diff --git a/act/runner/reusable_workflow.go b/act/runner/reusable_workflow.go
index 9a0c04a4..45d16d23 100644
--- a/act/runner/reusable_workflow.go
+++ b/act/runner/reusable_workflow.go
@@ -23,13 +23,14 @@ func newLocalReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc *RunContext) common.Executor {
 		return common.NewErrorExecutor(err)
 	}
 
-	if !rc.Config.NoSkipCheckout {
+	preset := rc.Config.PresetGitHubContext
+	if preset == nil {
 		// 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, false)
 	}
 
-	uses := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s@%s", rc.Config.PresetGitHubContext.Repository, localWorkflow.Path, rc.Config.PresetGitHubContext.Sha)
+	uses := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s@%s", preset.Repository, localWorkflow.Path, preset.Sha)
 
 	remoteReusableWorkflow, err := newRemoteReusableWorkflow(rc.Config.GitHubInstance, uses)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/act/runner/reusable_workflow_test.go b/act/runner/reusable_workflow_test.go
index 41489400..f4ee714a 100644
--- a/act/runner/reusable_workflow_test.go
+++ b/act/runner/reusable_workflow_test.go
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func TestNewLocalReusableWorkflowExecutorFindsSameRepositoryPaths(t *testing.T)
 
 	for _, uses := range []string{"./.gitea/workflows/reusable.yml", "$/.gitea/workflows/reusable.yml"} {
 		rc := &RunContext{
-			Config: &Config{Workdir: workdir},
+			Config: &Config{Workdir: workdir, NoSkipCheckout: true},
 			Run:    &model.Run{JobID: "job", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"job": {Uses: uses}}}},
 		}
 		err := newLocalReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc)(t.Context())
diff --git a/e2e/cli_test.go b/e2e/cli_test.go
index 62541d64..689d52b4 100644
--- a/e2e/cli_test.go
+++ b/e2e/cli_test.go
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ func testCLIShutdownCancels(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func testExecArtifacts(t *testing.T) {
+func testExec(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	ctx := t.Context()
 
@@ -274,18 +274,25 @@ func testExecArtifacts(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	workflow, err := os.ReadFile("testdata/workflows/exec_artifact.yml")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	workflows := t.TempDir()
-	for _, name := range []string{"a.yml", "b.yml"} {
-		if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(workflows, name), workflow, 0o644); err != nil {
+	workflows, workdir := t.TempDir(), t.TempDir()
+	for dst, src := range map[string]string{
+		filepath.Join(workflows, "a.yml"):                                    "exec_artifact.yml",
+		filepath.Join(workflows, "b.yml"):                                    "exec_artifact.yml",
+		filepath.Join(workflows, "reusable_caller.yml"):                      "reusable_caller.yml",
+		filepath.Join(workdir, ".gitea", "workflows", "reusable_callee.yml"): "reusable_callee.yml",
+	} {
+		content, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("testdata", "workflows", src))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(dst), 0o755); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if err := os.WriteFile(dst, content, 0o644); err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	}
 
-	workdir := t.TempDir()
 	for _, args := range [][]string{
 		{"init", "-q"},
 		{"remote", "add", "origin", "https://example.com/e2e/exec.git"},
@@ -297,15 +304,19 @@ func testExecArtifacts(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	artifacts := t.TempDir()
-	args := []string{"exec", "-C", workdir, "-W", workflows, "-i", os.Getenv("E2E_JOB_IMAGE"), "--artifact-server-path", artifacts}
+	args := []string{"exec", "-C", workdir, "-W", workflows, "-i", os.Getenv("E2E_JOB_IMAGE"), "--artifact-server-path", artifacts, "--no-skip-checkout"}
 	if fixture.network != "" {
 		args = append(args, "--network", fixture.network)
 	}
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, bin, args...)
 	cmd.Env = slices.DeleteFunc(os.Environ(), func(kv string) bool { return strings.HasPrefix(kv, "ACTIONS_") })
-	if out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("exec: %v\n%s", err, out)
 	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(out), "e2e-reusable-ran") {
+		t.Errorf("the called workflow did not run:\n%s", out)
+	}
 	if blobs, _ := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(artifacts, "v4", "*", "*", "blob")); len(blobs) != 2 {
 		t.Fatalf("want one v4 artifact blob per workflow run, got %v", blobs)
 	}
diff --git a/e2e/compatibility_test.go b/e2e/compatibility_test.go
index 13a8029e..2ef0381b 100644
--- a/e2e/compatibility_test.go
+++ b/e2e/compatibility_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func TestCompatibility(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("cancellation_and_log_streaming", testRunCancellation)
 	t.Run("dispatch", testWorkflowDispatch)
 	t.Run("builtin_checkout", testBuiltinCheckout)
-	t.Run("exec_artifacts", testExecArtifacts)
+	t.Run("exec", testExec)
 	t.Run("moving_action_ref", testMovingActionRef)
 	t.Run("ephemeral", testEphemeralRunner)
 	t.Run("failure_paths", testFailurePaths)