diff --git a/internal/act/common/git/git.go b/internal/act/common/git/git.go
index 952247b4..a1bfaab0 100644
--- a/internal/act/common/git/git.go
+++ b/internal/act/common/git/git.go
@@ -458,10 +458,14 @@ func NewGitCloneExecutor(input NewGitCloneExecutorInput) common.Executor {
 				logger.Debugf("Unable to pull %s: %v", refName, err)
 			}
 		case isOfflineMode && reused:
-			reusedMsg = " (reused in offline mode)"
+			reusedMsg = " (offline mode)"
 		}
 
-		logger.Debugf("Cloned %s to %s%s", input.URL, input.Dir, reusedMsg)
+		if reused {
+			logger.Debugf("Reused %s at %s%s", input.URL, input.Dir, reusedMsg)
+		} else {
+			logger.Debugf("Cloned %s to %s", input.URL, input.Dir)
+		}
 
 		if hash.String() != input.Ref && refType == "branch" {
 			logger.Debugf("Provided ref is not a sha. Updating branch ref after pull")
diff --git a/internal/act/common/git/git_test.go b/internal/act/common/git/git_test.go
index 6a1d1254..6f31c0ab 100644
--- a/internal/act/common/git/git_test.go
+++ b/internal/act/common/git/git_test.go
@@ -373,22 +373,28 @@ func TestGitCloneExecutorOfflineMode(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Prime the cache with an online clone of main.
 	cacheDir := t.TempDir()
+	logger, hook := logrustest.NewNullLogger()
+	logger.SetLevel(log.DebugLevel)
+	ctx := common.WithLogger(context.Background(), logger.WithField("job", "j1"))
 	require.NoError(t, NewGitCloneExecutor(NewGitCloneExecutorInput{
 		URL: remoteDir,
 		Ref: "main",
 		Dir: cacheDir,
-	})(context.Background()))
+	})(ctx))
+	assert.Contains(t, logMessages(hook), "Cloned "+remoteDir+" to "+cacheDir)
 
 	t.Run("cached branch resolves without fetching", func(t *testing.T) {
 		// Offline reuse of a cached branch must succeed even though ResolveRevision(input.Ref)
 		// finds no local refs/heads/<ref>.
+		hook.Reset()
 		err := NewGitCloneExecutor(NewGitCloneExecutorInput{
 			URL:         remoteDir,
 			Ref:         "main",
 			Dir:         cacheDir,
 			OfflineMode: true,
-		})(context.Background())
+		})(ctx)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, logMessages(hook), "Reused "+remoteDir+" at "+cacheDir+" (offline mode)")
 
 		out, err := exec.Command("git", "-C", cacheDir, "log", "--oneline", "-1", "--format=%s").Output()
 		require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -445,6 +451,14 @@ func TestGitCloneExecutorQuietDemotesCloneLine(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func logMessages(hook *logrustest.Hook) []string {
+	messages := []string{}
+	for _, entry := range hook.AllEntries() {
+		messages = append(messages, entry.Message)
+	}
+	return messages
+}
+
 func TestGitCloneExecutorShallow(t *testing.T) {
 	// Build a local "remote" with several commits on main plus a tag, so a full clone would pull noticeably more history than a shallow one.
 	remoteDir := t.TempDir()
diff --git a/internal/act/runner/action.go b/internal/act/runner/action.go
index cb93e013..ab2e572a 100644
--- a/internal/act/runner/action.go
+++ b/internal/act/runner/action.go
@@ -293,7 +293,9 @@ func removeGitIgnore(ctx context.Context, directory string) error {
 // same `act-dockeraction:latest` image on a shared docker daemon. A subsequent
 // repository would then silently run the image built for an earlier one.
 // Including the repository keeps the tag stable for caching within a repository
-// while preventing cross-repository collisions.
+// while preventing cross-repository collisions. A remote action needs the same
+// treatment, because its actionName is the shared checkout of its repository and
+// ref plus the action's path inside it.
 // See https://gitea.com/gitea/runner/issues/1039.
 func dockerActionImageTag(repository, actionName string, localAction bool) string {
 	name := actionName
@@ -302,11 +304,10 @@ func dockerActionImageTag(repository, actionName string, localAction bool) strin
 	}
 	// The human-readable name is sanitized by collapsing every non-alphanumeric character to "-".
 	sanitized := regexp.MustCompile("[^a-zA-Z0-9]").ReplaceAllString(name, "-")
-	if localAction {
-		// For local actions a short hash of the raw repository and action path is appended so the tag stays unique per repository.
-		sum := sha256.Sum256([]byte(repository + "\x00" + actionName))
-		sanitized += "-" + hex.EncodeToString(sum[:])[:12]
-	}
+	// Sanitizing is lossy, so a short hash of the raw repository and action path is appended, keeping
+	// the tag unique per repository and per action inside it.
+	sum := sha256.Sum256([]byte(repository + "\x00" + actionName))
+	sanitized += "-" + hex.EncodeToString(sum[:])[:12]
 	// "-dockeraction" ensures that "./", "./test " won't get converted to "act-:latest", "act-test-:latest" which are invalid docker image names
 	image := fmt.Sprintf("%s-dockeraction:%s", sanitized, "latest")
 	image = "act-" + strings.TrimLeft(image, "-")
diff --git a/internal/act/runner/action_test.go b/internal/act/runner/action_test.go
index 9de0d49c..fabe053c 100644
--- a/internal/act/runner/action_test.go
+++ b/internal/act/runner/action_test.go
@@ -496,11 +496,11 @@ func TestExecAsDockerHoldsCloneLockForRemoteUncached(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestDockerActionImageTag(t *testing.T) {
-	// Remote actions already carry a unique, ref-scoped actionName (the uses
-	// hash), so the tag must be left untouched for backwards compatibility.
-	assert.Equal(t,
-		"act-abc123-dockeraction:latest",
-		dockerActionImageTag("owner/repo", "abc123", false),
+	// A remote action's actionName is the checkout of its repository and ref plus its path inside it,
+	// and paths that sanitize alike share the readable prefix, so siblings must stay apart.
+	assert.NotEqual(t,
+		dockerActionImageTag("owner/repo", "abc123/a-b", false),
+		dockerActionImageTag("owner/repo", "abc123/a_b", false),
 	)
 
