diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3c863b5..43a7578 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -685,6 +685,11 @@
     "configuration": {
       "title": "GitHub Local Actions",
       "properties": {
+        "githubLocalActions.actCommand": {
+          "markdownDescription": "The base `nektos/act` command to be called. By default, this will be `act` (requires the binary to be on your `PATH`). If the binary is not on your `PATH`, the command should be fully qualified. If `act` is installed as a GitHub CLI extension, this command should be set to `gh act`.",
+          "type": "string",
+          "default": "act"
+        },
         "githubLocalActions.dockerDesktopPath": {
           "type": "string",
           "markdownDescription": "The path to your Docker Desktop executable (used for Windows and MacOS). To start Docker Engine from the `Components` view, this application will be launched. Refer to the default path based on OS:\n\n* **Windows**: `C:/Program Files/Docker/Docker/Docker Desktop.exe`\n\n* **MacOS**: `/Applications/Docker.app`",
diff --git a/src/act.ts b/src/act.ts
index dc84b68..f604325 100644
--- a/src/act.ts
+++ b/src/act.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as path from "path";
 import sanitize from "sanitize-filename";
 import { ExtensionContext, ShellExecution, TaskGroup, TaskPanelKind, TaskRevealKind, tasks, TaskScope, Uri, window, workspace, WorkspaceFolder } from "vscode";
 import { ComponentsManager } from "./componentsManager";
+import { ConfigurationManager, Section } from "./configurationManager";
 import { componentsTreeDataProvider, historyTreeDataProvider } from './extension';
 import { HistoryManager, HistoryStatus } from './historyManager';
 import { SecretManager } from "./secretManager";
@@ -66,7 +67,8 @@ export interface CommandArgs {
 }
 
 export class Act {
-    private static base: string = 'act';
+    static command: string = 'act';
+    static githubCliCommand: string = 'gh act';
     context: ExtensionContext;
     storageManager: StorageManager;
     secretManager: SecretManager;
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ export class Act {
                     'Chocolatey': 'choco install act-cli',
                     'Winget': 'winget install nektos.act',
                     'Scoop': 'scoop install act',
-                    'GitHub CLI': 'gh extension install https://github.com/nektos/gh-act'
+                    'GitHub CLI': 'gh auth status || gh auth login && gh extension install https://github.com/nektos/gh-act'
                 };
 
                 this.prebuiltExecutables = {
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ export class Act {
                     'Homebrew': 'brew install act',
                     'Nix': 'nix run nixpkgs#act',
                     'MacPorts': 'sudo port install act',
-                    'GitHub CLI': 'gh extension install https://github.com/nektos/gh-act'
+                    'GitHub CLI': 'gh auth status || gh auth login && gh extension install https://github.com/nektos/gh-act'
                 };
 
                 this.prebuiltExecutables = {
@@ -121,7 +123,7 @@ export class Act {
                     'Nix': 'nix run nixpkgs#act',
                     'AUR': 'yay -Syu act',
                     'COPR': 'dnf copr enable goncalossilva/act && dnf install act-cli',
-                    'GitHub CLI': 'gh extension install https://github.com/nektos/gh-act'
+                    'GitHub CLI': 'gh auth status || gh auth login && gh extension install https://github.com/nektos/gh-act'
                 };
 
                 this.prebuiltExecutables = {
@@ -158,9 +160,15 @@ export class Act {
         });
 
         // Refresh components view after installation
-        tasks.onDidEndTask(e => {
+        tasks.onDidEndTask(async e => {
             const taskDefinition = e.execution.task.definition;
             if (taskDefinition.type === 'nektos/act installation') {
+                if (taskDefinition.ghCliInstall) {
+                    await ConfigurationManager.set(Section.actCommand, Act.githubCliCommand);
+                } else {
+                    await ConfigurationManager.set(Section.actCommand, Act.command);
+                }
+
                 componentsTreeDataProvider.refresh();
             }
         });
@@ -214,6 +222,10 @@ export class Act {
         });
     }
 
+    static getActCommand() {
+        return ConfigurationManager.get<string>(Section.actCommand) || Act.command;
+    }
+
     async runAllWorkflows(workspaceFolder: WorkspaceFolder) {
         return await this.runCommand({
             path: workspaceFolder.uri.fsPath,
@@ -305,10 +317,11 @@ export class Act {
         } catch (error: any) { }
 
