diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 1211ae7..cd9955f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -123,9 +123,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run integration test 9 - run with no Dockerfiles
         # This should not fail if no Dockerfiles are found in the path
         # especially if git change deletes Dockerfile
-        uses: testdata/test_empty_dir
+        uses: ./
         with:
-          dockerfile: ""
+          dockerfile: testdata/test_empty_dir
           failure-threshold: error
           recursive: true
 
diff --git a/hadolint.sh b/hadolint.sh
index d28035d..01f4d70 100755
--- a/hadolint.sh
+++ b/hadolint.sh
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@
 # checkout (outside the Docker container running hadolint). We copy
 # problem-matcher.json to the home folder.
 
+# idable cheks for undefined env vars, in here mostly githu env vars
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+
 PROBLEM_MATCHER_FILE="/problem-matcher.json"
-if [ -f "$PROBLEM_MATCHER_FILE" ]; then
-  cp "$PROBLEM_MATCHER_FILE" "$HOME/"
+if [[ -f "${PROBLEM_MATCHER_FILE}" ]]; then
+  cp "${PROBLEM_MATCHER_FILE}" "${HOME}/"
 fi
 # After the run has finished we remove the problem-matcher.json from
 # the repository so we don't leave the checkout dirty. We also remove
@@ -16,52 +19,60 @@ cleanup() {
 }
 trap cleanup EXIT
 
-echo "::add-matcher::$HOME/problem-matcher.json"
+echo "::add-matcher::${HOME}/problem-matcher.json"
 
-if [ -n "$HADOLINT_CONFIG" ]; then
+if [[ -n "${HADOLINT_CONFIG}" ]]; then
   HADOLINT_CONFIG="-c ${HADOLINT_CONFIG}"
 fi
 
-if [ -z "$HADOLINT_TRUSTED_REGISTRIES" ]; then
+if [[ -z "${HADOLINT_TRUSTED_REGISTRIES}" ]]; then
   unset HADOLINT_TRUSTED_REGISTRIES
 fi
 
-COMMAND="hadolint $HADOLINT_CONFIG"
+COMMAND="hadolint ${HADOLINT_CONFIG}"
 
-if [ "$HADOLINT_RECURSIVE" = "true" ]; then
+if [[ "${HADOLINT_RECURSIVE}" = "true" ]]; then
   shopt -s globstar
 
   filename="${!#}"
   flags="${*:1:$#-1}"
 
-  RESULTS=$(eval "$COMMAND $flags" -- **/"$filename")
+  # do not run if no Dockerfiles fund (non-existent or git delete)
+  if find "${filename}" -type f -print0 | grep -q -z Dockerfile; then
+    RESULTS=$(eval "${COMMAND} ${flags}" -- **/"${filename}")
+  else
+    RESULTS=''
+    echo "No new/changed Dockerfiles detected, skipping processing";
+  fi
+
 else
   flags=$*
-  RESULTS=$(eval "$COMMAND" "$flags")
+  RESULTS=$(eval "${COMMAND}" "${flags}")
 fi
 FAILED=$?
 
-if [ -n "$HADOLINT_OUTPUT" ]; then
-  if [ -f "$HADOLINT_OUTPUT" ]; then
-    HADOLINT_OUTPUT="$TMP_FOLDER/$HADOLINT_OUTPUT"
+if [[ -n "${HADOLINT_OUTPUT}" ]]; then
+  if [[ -f "${HADOLINT_OUTPUT}" ]]; then
+    HADOLINT_OUTPUT="${TMP_FOLDER}/${HADOLINT_OUTPUT}"
   fi
-  echo "$RESULTS" >"$HADOLINT_OUTPUT"
+  echo "${RESULTS}" >"${HADOLINT_OUTPUT}"
 fi
 
 RESULTS="${RESULTS//$'\\n'/''}"
 
 {
   echo "results<<EOF"
-  echo "$RESULTS"
+  echo "${RESULTS}"
   echo "EOF"
-} >>"$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+} >>"${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
 
 {
   echo "HADOLINT_RESULTS<<EOF"
-  echo "$RESULTS"
+  echo "${RESULTS}"
   echo "EOF"
-} >>"$GITHUB_ENV"
+} >>"${GITHUB_ENV}"
 
-[ -z "$HADOLINT_OUTPUT" ] || echo "Hadolint output saved to: $HADOLINT_OUTPUT"
+[[ -z "${HADOLINT_OUTPUT}" ]] || echo "Hadolint output saved to: ${HADOLINT_OUTPUT}"
 
-exit $FAILED
+# shellcheck disable=SC2248
+exit ${FAILED}
diff --git a/testdata/test_empty_dir/README.md b/testdata/test_empty_dir/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68ebc4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/test_empty_dir/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+This directory is intentionally empty.
+
+It is used by the test suite to verify that hadolint action is not executed
+if processed directory does not contain any Dockerfile.