 	// Local actions keep a human-readable, repository-namespaced prefix and gain a short hash suffix that makes the tag unique per (repository, actionName).
diff --git a/internal/act/runner/job_executor_test.go b/internal/act/runner/job_executor_test.go
index db44762a..2f9568ec 100644
--- a/internal/act/runner/job_executor_test.go
+++ b/internal/act/runner/job_executor_test.go
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ func TestPrintPrepareActionsGolden(t *testing.T) {
 		&actionPreparerMock{reference: "actions/checkout@v7", sha: "9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0", ok: true},
 		// A resolved commit is best effort; the ref alone is reported when it is unknown.
 		&actionPreparerMock{reference: "actions/setup-go@v6", ok: true},
-		// A step that downloads nothing, such as the checkout of the workflow's own repository.
+		// A step that downloads nothing, such as the checkout of the workflow's own repository or a
+		// second step on an action the job already downloaded.
 		&actionPreparerMock{ok: false},
 	}
 	require.NoError(t, printPrepareActions(&RunContext{}, preparers)(ctx))
diff --git a/internal/act/runner/run_context.go b/internal/act/runner/run_context.go
index 8af9ee40..76c53fd9 100644
--- a/internal/act/runner/run_context.go
+++ b/internal/act/runner/run_context.go
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ type RunContext struct {
 	Parent              *RunContext
 	Masks               []string
 	cleanUpJobContainer common.Executor
-	caller              *caller // job calling this RunContext (reusable workflows)
+	caller              *caller           // job calling this RunContext (reusable workflows)
+	actionDownloads     map[string]string // resolved commit per action repository, downloaded once per job
 	// summaryFileInitialized tracks which per-step summary files (workflow/step-summary-N.md)
 	// have already been created on the JobContainer. The runner sets up file-command files
 	// via JobContainer.Copy at the start of every phase, which truncates them — fine for
@@ -1010,6 +1011,17 @@ func (rc *RunContext) topLevelRunContext() *RunContext {
 	return top
 }
 
+// downloadedActions returns the action repositories this job has downloaded, keyed by repository
+// and ref. Composite actions reach the job's map through their Parent chain, and a job runs its
+// steps one at a time, so the map needs no synchronization.
+func (rc *RunContext) downloadedActions() map[string]string {
+	top := rc.topLevelRunContext()
+	if top.actionDownloads == nil {
+		top.actionDownloads = map[string]string{}
+	}
+	return top.actionDownloads
+}
+
 // Executor returns a pipeline executor for all the steps in the job
 func (rc *RunContext) Executor() (common.Executor, error) {
 	var executor common.Executor
diff --git a/internal/act/runner/step_action_remote.go b/internal/act/runner/step_action_remote.go
index 71f9ec57..4942e657 100644
--- a/internal/act/runner/step_action_remote.go
+++ b/internal/act/runner/step_action_remote.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ type stepActionRemote struct {
 	remoteAction        *remoteAction
 	cacheDir            string
 	resolvedSha         string
+	downloaded          bool // this step fetched the action repository, rather than reusing a fetch of the job
 }
 
