diff --git a/composite/action.yml b/composite/action.yml
index 61721ee3..1d38ef5c 100644
--- a/composite/action.yml
+++ b/composite/action.yml
@@ -152,67 +152,22 @@ inputs:
 outputs:
   json:
     description: "Test results as JSON"
-    value: ${{ steps.linux.outputs.json || steps.macos.outputs.json || steps.windows.outputs.json }}
+    value: ${{ steps.run.outputs.json }}
 
 runs:
   using: 'composite'
   steps:
     - name: Check OS
-      # env.RUNNER_OS is not available in if condition of steps
-      run: echo "OS=$RUNNER_OS" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+      run: |
+        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH: $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH"
+        cp -rv $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/.. ./enricomi-publish-action-proxy
+        $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/proxy.sh > ./enricomi-publish-action-proxy/action.yml
+        cat ./enricomi-publish-action-proxy/action.yml
       shell: bash
 
-    - name: Run on Linux
-      id: linux
-      if: startsWith(env.OS, 'Linux')
-      uses: ./../linux
-      with:
-        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.github_token }}
-        GITHUB_TOKEN_ACTOR: ${{ inputs.github_token_actor }}
-        GITHUB_RETRIES: ${{ inputs.github_retries }}
-        COMMIT: ${{ inputs.commit }}
-        CHECK_NAME: ${{ inputs.check_name }}
-        COMMENT_TITLE: ${{ inputs.comment_title }}
-        COMMENT_MODE: ${{ inputs.comment_mode }}
-        FAIL_ON: ${{ inputs.fail_on }}
-        ACTION_FAIL: ${{ inputs.action_fail }}
-        ACTION_FAIL_ON_INCONCLUSIVE: ${{ inputs.action_fail_on_inconclusive }}
-        FILES: ${{ inputs.files }}
-        JUNIT_FILES: ${{ inputs.junit_files }}
-        NUNIT_FILES: ${{ inputs.nunit_files }}
-        XUNIT_FILES: ${{ inputs.xunit_files }}
-        TRX_FILES: ${{ inputs.trx_files }}
-        TIME_UNIT: ${{ inputs.time_unit }}
-        TEST_FILE_PREFIX: ${{ inputs.test_file_prefix }}
-        REPORT_INDIVIDUAL_RUNS: ${{ inputs.report_individual_runs }}
-        REPORT_SUITE_LOGS: ${{ inputs.report_suite_logs }}
-        DEDUPLICATE_CLASSES_BY_FILE_NAME: ${{ inputs.deduplicate_classes_by_file_name }}
-        LARGE_FILES: ${{ inputs.large_files }}
-        IGNORE_RUNS: ${{ inputs.ignore_runs }}
-        COMPARE_TO_EARLIER_COMMIT: ${{ inputs.compare_to_earlier_commit }}
-        PULL_REQUEST_BUILD: ${{ inputs.pull_request_build }}
-        EVENT_FILE: ${{ inputs.event_file }}
-        EVENT_NAME: ${{ inputs.event_name }}
-        TEST_CHANGES_LIMIT: ${{ inputs.test_changes_limit }}
-        CHECK_RUN_ANNOTATIONS: ${{ inputs.check_run_annotations }}
-        CHECK_RUN_ANNOTATIONS_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.check_run_annotations_branch }}
-        SECONDS_BETWEEN_GITHUB_READS: ${{ inputs.seconds_between_github_reads }}
-        SECONDS_BETWEEN_GITHUB_WRITES: ${{ inputs.seconds_between_github_writes }}
-        SECONDARY_RATE_LIMIT_WAIT_SECONDS: ${{ inputs.secondary_rate_limit_wait_seconds }}
-        JSON_FILE: ${{ inputs.json_file }}
-        JSON_THOUSANDS_SEPARATOR: ${{ inputs.json_thousands_separator }}
-        JSON_SUITE_DETAILS: ${{ inputs.json_suite_details }}
-        JSON_TEST_CASE_RESULTS: ${{ inputs.json_test_case_results }}
-        CHECK_RUN: ${{ inputs.check_run }}
-        JOB_SUMMARY: ${{ inputs.job_summary }}
-        SEARCH_PULL_REQUESTS: ${{ inputs.search_pull_requests }}
-        ROOT_LOG_LEVEL: ${{ inputs.root_log_level }}
-        LOG_LEVEL: ${{ inputs.log_level }}
-
-    - name: Run on macOS
-      id: macos
-      if: startsWith(env.OS, 'macOS')
-      uses: ./../macos
+    - name: Run
+      id: run
+      uses: ./enricomi-publish-action-proxy
       with:
         GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.github_token }}
         GITHUB_TOKEN_ACTOR: ${{ inputs.github_token_actor }}
@@ -256,59 +211,9 @@ runs:
         ROOT_LOG_LEVEL: ${{ inputs.root_log_level }}
         LOG_LEVEL: ${{ inputs.log_level }}
 
