diff --git a/pkg/runner/expression.go b/pkg/runner/expression.go
index c2257b1..6a621f7 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/expression.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/expression.go
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ type ExpressionEvaluator interface {
 
 // NewExpressionEvaluator creates a new evaluator
 func (rc *RunContext) NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx context.Context) ExpressionEvaluator {
+	return rc.NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx, rc.GetEnv())
+}
+
+func (rc *RunContext) NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx context.Context, env map[string]string) ExpressionEvaluator {
 	// todo: cleanup EvaluationEnvironment creation
 	using := make(map[string]map[string]map[string]string)
 	strategy := make(map[string]interface{})
@@ -46,7 +50,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx context.Context) ExpressionEval
 
 	ee := &exprparser.EvaluationEnvironment{
 		Github: ghc,
-		Env:    rc.GetEnv(),
+		Env:    env,
 		Job:    rc.getJobContext(),
 		// todo: should be unavailable
 		// but required to interpolate/evaluate the step outputs on the job
diff --git a/pkg/runner/runner_test.go b/pkg/runner/runner_test.go
index 812ae32..21b584f 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/runner_test.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/runner_test.go
@@ -287,6 +287,7 @@ func TestRunEventHostEnvironment(t *testing.T) {
 
 		tables = append(tables, []TestJobFileInfo{
 			{workdir, "nix-prepend-path", "push", "", platforms},
+			{workdir, "inputs-via-env-context", "push", "", platforms},
 		}...)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/runner/step.go b/pkg/runner/step.go
index f730ac1..560ba63 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/step.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/step.go
@@ -179,7 +179,17 @@ func setupEnv(ctx context.Context, step step) error {
 
 	exprEval := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 	for k, v := range *step.getEnv() {
-		(*step.getEnv())[k] = exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(k, "INPUT_") {
+			(*step.getEnv())[k] = exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+		}
+	}
+	// after we have an evaluated step context, update the expresson evaluator with a new env context
+	// you can use step level env in the with property of a uses construct
+	exprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx, *step.getEnv())
+	for k, v := range *step.getEnv() {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(k, "INPUT_") {
+			(*step.getEnv())[k] = exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+		}
 	}
 
 	common.Logger(ctx).Debugf("setupEnv => %v", *step.getEnv())
diff --git a/pkg/runner/testdata/inputs-via-env-context/action.yml b/pkg/runner/testdata/inputs-via-env-context/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ea270d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/runner/testdata/inputs-via-env-context/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+inputs:
+  test-env-input: {}
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+  - run: |
+      exit ${{ inputs.test-env-input == env.test-env-input && '0' || '1'}}
+    shell: bash
diff --git a/pkg/runner/testdata/inputs-via-env-context/push.yml b/pkg/runner/testdata/inputs-via-env-context/push.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07fadeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/runner/testdata/inputs-via-env-context/push.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+on: push
+jobs:
+  test-inputs-via-env-context:
+    runs-on: self-hosted
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+    - uses: ./inputs-via-env-context
+      with:
+        test-env-input: ${{ env.test-env-input }}
+      env:
+        test-env-input: ${{ github.event_name }}/${{ github.run_id }}
+    - run: |
+        exit ${{ env.test-env-input == format('{0}/{1}', github.event_name, github.run_id) && '0' || '1' }}
+      env:
+        test-env-input: ${{ github.event_name }}/${{ github.run_id }}
\ No newline at end of file