 var stepActionRemoteNewCloneExecutor = git.NewGitCloneExecutor
@@ -76,19 +77,28 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) prepareActionExecutor() common.Executor {
 				github.Token = sar.RunContext.Config.ReplaceGheActionTokenWithGithubCom
 			}
 		}
+
+		downloads := sar.RunContext.downloadedActions()
+		downloadKey := sar.downloadKey()
+
 		// Actions served from the action cache are read out of a git object store rather than a
 		// directory, so they never reach the bundle patch below and keep to the v1 cache API.
 		if sar.RunContext.Config.ActionCache != nil {
 			cache := sar.RunContext.Config.ActionCache
 
-			var err error
 			sar.cacheDir = fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", sar.remoteAction.Org, sar.remoteAction.Repo)
-			repoURL := sar.remoteAction.URL + "/" + sar.cacheDir
-			repoRef := sar.remoteAction.Ref
-			sar.resolvedSha, err = cache.Fetch(ctx, sar.cacheDir, repoURL, repoRef, github.Token)
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch \"%s\" version \"%s\": %w", repoURL, repoRef, err)
+			sha, downloaded := downloads[downloadKey]
+			if !downloaded {
+				var err error
+				repoURL := sar.remoteAction.URL + "/" + sar.cacheDir
+				repoRef := sar.remoteAction.Ref
+				if sha, err = cache.Fetch(ctx, sar.cacheDir, repoURL, repoRef, github.Token); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch \"%s\" version \"%s\": %w", repoURL, repoRef, err)
+				}
+				downloads[downloadKey] = sha
+				sar.downloaded = true
 			}
+			sar.resolvedSha = sha
 
 			remoteReader := func(ctx context.Context) actionYamlReader {
 				return func(filename string) (io.Reader, io.Closer, error) {
@@ -122,48 +132,53 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) prepareActionExecutor() common.Executor {
 		}
 
 		actionDir := sar.actionDir()
-		defaultActionURL := sar.RunContext.Config.DefaultActionURL()
-		// For Gitea
-		// A composite RunContext nils Config.Secrets, so getGitCloneToken would yield an
-		// empty token and clone the action anonymously (401 against the authenticated
-		// instance). github.Token survives the composite config copy and matches the
-		// top-level token; keep the shouldCloneURLUseToken host gate to avoid leaking it.
-		cloneURL := sar.remoteAction.CloneURL(defaultActionURL)
-		token := ""
-		if shouldCloneURLUseToken(sar.RunContext.Config.GitHubInstance, sar.RunContext.Config.trustedActionInstance(), cloneURL) {
-			token = github.Token
-		}
-		gitClone := stepActionRemoteNewCloneExecutor(git.NewGitCloneExecutorInput{
-			URL:         cloneURL,
-			Ref:         sar.remoteAction.Ref,
-			Dir:         actionDir,
-			Token:       token,
-			OfflineMode: sar.RunContext.Config.ActionOfflineMode,
-			Depth:       sar.RunContext.Config.ActionCloneDepth,
-			// printPrepareActions reports the download with its resolved commit.
-			Quiet: true,
-
-			InsecureSkipTLS: sar.cloneSkipTLS(), // For Gitea
-		})
 		var ntErr common.Executor
-		if err := gitClone(ctx); err != nil {
-			var refErr *git.Error
-			if errors.As(err, &refErr) && errors.Is(err, git.ErrShortRef) {
-				return fmt.Errorf("Unable to resolve action `%s`, the provided ref `%s` is the shortened version of a commit SHA, which is not supported. Please use the full commit SHA `%s` instead",
-					sar.Step.Uses, sar.remoteAction.Ref, refErr.Commit())
-			} else if errors.Is(err, gogit.ErrForceNeeded) { // TODO: figure out if it will be easy to shadow/alias go-git err's
-				ntErr = common.NewInfoExecutor("Non-terminating error while running 'git clone': %v", err)
-			} else {
-				return err
+		sha, downloaded := downloads[downloadKey]
+		if !downloaded {
+			// For Gitea
+			// A composite RunContext nils Config.Secrets, so getGitCloneToken would yield an
+			// empty token and clone the action anonymously (401 against the authenticated
+			// instance). github.Token survives the composite config copy and matches the
+			// top-level token; keep the shouldCloneURLUseToken host gate to avoid leaking it.
+			cloneURL := sar.remoteAction.CloneURL(sar.RunContext.Config.DefaultActionURL())
+			token := ""
+			if shouldCloneURLUseToken(sar.RunContext.Config.GitHubInstance, sar.RunContext.Config.trustedActionInstance(), cloneURL) {
+				token = github.Token
 			}
-		}
+			gitClone := stepActionRemoteNewCloneExecutor(git.NewGitCloneExecutorInput{
+				URL:         cloneURL,
+				Ref:         sar.remoteAction.Ref,
+				Dir:         actionDir,
+				Token:       token,
+				OfflineMode: sar.RunContext.Config.ActionOfflineMode,
+				Depth:       sar.RunContext.Config.ActionCloneDepth,
+				// printPrepareActions reports the download with its resolved commit.
+				Quiet: true,
 
