diff --git a/act/model/workflow.go b/act/model/workflow.go
index a8d167e2..7bec7666 100644
--- a/act/model/workflow.go
+++ b/act/model/workflow.go
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ func (w *Workflow) GetJobIDs() []string {
 }
 
 var OnDecodeNodeError = func(node yaml.Node, out interface{}, err error) {
-	log.Fatalf("Failed to decode node %v into %T: %v", node, out, err)
+	log.Errorf("Failed to decode node %v into %T: %v", node, out, err)
 }
 
 func decodeNode(node yaml.Node, out interface{}) bool {
diff --git a/act/model/workflow_test.go b/act/model/workflow_test.go
index 9f219ee7..d2539063 100644
--- a/act/model/workflow_test.go
+++ b/act/model/workflow_test.go
@@ -153,6 +153,25 @@ jobs:
 	assert.Contains(t, workflow.On(), "pull_request")
 }
 
+func TestReadWorkflow_DecodeNodeError(t *testing.T) {
+	yaml := `
+on:
+  push:
+
+jobs:
+  test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: echo
+        env:
+          foo: {{ a }}
+`
+
+	workflow, err := ReadWorkflow(strings.NewReader(yaml))
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "read workflow should succeed")
+	assert.Nil(t, workflow.GetJob("test").Steps[0].GetEnv())
+}
+
 func TestReadWorkflow_RunsOnLabels(t *testing.T) {
 	yaml := `
 name: local-action-docker-url