContainer, &val.Image) {
+			return nil
 		}
 	case yaml.MappingNode:
 		val = new(ContainerSpec)
-		err := j.RawContainer.Decode(val)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		if !decodeNode(j.RawContainer, val) {
+			return nil
 		}
 	}
 	return val
@@ -267,16 +265,14 @@ func (j *Job) Needs() []string {
 	switch j.RawNeeds.Kind {
 	case yaml.ScalarNode:
 		var val string
-		err := j.RawNeeds.Decode(&val)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		if !decodeNode(j.RawNeeds, &val) {
+			return nil
 		}
 		return []string{val}
 	case yaml.SequenceNode:
 		var val []string
-		err := j.RawNeeds.Decode(&val)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		if !decodeNode(j.RawNeeds, &val) {
+			return nil
 		}
 		return val
 	}
@@ -288,16 +284,14 @@ func (j *Job) RunsOn() []string {
 	switch j.RawRunsOn.Kind {
 	case yaml.ScalarNode:
 		var val string
-		err := j.RawRunsOn.Decode(&val)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		if !decodeNode(j.RawRunsOn, &val) {
+			return nil
 		}
 		return []string{val}
 	case yaml.SequenceNode:
 		var val []string
-		err := j.RawRunsOn.Decode(&val)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		if !decodeNode(j.RawRunsOn, &val) {
+			return nil
 		}
 		return val
 	}
@@ -307,8 +301,8 @@ func (j *Job) RunsOn() []string {
 func environment(yml yaml.Node) map[string]string {
 	env := make(map[string]string)
 	if yml.Kind == yaml.MappingNode {
-		if err := yml.Decode(&env); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		if !decodeNode(yml, &env) {
+			return nil
 		}
 	}
 	return env
@@ -323,8 +317,8 @@ func (j *Job) Environment() map[string]string {
 func (j *Job) Matrix() map[string][]interface{} {
 	if j.Strategy.RawMatrix.Kind == yaml.MappingNode {
 		var val map[string][]interface{}
-		if err := j.Strategy.RawMatrix.Decode(&val); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		if !decodeNode(j.Strategy.RawMatrix, &val) {
+			return nil
 		}
 		return val
 	}
@@ -335,7 +329,7 @@ func (j *Job) Matrix() map[string][]interface{} {
 // It skips includes and hard fails excludes for non-existing keys
 //
 //nolint:gocyclo
-func (j *Job) GetMatrixes() []map[string]interface{} {
+func (j *Job) GetMatrixes() ([]map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	matrixes := make([]map[string]interface{}, 0)
 	if j.Strategy != nil {
 		j.Strategy.FailFast = j.Strategy.GetFailFast()
@@ -386,7 +380,7 @@ func (j *Job) GetMatrixes() []map[string]interface{} {
 						excludes = append(excludes, e)
 					} else {
 						// We fail completely here because that's what GitHub does for non-existing matrix keys, fail on exclude, silent skip on include
-						log.Fatalf("The workflow is not valid. Matrix exclude key '%s' does not match any key within the matrix", k)
+						return nil, fmt.Errorf("the workflow is not valid. Matrix exclude key %q does not match any key within the matrix", k)
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -431,7 +425,7 @@ func (j *Job) GetMatrixes() []map[string]interface{} {
 	} else {
 		matrixes = append(matrixes, make(map[string]interface{}))
 	}
-	return matrixes
+	return matrixes, nil
 }
 