-		// Best effort: the download report falls back to the ref alone when the commit is unknown.
-		if _, sha, err := git.FindGitRevision(ctx, actionDir); err != nil {
-			common.Logger(ctx).Debugf("unable to resolve the commit of %s: %v", sar.remoteAction.Reference(), err)
-		} else {
-			sar.resolvedSha = sha
+				InsecureSkipTLS: sar.cloneSkipTLS(), // For Gitea
+			})
+			if err := gitClone(ctx); err != nil {
+				var refErr *git.Error
+				if errors.As(err, &refErr) && errors.Is(err, git.ErrShortRef) {
+					return fmt.Errorf("Unable to resolve action `%s`, the provided ref `%s` is the shortened version of a commit SHA, which is not supported. Please use the full commit SHA `%s` instead",
+						sar.Step.Uses, sar.remoteAction.Ref, refErr.Commit())
+				} else if errors.Is(err, gogit.ErrForceNeeded) { // TODO: figure out if it will be easy to shadow/alias go-git err's
+					ntErr = common.NewInfoExecutor("Non-terminating error while running 'git clone': %v", err)
+				} else {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Best effort: the download report falls back to the ref alone when the commit is unknown.
+			if _, resolved, err := git.FindGitRevision(ctx, actionDir); err != nil {
+				common.Logger(ctx).Debugf("unable to resolve the commit of %s: %v", sar.remoteAction.Reference(), err)
+			} else {
+				sha = resolved
+			}
+			downloads[downloadKey] = sha
+			sar.downloaded = true
 		}
+		sar.resolvedSha = sha
 
 		remoteReader := func(ctx context.Context) actionYamlReader { //nolint:unparam // pre-existing issue from nektos/act
 			return func(filename string) (io.Reader, io.Closer, error) {
@@ -187,13 +202,14 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) prepareActionExecutor() common.Executor {
 	}
 }
 
-// actionDownloadInfo reports the action this step downloaded and the commit it resolved to. ok is
-// false when nothing was fetched, as for the local checkout of the workflow's own repository.
+// actionDownloadInfo reports the repository this step downloaded and the commit it resolved to. ok
+// is false when nothing was fetched, as for the local checkout of the workflow's own repository or
+// for an action another step of the job already downloaded.
 func (sar *stepActionRemote) actionDownloadInfo() (reference, sha string, ok bool) {
-	if sar.remoteAction == nil || sar.action == nil {
+	if sar.remoteAction == nil || sar.action == nil || !sar.downloaded {
 		return "", "", false
 	}
-	return sar.remoteAction.Reference(), sar.resolvedSha, true
+	return sar.remoteAction.RepoReference(), sar.resolvedSha, true
 }
 
 func (sar *stepActionRemote) pre() common.Executor {
@@ -234,21 +250,23 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) post() common.Executor {
 	return runStepExecutor(sar, stepStagePost, sar.revertToolkitOnFailure(runPostStep(sar))).If(hasPostStep(sar)).If(shouldRunPostStep(sar))
 }
 
-// toolkitBundles is the action directory and the entrypoints the toolkit may live in.
-func (sar *stepActionRemote) toolkitBundles() (string, []string) {
+// toolkitBundles is the repository's checkout, the action inside it, and the entrypoints the
+// toolkit may live in.
+func (sar *stepActionRemote) toolkitBundles() (dir, location string, scripts []string) {
 	if sar.remoteAction == nil {
-		return "", nil
+		return "", "", nil
 	}
-	dir := sar.actionDir()
-	return dir, actionScriptPaths(filepath.Join(dir, sar.remoteAction.Path), sar.action)
+	dir = sar.actionDir()
+	location = filepath.Join(dir, sar.remoteAction.Path)
+	return dir, location, actionScriptPaths(location, sar.action)
 }
 