         // Build command with settings
+        const actCommand = Act.getActCommand();
         const settings = await this.settingsManager.getSettings(workspaceFolder, true);
         const command =
             `set -o pipefail; ` +
-            `${Act.base} ${commandArgs.options}` +
+            `${actCommand} ${commandArgs.options}` +
             (settings.secrets.length > 0 ? ` ${Option.Secret} ${settings.secrets.map(secret => secret.key).join(` ${Option.Secret} `)}` : ``) +
             (settings.secretFiles.length > 0 ? ` ${Option.SecretFile} "${settings.secretFiles[0].path}"` : ` ${Option.SecretFile} ""`) +
             (settings.variables.length > 0 ? ` ${Option.Variable} ${settings.variables.map(variable => (variable.value ? `${variable.key}=${variable.value}` : variable.key)).join(` ${Option.Variable} `)}` : ``) +
@@ -368,7 +381,7 @@ export class Act {
             await tasks.executeTask({
                 name: 'nektos/act',
                 detail: 'Install nektos/act',
-                definition: { type: 'nektos/act installation' },
+                definition: { type: 'nektos/act installation', ghCliInstall: command.includes('gh-act') },
                 source: 'GitHub Local Actions',
                 scope: TaskScope.Workspace,
                 isBackground: true,
diff --git a/src/componentsManager.ts b/src/componentsManager.ts
index d3400e2..acdaaeb 100644
--- a/src/componentsManager.ts
+++ b/src/componentsManager.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import * as childProcess from "child_process";
 import { commands, env, extensions, QuickPickItemKind, ShellExecution, TaskGroup, TaskPanelKind, TaskRevealKind, tasks, TaskScope, ThemeIcon, Uri, window } from "vscode";
+import { Act } from "./act";
 import { ConfigurationManager, Platform, Section } from "./configurationManager";
 import { act, componentsTreeDataProvider } from "./extension";
 import ComponentsTreeDataProvider from "./views/components/componentsTreeDataProvider";
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ export class ComponentsManager {
     async getComponents(): Promise<Component<CliStatus | ExtensionStatus>[]> {
         const components: Component<CliStatus | ExtensionStatus>[] = [];
 
-        const actCliInfo = await this.getCliInfo('act --version', /act version (.+)/, false, false);
+        const actCliInfo = await this.getCliInfo(`${Act.getActCommand()} --version`, /act version (.+)/, false, false);
         components.push({
             name: 'nektos/act',
             icon: 'terminal',
diff --git a/src/configurationManager.ts b/src/configurationManager.ts
index bf047bc..e6c8c84 100644
--- a/src/configurationManager.ts
+++ b/src/configurationManager.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { ConfigurationTarget, workspace } from 'vscode';
+import { Act } from './act';
 
 export enum Platform {
     windows = 'win32',
@@ -7,6 +8,7 @@ export enum Platform {
 }
 
 export enum Section {
+    actCommand = 'actCommand',
     dockerDesktopPath = 'dockerDesktopPath'
 }
 
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ export namespace ConfigurationManager {
     export const group: string = 'githubLocalActions';
     export const searchPrefix: string = '@ext:sanjulaganepola.github-local-actions';
 
-    export function initialize(): void {
+    export async function initialize(): Promise<void> {
         let dockerDesktopPath = ConfigurationManager.get<string>(Section.dockerDesktopPath);
         if (!dockerDesktopPath) {
             switch (process.platform) {
@@ -28,7 +30,12 @@ export namespace ConfigurationManager {
                     return;
             }
 
-            ConfigurationManager.set(Section.dockerDesktopPath, dockerDesktopPath);
+            await ConfigurationManager.set(Section.dockerDesktopPath, dockerDesktopPath);
+        }
+
+        let actCommand = ConfigurationManager.get<string>(Section.actCommand);
+        if (!actCommand) {
+            await ConfigurationManager.set(Section.actCommand, Act.command);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index c39afb8..7aa315c 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
 	ConfigurationManager.initialize();
 	workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration(async event => {
 		if (event.affectsConfiguration(ConfigurationManager.group)) {
-			ConfigurationManager.initialize();
+			await ConfigurationManager.initialize();
+			componentsTreeDataProvider.refresh();
 		}
 	});