-    - name: Run on Windows
-      id: windows
-      if: startsWith(env.OS, 'Windows')
-      # this general composite action requires Bash shell, so this calls into windows/bash as well
-      uses: ./../windows/bash
-      with:
-        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.github_token }}
-        GITHUB_TOKEN_ACTOR: ${{ inputs.github_token_actor }}
-        GITHUB_RETRIES: ${{ inputs.github_retries }}
-        COMMIT: ${{ inputs.commit }}
-        CHECK_NAME: ${{ inputs.check_name }}
-        COMMENT_TITLE: ${{ inputs.comment_title }}
-        COMMENT_MODE: ${{ inputs.comment_mode }}
-        FAIL_ON: ${{ inputs.fail_on }}
-        ACTION_FAIL: ${{ inputs.action_fail }}
-        ACTION_FAIL_ON_INCONCLUSIVE: ${{ inputs.action_fail_on_inconclusive }}
-        FILES: ${{ inputs.files }}
-        JUNIT_FILES: ${{ inputs.junit_files }}
-        NUNIT_FILES: ${{ inputs.nunit_files }}
-        XUNIT_FILES: ${{ inputs.xunit_files }}
-        TRX_FILES: ${{ inputs.trx_files }}
-        TIME_UNIT: ${{ inputs.time_unit }}
-        TEST_FILE_PREFIX: ${{ inputs.test_file_prefix }}
-        REPORT_INDIVIDUAL_RUNS: ${{ inputs.report_individual_runs }}
-        REPORT_SUITE_LOGS: ${{ inputs.report_suite_logs }}
-        DEDUPLICATE_CLASSES_BY_FILE_NAME: ${{ inputs.deduplicate_classes_by_file_name }}
-        LARGE_FILES: ${{ inputs.large_files }}
-        IGNORE_RUNS: ${{ inputs.ignore_runs }}
-        COMPARE_TO_EARLIER_COMMIT: ${{ inputs.compare_to_earlier_commit }}
-        PULL_REQUEST_BUILD: ${{ inputs.pull_request_build }}
-        EVENT_FILE: ${{ inputs.event_file }}
-        EVENT_NAME: ${{ inputs.event_name }}
-        TEST_CHANGES_LIMIT: ${{ inputs.test_changes_limit }}
-        CHECK_RUN_ANNOTATIONS: ${{ inputs.check_run_annotations }}
-        CHECK_RUN_ANNOTATIONS_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.check_run_annotations_branch }}
-        SECONDS_BETWEEN_GITHUB_READS: ${{ inputs.seconds_between_github_reads }}
-        SECONDS_BETWEEN_GITHUB_WRITES: ${{ inputs.seconds_between_github_writes }}
-        SECONDARY_RATE_LIMIT_WAIT_SECONDS: ${{ inputs.secondary_rate_limit_wait_seconds }}
-        JSON_FILE: ${{ inputs.json_file }}
-        JSON_THOUSANDS_SEPARATOR: ${{ inputs.json_thousands_separator }}
-        JSON_SUITE_DETAILS: ${{ inputs.json_suite_details }}
-        JSON_TEST_CASE_RESULTS: ${{ inputs.json_test_case_results }}
-        CHECK_RUN: ${{ inputs.check_run }}
-        JOB_SUMMARY: ${{ inputs.job_summary }}
-        SEARCH_PULL_REQUESTS: ${{ inputs.search_pull_requests }}
-        ROOT_LOG_LEVEL: ${{ inputs.root_log_level }}
-        LOG_LEVEL: ${{ inputs.log_level }}
-
-    - name: Run on unsupported Operating System
-      if: steps.linux.outcome == 'skipped' && steps.macos.outcome == 'skipped' && steps.windows.outcome == 'skipped'
-      run: |
-        echo "::error::Unsupported operating system: $RUNNER_OS"
-        exit 1
+    - name: Clean up
+      if: always()
+      run: rm -rf ./enricomi-publish-action-proxy
       shell: bash
 