 // patchActionToolkit edits the bundled toolkit so it works against Gitea: the artifact actions
 // stop refusing, and the cache client keeps to the cache server whichever API version it picks.
 func (sar *stepActionRemote) patchActionToolkit(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if sar.RunContext.Config.PatchToolkit {
-		dir, scripts := sar.toolkitBundles()
-		patchToolkit(ctx, dir, scripts)
+		dir, location, scripts := sar.toolkitBundles()
+		patchToolkit(ctx, dir, location, scripts)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -259,20 +277,21 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) revertToolkitOnFailure(exec common.Executor) common
 	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		err := exec(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
-			dir, scripts := sar.toolkitBundles()
-			revertToolkit(ctx, dir, scripts)
+			dir, location, scripts := sar.toolkitBundles()
+			revertToolkit(ctx, dir, location, scripts)
 		}
 		return err
 	}
 }
 
+// downloadKey is the clone URL and ref a step downloads, shared by every action path inside that
+// repository, and distinct per instance serving it.
+func (sar *stepActionRemote) downloadKey() string {
+	return sar.remoteAction.CloneURL(sar.RunContext.Config.DefaultActionURL()) + "@" + sar.remoteAction.Ref
+}
+
 func (sar *stepActionRemote) actionDir() string {
-	uses := sar.Step.Uses
-	if strings.HasPrefix(uses, selfRepoPrefix) {
-		// The same `$/x` names a different action per enclosing repo, so key the cache on what it resolved to.
-		uses = sar.remoteAction.URL + "/" + sar.remoteAction.Reference()
-	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", sar.RunContext.ActionCacheDir(), model.UsesHash(uses))
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", sar.RunContext.ActionCacheDir(), model.UsesHash(sar.downloadKey()))
 }
 
 func (sar *stepActionRemote) getRunContext() *RunContext {
@@ -388,11 +407,16 @@ func (ra *remoteAction) CloneURL(u string) string {
 // Reference renders the action as {org}/{repo}[/path]@{ref}, omitting the download source, which
 // can be interpolated from a secret.
 func (ra *remoteAction) Reference() string {
-	repo := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", ra.Org, ra.Repo)
-	if ra.Path != "" {
-		repo = fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", repo, ra.Path)
+	if ra.Path == "" {
+		return ra.RepoReference()
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s", repo, ra.Ref)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s@%s", ra.Org, ra.Repo, ra.Path, ra.Ref)
+}
+
+// RepoReference renders the downloaded repository as {org}/{repo}@{ref}, the unit actions/runner
+// downloads and reports, which carries no path inside the repository.
+func (ra *remoteAction) RepoReference() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s@%s", ra.Org, ra.Repo, ra.Ref)
 }
 
 func (ra *remoteAction) IsCheckout() bool {
diff --git a/internal/act/runner/step_action_remote_test.go b/internal/act/runner/step_action_remote_test.go
index e46b9424..8a5cdd2f 100644
--- a/internal/act/runner/step_action_remote_test.go
+++ b/internal/act/runner/step_action_remote_test.go
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ func (sarm *stepActionRemoteMocks) runAction(step actionStep, actionDir string,
 	return args.Get(0).(func(context.Context) error)
 }
 
+// actionDirMatcher matches the cache directory the step clones into, known once it resolved its `uses:`.
+func actionDirMatcher(sar *stepActionRemote) any {
+	return mock.MatchedBy(func(actionDir string) bool {
+		return actionDir == sar.actionDir()
+	})
+}
+
 func TestStepActionRemote(t *testing.T) {
 	table := []struct {
 		name      string
@@ -170,17 +177,11 @@ func TestStepActionRemote(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			sar.RunContext.ExprEval = sar.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 
-			suffixMatcher := func(suffix string) any {
-				return mock.MatchedBy(func(actionDir string) bool {
-					return strings.HasSuffix(actionDir, suffix)
-				})
-			}
-
 			if tt.mocks.read {
-				sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, suffixMatcher(sar.Step.UsesHash()), "", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
+				sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, actionDirMatcher(sar), "", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
 			}
 			if tt.mocks.run {
-				sarm.On("runAction", sar, suffixMatcher(sar.Step.UsesHash()), newRemoteAction(sar.Step.Uses)).Return(func(ctx context.Context) error { return tt.runError })
+				sarm.On("runAction", sar, actionDirMatcher(sar), newRemoteAction(sar.Step.Uses)).Return(func(ctx context.Context) error { return tt.runError })
 
 				cm.On("Copy", "/var/run/act", mock.AnythingOfType("[]*container.FileEntry")).Return(func(ctx context.Context) error {
 					return nil
@@ -266,13 +267,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemotePre(t *testing.T) {
 				readAction: sarm.readAction,
 			}
 