 func commonKeysMatch(a map[string]interface{}, b map[string]interface{}) bool {
@@ -671,3 +665,17 @@ func (w *Workflow) GetJobIDs() []string {
 	}
 	return ids
 }
+
+var OnDecodeNodeError = func(node yaml.Node, out interface{}, err error) {
+	log.Fatalf("Failed to decode node %v into %T: %v", node, out, err)
+}
+
+func decodeNode(node yaml.Node, out interface{}) bool {
+	if err := node.Decode(out); err != nil {
+		if OnDecodeNodeError != nil {
+			OnDecodeNodeError(node, out, err)
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/pkg/model/workflow_test.go b/pkg/model/workflow_test.go
index a789233..8f8b7a9 100644
--- a/pkg/model/workflow_test.go
+++ b/pkg/model/workflow_test.go
@@ -250,25 +250,33 @@ func TestReadWorkflow_Strategy(t *testing.T) {
 	wf := p.Stages[0].Runs[0].Workflow
 
 	job := wf.Jobs["strategy-only-max-parallel"]
-	assert.Equal(t, job.GetMatrixes(), []map[string]interface{}{{}})
+	matrixes, err := job.GetMatrixes()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, matrixes, []map[string]interface{}{{}})
 	assert.Equal(t, job.Matrix(), map[string][]interface{}(nil))
 	assert.Equal(t, job.Strategy.MaxParallel, 2)
 	assert.Equal(t, job.Strategy.FailFast, true)
 
 	job = wf.Jobs["strategy-only-fail-fast"]
-	assert.Equal(t, job.GetMatrixes(), []map[string]interface{}{{}})
+	matrixes, err = job.GetMatrixes()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, matrixes, []map[string]interface{}{{}})
 	assert.Equal(t, job.Matrix(), map[string][]interface{}(nil))
 	assert.Equal(t, job.Strategy.MaxParallel, 4)
 	assert.Equal(t, job.Strategy.FailFast, false)
 
 	job = wf.Jobs["strategy-no-matrix"]
-	assert.Equal(t, job.GetMatrixes(), []map[string]interface{}{{}})
+	matrixes, err = job.GetMatrixes()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, matrixes, []map[string]interface{}{{}})
 	assert.Equal(t, job.Matrix(), map[string][]interface{}(nil))
 	assert.Equal(t, job.Strategy.MaxParallel, 2)
 	assert.Equal(t, job.Strategy.FailFast, false)
 
 	job = wf.Jobs["strategy-all"]
-	assert.Equal(t, job.GetMatrixes(),
+	matrixes, err = job.GetMatrixes()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, matrixes,
 		[]map[string]interface{}{
 			{"datacenter": "site-c", "node-version": "14.x", "site": "staging"},
 			{"datacenter": "site-c", "node-version": "16.x", "site": "staging"},
diff --git a/pkg/runner/run_context.go b/pkg/runner/run_context.go
index 1273811..bbd8ec4 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/run_context.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/run_context.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/opencontainers/selinux/go-selinux"
-	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
 	"github.com/nektos/act/pkg/common"
 	"github.com/nektos/act/pkg/container"
@@ -361,7 +360,8 @@ func (rc *RunContext) ActionCacheDir() string {
 		if home, err := os.UserHomeDir(); err == nil {
 			xdgCache = filepath.Join(home, ".cache")
 		} else if xdgCache, err = filepath.Abs("."); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			// It's almost impossible to get here, so the temp dir is a good fallback
+			xdgCache = os.TempDir()
 		}
 	}
 	return filepath.Join(xdgCache, "act")
diff --git a/pkg/runner/runner.go b/pkg/runner/runner.go
index 715d158..a47cf8b 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/runner.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/runner.go
@@ -118,7 +118,12 @@ func (runner *runnerImpl) NewPlanExecutor(plan *model.Plan) common.Executor {
 					}
 				}
 
-				matrixes := selectMatrixes(job.GetMatrixes(), runner.config.Matrix)
+				var matrixes []map[string]interface{}
+				if m, err := job.GetMatrixes(); err != nil {
+					log.Errorf("Error while get job's matrix: %v", err)
+				} else {
+					matrixes = selectMatrixes(m, runner.config.Matrix)
+				}
 				log.Debugf("Final matrix after applying user inclusions '%v'", matrixes)
 
 				maxParallel := 4