diff --git a/modules/actions/jobparser/model.go b/modules/actions/jobparser/model.go
index 501633972b5..727b30da931 100644
--- a/modules/actions/jobparser/model.go
+++ b/modules/actions/jobparser/model.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"gitea.dev/modules/util"
 
@@ -173,17 +174,29 @@ func (j *Job) RunsOn() []string {
 }
 
 type Step struct {
-	ID               string            `yaml:"id,omitempty"`
-	If               yaml.Node         `yaml:"if,omitempty"`
-	Name             string            `yaml:"name,omitempty"`
-	Uses             string            `yaml:"uses,omitempty"`
-	Run              string            `yaml:"run,omitempty"`
-	WorkingDirectory string            `yaml:"working-directory,omitempty"`
-	Shell            string            `yaml:"shell,omitempty"`
-	Env              yaml.Node         `yaml:"env,omitempty"`
-	With             map[string]string `yaml:"with,omitempty"`
-	ContinueOnError  bool              `yaml:"continue-on-error,omitempty"`
-	TimeoutMinutes   string            `yaml:"timeout-minutes,omitempty"`
+	ID                 string            `yaml:"id,omitempty"`
+	If                 yaml.Node         `yaml:"if,omitempty"`
+	Name               string            `yaml:"name,omitempty"`
+	Uses               string            `yaml:"uses,omitempty"`
+	Run                string            `yaml:"run,omitempty"`
+	WorkingDirectory   string            `yaml:"working-directory,omitempty"`
+	Shell              string            `yaml:"shell,omitempty"`
+	Env                yaml.Node         `yaml:"env,omitempty"`
+	With               map[string]string `yaml:"with,omitempty"`
+	RawContinueOnError yaml.Node         `yaml:"continue-on-error,omitempty"` // raw: the runner evaluates it with the steps context
+	TimeoutMinutes     string            `yaml:"timeout-minutes,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// UnmarshalYAML canonicalizes booleans like continue-on-error
+func (s *Step) UnmarshalYAML(node *yaml.Node) error {
+	type rawStep Step
+	if err := node.Decode((*rawStep)(s)); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if raw := &s.RawContinueOnError; raw.Tag == "!!bool" {
+		raw.Value = strings.ToLower(raw.Value)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // String gets the name of step
diff --git a/modules/actions/jobparser/roundtrip_test.go b/modules/actions/jobparser/roundtrip_test.go
index ae4fa4dee2e..400b8ccd455 100644
--- a/modules/actions/jobparser/roundtrip_test.go
+++ b/modules/actions/jobparser/roundtrip_test.go
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 package jobparser
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"testing"
 
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/model"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -62,3 +64,42 @@ jobs:
 	require.Len(t, gotJob.Steps, 1)
 	require.Equal(t, wantRun, gotJob.Steps[0].Run, "round-trip must preserve run content; got payload:\n%s", payload)
 }
+
+// Typing a step's continue-on-error as a bool used to reject the whole `jobs:` node.
+func TestSingleWorkflowRoundTripStepContinueOnError(t *testing.T) {
+	const wf = `name: demo
+on: push
+jobs:
+  job1:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - id: quarantine
+        run: echo "q=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+      - run: exit 1
+        continue-on-error: ${{ steps.quarantine.outputs.q == 'true' }}
+      - run: exit 1
+        continue-on-error: true
+      - run: exit 1
+        continue-on-error: TRUE
+      - run: exit 1
+        continue-on-error: false
+      - run: exit 1
+        continue-on-error: yes
+`
+	want := []string{"", "${{ steps.quarantine.outputs.q == 'true' }}", "true", "true", "false", "yes"}
+
+	sws, err := Parse([]byte(wf))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, sws, 1)
+
+	payload, err := sws[0].Marshal()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	rw, err := model.ReadWorkflow(bytes.NewReader(payload))
+	require.NoError(t, err, "payload:\n%s", payload)
+	steps := rw.Jobs["job1"].Steps
+	require.Len(t, steps, len(want))
+	for i, w := range want {
+		require.Equal(t, w, steps[i].RawContinueOnError, "step %d, payload:\n%s", i, payload)
+	}
+}