-			suffixMatcher := func(suffix string) any {
-				return mock.MatchedBy(func(actionDir string) bool {
-					return strings.HasSuffix(actionDir, suffix)
-				})
-			}
-
-			sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, suffixMatcher(sar.Step.UsesHash()), "path", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
+			sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, actionDirMatcher(sar), "path", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
 
 			err := sar.pre()(ctx)
 
@@ -284,6 +279,58 @@ func TestStepActionRemotePre(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestStepActionRemotePrepareDownloadsRepositoryOncePerJob(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	sarm := &stepActionRemoteMocks{}
+	cloned := 0
+
+	origNewCloneExecutor := stepActionRemoteNewCloneExecutor
+	stepActionRemoteNewCloneExecutor = func(git.NewGitCloneExecutorInput) common.Executor {
+		return func(context.Context) error {
+			cloned++
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		stepActionRemoteNewCloneExecutor = origNewCloneExecutor
+	}()
+
+	rc := newTestRC(&model.Workflow{Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"job1": {}}}, nil)
+	rc.Config.ActionCacheDir = t.TempDir()
+	rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
+
+	rootAction := &model.Action{Name: "root"}
+	subAction := &model.Action{Name: "sub"}
+	sarm.On("readAction", mock.Anything, mock.Anything, "", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(rootAction, nil).Times(3)
+	sarm.On("readAction", mock.Anything, mock.Anything, "sub", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(subAction, nil).Once()
+
+	steps := make([]*stepActionRemote, 0, 4)
+	for _, uses := range []string{"org/repo@v1", "org/repo@v1", "org/repo/sub@v1", "org/repo@v2"} {
+		sar := &stepActionRemote{
+			Step:       &model.Step{Uses: uses},
+			RunContext: rc,
+			readAction: sarm.readAction,
+		}
+		require.NoError(t, sar.prepareActionExecutor()(ctx))
+		steps = append(steps, sar)
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, cloned) // one per ref, shared by both paths of v1
+	assert.Same(t, rootAction, steps[1].action)
+	assert.Same(t, subAction, steps[2].action)
+	sarm.AssertExpectations(t)
+
+	reference, _, ok := steps[0].actionDownloadInfo()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+	assert.Equal(t, "org/repo@v1", reference)
+	for _, reusing := range steps[1:3] {
+		_, _, ok := reusing.actionDownloadInfo()
+		assert.False(t, ok)
+	}
+	_, _, ok = steps[3].actionDownloadInfo()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+}
+
 func TestStepActionRemotePreThroughAction(t *testing.T) {
 	table := []struct {
 		name      string
@@ -337,13 +384,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemotePreThroughAction(t *testing.T) {
 				readAction: sarm.readAction,
 			}
 
-			suffixMatcher := func(suffix string) any {
-				return mock.MatchedBy(func(actionDir string) bool {
-					return strings.HasSuffix(actionDir, suffix)
-				})
-			}
-
-			sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, suffixMatcher(sar.Step.UsesHash()), "path", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
+			sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, actionDirMatcher(sar), "path", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
 
 			err := sar.pre()(ctx)
 
@@ -413,13 +454,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemotePreThroughActionToken(t *testing.T) {
 				readAction: sarm.readAction,
 			}
 
-			suffixMatcher := func(suffix string) any {
-				return mock.MatchedBy(func(actionDir string) bool {
-					return strings.HasSuffix(actionDir, suffix)
-				})
-			}
-
-			sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, suffixMatcher(sar.Step.UsesHash()), "path", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
+			sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, actionDirMatcher(sar), "path", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
 
 			err := sar.pre()(ctx)
 
