diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 53c6a06..a59883d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -112,11 +112,35 @@ jobs:
       DOCKER_USER: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_USER }}
       DOCKER_PASS: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASS }}
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - name: Build image & push to Docker Hub
         run: ./build.sh
 ```
 
+Alternatively you may skip the local `build.sh` script and use this repository
+as a step action directly.
+
+```yaml
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # needs: test # you can declare a `test` job and uncomment this to test the app before building
+    env:
+      DOCKER_REPOSITORY: 'dockerhub_org/dockerhub_repo'
+      DOCKER_USER: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_USER }}
+      DOCKER_PASS: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASS }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: manastech/ci-docker-builder@<sha1>
+        # with:
+        #   skip-login: <true|false>
+        #   repository: ""
+        #   repository-suffix: ""
+        #   tag-suffix: ""
+        #   build-directory: ""
+        #   build-options: ""
+```
+
 ## Functions
 
 ### `dockerSetup [--skip-login]`
@@ -152,7 +176,9 @@ It can receive these optional arguments:
 
   * `-r <repo>`: Override the repository where the image is pushed
   * `-s <suffix>`: Override the repository by adding a suffix to the one specified by the environment variable
+  * `-t <suffix>`: Append a suffix to the image tags (e.g. `-next`)
   * `-d <dir>`: Build from the specified directory
+  * `-o "<options>"`: Options to directly pass to the docker build command
 
 This function can be called several times to build different images within the same build. For example:
 
diff --git a/action.js b/action.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5002d07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/action.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+const process = require("process")
+const { spawn } = require("child_process")
+const fs = require("fs")
+
+// basic implementation of @action/core.getInput()
+function getInput(name) {
+  return process.env[`INPUT_${name.toUpperCase()}`].trim()
+}
+
+// collect action inputs:
+let setupOpts = []
+if (getInput("skip-login") === "true") setupOpts.push("--skip-login")
+
+let buildOpts = [], value
+if ((value = getInput("repository")) !== "")        buildOpts.push(`-r ${value}`)
+if ((value = getInput("repository-suffix")) !== "") buildOpts.push(`-s ${value}`)
+if ((value = getInput("tag-suffix")) !== "")        buildOpts.push(`-t ${value}`)
+if ((value = getInput("build-directory")) !== "")   buildOpts.push(`-d ${value}`)
+if ((value = getInput("build-options")) !== "")     buildOpts.push(`-o "${value}"`)
+
+// generate a local build.sh script:
+fs.writeFileSync("build.sh", `#! bash
+source ${__dirname}/build.sh
+dockerSetup ${setupOpts.join(" ")}
+echo $VERSION > VERSION
+dockerBuildAndPush ${buildOpts.join(" ")}
+`)
+
+// execute it:
+const build = spawn("bash", ["build.sh"], { maxBuffer: 100 * 1024 * 1024 })
+build.stdout.on("data", data => { process.stdout.write(data) })
+build.stderr.on("data", data => { process.stderr.write(data) })
+build.on("error", error => { console.error(error) })
+build.on("exit", code => { process.exit(code) })
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9cf1c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Metadata for the GitHub Action
+name: CI Docker Builder
+author: Manas
+description: Build and publish Docker image(s)
+
+inputs:
+  skip-login:
+    type: boolean
+
+  repository:
+    type: string
+
+  repository-suffix:
+    type: string
+
+  tag-suffix:
+    type: string
+
+  build-directory:
+    type: string
+
+  build-options:
+    type: string
+
+runs:
+  using: node16
+  main: action.js
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 3321a5f..97add9e
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ dockerSetup() {
         VERSION="dev-${COMMIT::7} (build $BUILD_NUMBER)"
         DOCKER_TAG="dev"
         ;;
-      
+
       "$STABLE_BRANCH")
         VERSION="rc-${COMMIT::7} (build $BUILD_NUMBER)"
         DOCKER_TAG="rc"
@@ -116,8 +116,10 @@ dockerBuildAndPush() {
   local REPO=$DOCKER_REPOSITORY
   local DIR="."
