diff --git a/pkg/runner/job_executor.go b/pkg/runner/job_executor.go
index 4ae77879..88c227fe 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/job_executor.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/job_executor.go
@@ -130,17 +130,29 @@ func newJobExecutor(info jobInfo, sf stepFactory, rc *RunContext) common.Executo
 
 func setJobResult(ctx context.Context, info jobInfo, rc *RunContext, success bool) {
 	logger := common.Logger(ctx)
+
 	jobResult := "success"
-	jobResultMessage := "succeeded"
+	// we have only one result for a whole matrix build, so we need
+	// to keep an existing result state if we run a matrix
+	if len(info.matrix()) > 0 && rc.Run.Job().Result != "" {
+		jobResult = rc.Run.Job().Result
+	}
+
 	if !success {
 		jobResult = "failure"
-		jobResultMessage = "failed"
 	}
+
 	info.result(jobResult)
 	if rc.caller != nil {
 		// set reusable workflow job result
 		rc.caller.runContext.result(jobResult)
 	}
+
+	jobResultMessage := "succeeded"
+	if jobResult != "success" {
+		jobResultMessage = "failed"
+	}
+
 	logger.WithField("jobResult", jobResult).Infof("\U0001F3C1  Job %s", jobResultMessage)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/runner/runner_test.go b/pkg/runner/runner_test.go
index 5cf48375..ceae70c5 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/runner_test.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/runner_test.go
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ func TestRunEvent(t *testing.T) {
 		{workdir, "remote-action-js", "push", "", map[string]string{"ubuntu-latest": "catthehacker/ubuntu:runner-latest"}, secrets}, // Test if this works with non root container
 		{workdir, "matrix", "push", "", platforms, secrets},
 		{workdir, "matrix-include-exclude", "push", "", platforms, secrets},
+		{workdir, "matrix-exitcode", "push", "Job 'test' failed", platforms, secrets},
 		{workdir, "commands", "push", "", platforms, secrets},
 		{workdir, "workdir", "push", "", platforms, secrets},
 		{workdir, "defaults-run", "push", "", platforms, secrets},
diff --git a/pkg/runner/testdata/matrix-exitcode/push.yml b/pkg/runner/testdata/matrix-exitcode/push.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0f5d3352
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/runner/testdata/matrix-exitcode/push.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+name: test
+
+on: push
+
+jobs:
+  test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        val: ["success", "failure"]
+      fail-fast: false
+    steps:
+      - name: test
+        run: |
+          echo "Expected job result: ${{ matrix.val }}"
+          [[ "${{ matrix.val }}" = "success" ]] || exit 1