@@ -476,13 +511,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemoteUsesGitHubInstanceWhenDefaultActionInstanceEmpty(t *tes
 		},
 		readAction: sarm.readAction,
 	}
-
-	suffixMatcher := func(suffix string) any {
-		return mock.MatchedBy(func(actionDir string) bool {
-			return strings.HasSuffix(actionDir, suffix)
-		})
-	}
-	sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, suffixMatcher(sar.Step.UsesHash()), "", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
+	sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, actionDirMatcher(sar), "", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
 
 	require.NoError(t, sar.prepareActionExecutor()(ctx))
 	assert.Equal(t, "https://gitea.example/actions/setup-go", actualURL)
@@ -962,6 +991,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemoteActionDownloadInfo(t *testing.T) {
 			remoteAction: newRemoteAction("actions/checkout@v7"),
 			action:       &model.Action{},
 			resolvedSha:  "9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0",
+			downloaded:   true,
 		}
 
 		reference, sha, ok := sar.actionDownloadInfo()
@@ -1065,13 +1095,7 @@ func TestStepActionRemoteCloneTokenSurvivesNilSecrets(t *testing.T) {
 				readAction: sarm.readAction,
 			}
 			sar.RunContext.ExprEval = sar.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-
-			suffixMatcher := func(suffix string) any {
-				return mock.MatchedBy(func(actionDir string) bool {
-					return strings.HasSuffix(actionDir, suffix)
-				})
-			}
-			sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, suffixMatcher(sar.Step.UsesHash()), "", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
+			sarm.On("readAction", sar.Step, actionDirMatcher(sar), "", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&model.Action{}, nil)
 
 			err := sar.prepareActionExecutor()(ctx)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch.go b/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch.go
index a4f4b521..717a4075 100644
--- a/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch.go
+++ b/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch.go
@@ -111,11 +111,11 @@ func actionScriptPaths(dir string, action *model.Action) []string {
 // patchToolkit edits the toolkit in an action's bundles, keeping each original beside them. Every
 // failure is silent and leaves the bundle as it was, which costs the cache client the v2 API and
 // an artifact action nothing at all.
-func patchToolkit(ctx context.Context, actionDir string, scripts []string) {
+func patchToolkit(ctx context.Context, actionDir, actionLocation string, scripts []string) {
 	if len(scripts) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
-	if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(sidecarDir(actionDir), skipMarker)); err == nil {
+	if _, err := os.Stat(skipMarkerFor(actionDir, actionLocation)); err == nil {
 		return
 	}
 	defer git.AcquireCloneLock(actionDir)()
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func patchToolkit(ctx context.Context, actionDir string, scripts []string) {
 // revertToolkit puts the originals back and stops this action being patched again, so the next job
 // runs it exactly as shipped. Called when a step failed with a patched bundle; it does not re-run
 // the step, because a step's outputs and env-file writes are already recorded by then.
-func revertToolkit(ctx context.Context, actionDir string, scripts []string) {
+func revertToolkit(ctx context.Context, actionDir, actionLocation string, scripts []string) {
 	if len(scripts) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
@@ -150,16 +150,22 @@ func revertToolkit(ctx context.Context, actionDir string, scripts []string) {
 		}
 	}
 	if reverted {
-		_ = os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(sidecarDir(actionDir), skipMarker), nil, 0o600)
-		common.Logger(ctx).Warnf("actions toolkit: restored the original %s, it will not be patched again", filepath.Base(actionDir))
+		_ = os.WriteFile(skipMarkerFor(actionDir, actionLocation), nil, 0o600)
+		common.Logger(ctx).Warnf("actions toolkit: restored the original %s, it will not be patched again", filepath.Base(actionLocation))
 	}
 }
 
-// sidecarDir holds an action's untouched bundles, and the marker that stops it being patched.
+// sidecarDir holds a checkout's untouched bundles, and the markers that stop actions being patched.
 func sidecarDir(actionDir string) string {
 	return actionDir + sidecarSuffix
 }
 
+// skipMarkerFor stops one action being patched again. It sits among that action's own originals, so
+// a sibling action sharing the checkout keeps being patched.
+func skipMarkerFor(actionDir, actionLocation string) string {
+	return originalFor(actionDir, filepath.Join(actionLocation, skipMarker))
+}
+
 // originalFor is where a script's untouched copy lives, or "" for a script the action's own
 // `runs` keys placed outside its directory, which is not this runner's to rewrite.
 func originalFor(actionDir, script string) string {
diff --git a/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch_e2e_test.go b/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch_e2e_test.go
index edb0dfa5..2b442cd8 100644
--- a/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch_e2e_test.go
+++ b/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch_e2e_test.go
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ func patchedAction(t *testing.T, repo, ref, entrypoint string) string {
 	dir := tempDirPath(t)
 	script := filepath.Join(dir, filepath.Base(entrypoint))
 	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(script, body, 0o600))
-	patchToolkit(t.Context(), dir, []string{script})
+	patchToolkit(t.Context(), dir, dir, []string{script})
 	return script
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch_test.go b/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch_test.go
index 4ba2a66a..183a39e5 100644
--- a/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch_test.go
+++ b/internal/act/runner/toolkit_patch_test.go
@@ -234,18 +234,18 @@ func TestRevertToolkit(t *testing.T) {
 	dir, script := bundleFile(t, gateTSC)
 	scripts := []string{script}
 
