diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 4961c4d..76eef83 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -2,17 +2,33 @@ name: CI
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ master ]
+    branches: [master]
   pull_request:
-    branches: [ master ]
+    branches: [master]
 
 jobs:
   statics:
     name: Static checks
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
-      - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
-      - uses: pre-commit/action@v2.0.3
+      - run: pipx run pre-commit run --all-files --show-diff-on-failure
+
+  # ponytail: guard-path smoke test only (no token/network); add a real
+  # sync test against a scratch fork if the push logic ever changes.
+  smoke:
+    name: Action wiring smoke test
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+      - name: Run without upstream_repository (expected to fail)
+        id: run
+        continue-on-error: true
+        uses: ./
+        with:
+          github_token: dummy
+          upstream_repository: ""
+      - name: Assert the action failed on missing input
+        run: '[ "${{ steps.run.outcome }}" = "failure" ]'
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 45eaa86..81ba5fc 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 repos:
 -   repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
-    rev: v4.2.0
+    rev: v6.0.0
     hooks:
     -   id: trailing-whitespace
     -   id: end-of-file-fixer
     -   id: check-yaml
-    -   id: debug-statements
 -   repo: https://github.com/shellcheck-py/shellcheck-py
-    rev: v0.8.0.4
+    rev: v0.11.0.1
     hooks:
     -   id: shellcheck
 -   repo: https://github.com/thlorenz/doctoc.git
-    rev: v2.1.0
+    rev: v2.5.0
     hooks:
     -   id: doctoc
         name: Add TOC for md files
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index dabddab..c4892d4 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -30,5 +30,15 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Determines if --tags is used'
     required: false
 runs:
-  using: 'node16'
-  main: 'start.js'
+  using: 'composite'
+  steps:
+    - run: "${GITHUB_ACTION_PATH}/start.sh"
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        INPUT_GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.github_token }}
+        INPUT_UPSTREAM_REPOSITORY: ${{ inputs.upstream_repository }}
+        INPUT_TARGET_REPOSITORY: ${{ inputs.target_repository }}
+        INPUT_UPSTREAM_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.upstream_branch }}
+        INPUT_TARGET_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.target_branch }}
+        INPUT_FORCE: ${{ inputs.force }}
+        INPUT_TAGS: ${{ inputs.tags }}
diff --git a/start.js b/start.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 6df08e4..0000000
--- a/start.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-const spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
-const path = require("path");
-
-const exec = (cmd, args=[]) => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    console.log(`Started: ${cmd} ${args.join(" ")}`);
-    const app = spawn(cmd, args, { stdio: 'inherit' });
-    app.on('close', code => {
-        if(code !== 0){
-            err = new Error(`Invalid status code: ${code}`);
-            err.code = code;
-            return reject(err);
-        };
-        return resolve(code);
-    });
-    app.on('error', reject);
-});
-
-const main = async () => {
-    await exec('bash', [path.join(__dirname, './start.sh')]);
-};
-
-main().catch(err => {
-    console.error(err);
-    console.error(err.stack);
-    process.exit(err.code || -1);
-});