 branding:
diff --git a/composite/proxy.sh b/composite/proxy.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..6789d195
--- /dev/null
+++ b/composite/proxy.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+case "$RUNNER_OS" in
+  Linux*)
+    action="linux"
+    ;;
+  macOS*)
+    action="macos"
+    ;;
+  Windows*)
+    action="windows/bash"
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "::error::Unsupported operating system: $RUNNER_OS"
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+esac
+
+in_runs=false
+in_check=false
+in_run=false
+in_cleanup=false
+
+while IFS= read -r line
+do
+  if [ "$line" == "runs:" ]; then in_runs=true
+  elif [ $in_runs == true ] && [[ "$line" == *"- name: Check OS" ]]; then in_check=true
+  elif [ $in_runs == true ] && [[ "$line" == *"- name: Run" ]]; then in_check=false; in_run=true
+  elif [ $in_runs == true ] && [[ "$line" == *"- name: Clean up" ]]; then in_run=false; in_cleanup=true
+  elif [ "$line" == "branding:" ]; then in_cleanup=false
+  fi
+
+  if [ $in_run == true ] && [[ "$line" == *" uses: "* ]]; then
+    # use $action in uses: ...
+    echo "${line/%:*/: ./enricomi-publish-action-proxy/$action}"
+  elif [ $in_check != true ] && [ $in_cleanup != true ] && ( [ $in_run != true ] || [[ "$line" != *" if:"* ]] ); then
+    echo "$line"
+  fi
+done < "$GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/action.yml"
diff --git a/linux/action.yml b/linux/action.yml
index cfcd9a2c..6de7e9eb 100644
--- a/linux/action.yml
+++ b/linux/action.yml
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ runs:
       run: |
         echo '::group::Check for Python3'
 
+        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH: $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH"
+
         # we check version here just to execute `python3` with an argument
         # on Windows, there is a `python3.exe` that is a proxy to trigger installation from app store
         # command `which python3` finds that, but `python3 -V` does not return the version on stdout
diff --git a/python/test/test_action_yml.py b/python/test/test_action_yml.py
index 2832e10e..27a26ce7 100644
--- a/python/test/test_action_yml.py
+++ b/python/test/test_action_yml.py
@@ -67,13 +67,15 @@ def do_test_composite_action(self, action: str):
             # the 'composite' composite action is just a proxy to the os-specific actions, it forwards inputs via 'with'
             steps = [step for step in steps
                      if 'name' in step
-                     and step.get('name').startswith('Run on ')
+                     and step.get('name').startswith('Run')
                      and step.get('name') != 'Run on unsupported Operating System']
             inputs_key = 'with'
         else:
             # the other composite actions forward inputs via env
             steps = [step for step in steps if step.get('name') == 'Publish Test Results']
             inputs_key = 'env'
+
+        self.assertTrue(len(steps) > 0)
         for step in steps:
             self.assertIn(inputs_key, step, step.get('name'))
             inputs = {key.upper(): value for key, value in step.get(inputs_key, {}).items()}
@@ -91,3 +93,9 @@ def do_test_composite_action(self, action: str):
                                   if step.get('uses', '').startswith('actions/cache/restore@'))
                 self.assertEqual(expected_hash, cache_hash, msg='Changing python/requirements.txt requires '
                                                                 'to update the MD5 hash in composite/action.yaml')
+
+    def test_proxy_action(self):
+        # TODO
+        # run RUNNER_OS=Linux|Windows|macOS GITHUB_ACTION_PATH=... composite/proxy.sh
+        # and compare with python/test/files/proxy.yml
+        pass