-	patchToolkit(t.Context(), dir, scripts)
+	patchToolkit(t.Context(), dir, dir, scripts)
 	body, err := os.ReadFile(script)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.True(t, gateOpened(string(body)), "precondition: the bundle is patched")
 
-	revertToolkit(t.Context(), dir, scripts)
+	revertToolkit(t.Context(), dir, dir, scripts)
 	body, err = os.ReadFile(script)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, gateTSC, string(body), "the original bundle is back")
 
 	// The skip marker survives, so the action stays unpatched from now on.
-	patchToolkit(t.Context(), dir, scripts)
+	patchToolkit(t.Context(), dir, dir, scripts)
 	body, err = os.ReadFile(script)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, gateTSC, string(body), "a reverted action stays unpatched")
@@ -258,11 +258,11 @@ func TestPatchBundleAfterTheActionMoved(t *testing.T) {
 	original := originalFor(dir, script)
 	scripts := []string{script}
 
-	patchToolkit(t.Context(), dir, scripts)
+	patchToolkit(t.Context(), dir, dir, scripts)
 	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(script, []byte(gateWebpack), 0o600)) // the new version lands
 
 	// Reverting must not roll the action back to the version the original came from.
-	revertToolkit(t.Context(), dir, scripts)
+	revertToolkit(t.Context(), dir, dir, scripts)
 	body, err := os.ReadFile(script)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, gateWebpack, string(body))
@@ -282,25 +282,25 @@ func TestPatchBundleAfterTheActionMoved(t *testing.T) {
 // The wiring: a step patches its own bundles only when the runner serves the v2 API, and a step
 // that fails gets them back. The action's path inside its repository is part of where they live.
 func TestStepActionRemoteToolkitPatch(t *testing.T) {
-	newStep := func(t *testing.T, patch bool) (*stepActionRemote, string) {
+	newStep := func(t *testing.T, cacheDir, actionPath string, patch bool) (*stepActionRemote, string) {
 		t.Helper()
 
 		sar := &stepActionRemote{
-			Step:         &model.Step{Uses: "owner/repo/sub@v1"},
-			remoteAction: &remoteAction{Org: "owner", Repo: "repo", Path: "sub", Ref: "v1"},
+			Step:         &model.Step{Uses: "owner/repo/" + actionPath + "@v1"},
+			remoteAction: &remoteAction{Org: "owner", Repo: "repo", Path: actionPath, Ref: "v1"},
 			action:       &model.Action{Runs: model.ActionRuns{Using: "node20", Main: "index.js"}},
 			RunContext: &RunContext{
-				Config: &Config{ActionCacheDir: t.TempDir(), PatchToolkit: patch},
+				Config: &Config{ActionCacheDir: cacheDir, PatchToolkit: patch},
 			},
 		}
-		script := filepath.Join(sar.actionDir(), "sub", "index.js")
+		script := filepath.Join(sar.actionDir(), actionPath, "index.js")
 		require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(script), 0o755))
 		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(script, []byte(gateTSC), 0o600))
 		return sar, script
 	}
 
 	t.Run("left alone when the runner does not patch", func(t *testing.T) {
-		sar, script := newStep(t, false)
+		sar, script := newStep(t, t.TempDir(), "sub", false)
 		require.NoError(t, sar.patchActionToolkit(t.Context()))
 
 		body, err := os.ReadFile(script)
@@ -309,7 +309,8 @@ func TestStepActionRemoteToolkitPatch(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	t.Run("patched, and put back when the step fails", func(t *testing.T) {
-		sar, script := newStep(t, true)
+		cacheDir := t.TempDir()
+		sar, script := newStep(t, cacheDir, "sub", true)
 		require.NoError(t, sar.patchActionToolkit(t.Context()))
 
 		body, err := os.ReadFile(script)
@@ -322,5 +323,13 @@ func TestStepActionRemoteToolkitPatch(t *testing.T) {
 		body, err = os.ReadFile(script)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Equal(t, gateTSC, string(body))
+
+		// A sibling action shares the repository's checkout, and must not be marked off with it.
+		sibling, siblingScript := newStep(t, cacheDir, "other", true)
+		require.NoError(t, sibling.patchActionToolkit(t.Context()))
+
+		body, err = os.ReadFile(siblingScript)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.True(t, gateOpened(string(body)))
 	})
 }