diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index af71c57..120332f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
-
   version:
     runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
     steps:
@@ -219,6 +218,27 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
+  shell:
+    runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: "Test shell"
+        id: test-shell
+        uses: ./
+        with:
+          shell: 'container | from alpine | with-exec echo,-n,"hello world!" | stdout'
+      - name: "Test shell (check)"
+        run: |
+          target='${{ steps.test-shell.outputs.output }}'
+          result='hello world!'
+          if [[ "$target" == "$result" ]]; then
+            echo "matches"
+            exit 0
+          else
+            echo "does not match"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
   nocall:
     runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
     steps:
@@ -228,4 +248,3 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Test Install"
         run: |
           dagger core version
-
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ea2f8eb..a462d27 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Usage Examples
 
-### `dagger call` (default)
+### `dagger call`
 
 ```yaml
 - name: Hello
@@ -14,6 +14,16 @@
     version: "latest"  # semver x.y.z
 ```
 
+### `dagger shell`
+
+```yaml
+- name: Hello
+  uses: dagger/dagger-for-github@8.0.0
+  with:
+    shell: container | from alpine | with-exec echo,"hello, world!" | stdout
+    cloud-token: ${{ secrets.DAGGER_CLOUD_TOKEN }}
+```
+
 ### `dagger run`
 
 ```yaml
@@ -43,5 +53,6 @@ By setting the version to `latest`, this action will install the latest version
 | `cloud-token`  | Dagger Cloud Token                                          | false    | ''                 |
 | `module`       | Dagger module to call. Local or Git                         | false    | ''                 |
 | `args`         | Arguments to pass to CLI                                    | false    | ''                 |
-| `call`         | Arguments to pass to CLI (Alias for args)                   | false    | ''                 |
+| `call`         | Arguments to pass to CLI (Alias for args with verb:call)    | false    | ''                 |
+| `shell`        | Arguments to pass to CLI (Alias for args with verb:shell)   | false    | ''                 |
 | `engine-stop`  | Whether to stop the Dagger Engine after this run            | false    | 'true'             |
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 03191cf..d47f23b 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ inputs:
     description: "Function and arguments for dagger call"
     required: false
     default: ""
+  shell:
+    description: "Function and arguments for dagger shell"
+    required: false
+    default: ""
 outputs:
   output:
     description: "Job output"
@@ -75,8 +79,25 @@ runs:
         curl -fsS https://dl.dagger.io/dagger/install.sh \
         | BIN_DIR=${prefix_dir}/bin DAGGER_VERSION="$VERSION" DAGGER_COMMIT="$COMMIT" sh
 
+    - id: assemble
+      if: inputs.call != '' || inputs.shell != '' || inputs.args != ''
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        INPUT_MODULE: ${{ inputs.module }}
+      run: |
+        verb=${{ inputs.verb }}
+        shell=$(echo '${{ toJSON(inputs.shell) }}' | jq -rj .)
+        if [[ -n "${{ inputs.call }}" ]]; then
+          verb="call"
+        elif [[ "$shell" != "" ]]; then
+          verb=""
+          script=$(mktemp)
+          printf '%s' "$shell" > $script
+        fi
+        echo "script=$script" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+        echo "verb=$verb" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
     - id: exec
-      if: inputs.call != '' || inputs.args != ''
+      if: inputs.call != '' || inputs.shell != '' || inputs.args != ''
       shell: bash
       env:
         INPUT_MODULE: ${{ inputs.module }}
@@ -87,9 +108,9 @@ runs:
         DAGGER_CLOUD_TOKEN=${{ inputs.cloud-token }} \
         dagger \
         ${{ inputs.dagger-flags }} \
-        ${{ inputs.verb }} \
+        ${{ steps.assemble.outputs.verb }} \
         ${INPUT_MODULE:+-m $INPUT_MODULE} \
-        ${{ inputs.args || inputs.call }}; } 1> >(tee "${tmpout}") 2> >(tee "${tmperr}" >&2)
+        ${{ inputs.args || inputs.call || steps.assemble.outputs.script }}; } 1> >(tee "${tmpout}") 2> >(tee "${tmperr}" >&2)
 
         {
           # we need a delim that doesn't appear in the output - a hash of the