   local OPTIND
+  local TAG_SUFFIX
+  local BUILD_OPTS
 
-  while getopts ":r:d:s:" opt "$@"; do
+  while getopts ":r:d:s:t:o:" opt "$@"; do
     case ${opt} in
       r)
         REPO=$OPTARG
@@ -131,21 +133,30 @@ dockerBuildAndPush() {
         DIR=$OPTARG
         ;;
 
+      t)
+        TAG_SUFFIX=$OPTARG
+        ;;
+
+      o)
+        BUILD_OPTS=$OPTARG
+        ;;
+
       *)
         ;;
     esac
   done
 
-  local IMAGE="${REPO}:${DOCKER_TAG}"
+  local IMAGE="${REPO}:${DOCKER_TAG}${TAG_SUFFIX}"
 
   echo "Building image ${IMAGE} from ${DIR}"
-  docker build -t "${IMAGE}" "${DIR}"
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+  docker build ${BUILD_OPTS} -t "${IMAGE}" "${DIR}"
 
   echo "Pushing ${IMAGE}"
   docker push "${IMAGE}"
 
   if [[ -n "$EXTRA_DOCKER_TAG" ]]; then
-    __dockerTagAndPush "$EXTRA_DOCKER_TAG"
+    __dockerTagAndPush "${EXTRA_DOCKER_TAG}${TAG_SUFFIX}"
   fi
 
   if [[ -n "$DOCKER_TAG_AS_LATEST" ]]; then
diff --git a/test/test-suite.sh b/test/test-suite.sh
index 6285ed0..7c02e70 100644
--- a/test/test-suite.sh
+++ b/test/test-suite.sh
@@ -83,18 +83,6 @@ testMainAsDefaultDevelopmentBranch() {
   assertNull "${DOCKER_CALLS[1]}"
 }
 
-testStableBranchDoesNotHaveADefault() {
-  branch "stable"
-  dockerSetup > /dev/null
-
-  assertEquals "0" "$?"
-  assertNull "$VERSION"
-  assertNull "$DOCKER_TAG"
-  assertNull "$EXTRA_DOCKER_TAG"
-  assertNull "$DOCKER_TAG_AS_LATEST"
-  assertNull "${DOCKER_CALLS[0]}"
-}
-
 testCustomStableBranch() {
   branch "stable"
   STABLE_BRANCH=stable dockerSetup > /dev/null
@@ -168,6 +156,30 @@ testBuildWithExtraTagAndLatest() {
   assertNull "${DOCKER_CALLS[6]}"
 }
 
+testBuildWithTagSuffix() {
+  DOCKER_TAG="tag"
+  EXTRA_DOCKER_TAG="extra"
+  DOCKER_TAG_AS_LATEST="true"
+  dockerBuildAndPush -t "-next" > /dev/null
+
+  assertEquals "build -t repository:tag-next ." "${DOCKER_CALLS[0]}"
+  assertEquals "push repository:tag-next" "${DOCKER_CALLS[1]}"
+  assertEquals "tag repository:tag-next repository:extra-next" "${DOCKER_CALLS[2]}"
+  assertEquals "push repository:extra-next" "${DOCKER_CALLS[3]}"
+  assertEquals "tag repository:tag-next repository:latest" "${DOCKER_CALLS[4]}"
+  assertEquals "push repository:latest" "${DOCKER_CALLS[5]}"
+  assertNull "${DOCKER_CALLS[6]}"
+}
+
+testBuildWithBuildOptions() {
+  DOCKER_TAG="tag"
+  dockerBuildAndPush -o "--build-arg gemfile=Gemfile.next" > /dev/null
+
+  assertEquals "build --build-arg gemfile=Gemfile.next -t repository:tag ." "${DOCKER_CALLS[0]}"
+  assertEquals "push repository:tag" "${DOCKER_CALLS[1]}"
+  assertNull "${DOCKER_CALLS[2]}"
+}
+
 testBuildCustomRepo() {
   DOCKER_TAG="tag"
   dockerBuildAndPush -r myrepo > /dev/null