diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 16718a7a4..bb662e4fe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ jobs:
 | `disable-spellchecker` | Optional | `false` | Whether to disable spellchecker - `true` or `false`. |
 | `disable-linux-hw-accel` | Optional | `auto` | Whether to disable hardware acceleration on Linux machines - `true`, `false` or `auto`.|
 | `enable-hw-keyboard` | Optional | `false` | Whether to enable hardware keyboard - `true` or `false`. |
+| `keep-running` | Optional | `false` | Whether to keep the emulator running after the script so subsequent steps in the same job can use it - `true` or `false`. |
 | `emulator-build` | Optional | N/A | Build number of a specific version of the emulator binary to use e.g. `6061023` for emulator v29.3.0.0. |
 | `working-directory` | Optional | `./` | A custom working directory - e.g. `./android` if your root Gradle project is under the `./android` sub-directory within your repository. Will be used for `script` & `pre-emulator-launch-script`. |
 | `ndk` | Optional | N/A | Version of NDK to install - e.g. `21.0.6113669` |
diff --git a/__tests__/input-validator.test.ts b/__tests__/input-validator.test.ts
index 068501208..d9cc55fe5 100644
--- a/__tests__/input-validator.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/input-validator.test.ts
@@ -190,6 +190,27 @@ describe('enable-hw-keyboard validator tests', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('keep-running validator tests', () => {
+  it('Throws if keep-running is not a boolean', () => {
+    const func = () => {
+      validator.checkKeepRunning('yes');
+    };
+    expect(func).toThrowError(`Input for input.keep-running should be either 'true' or 'false'.`);
+  });
+
+  it('Validates successfully if keep-running is either true or false', () => {
+    const func1 = () => {
+      validator.checkKeepRunning('true');
+    };
+    expect(func1).not.toThrow();
+
+    const func2 = () => {
+      validator.checkKeepRunning('false');
+    };
+    expect(func2).not.toThrow();
+  });
+});
+
 describe('emulator-build validator tests', () => {
   it('Throws if emulator-build is not a number', () => {
     const func = () => {
diff --git a/action-types.yml b/action-types.yml
index 49bcc51be..a9b8c0fed 100644
--- a/action-types.yml
+++ b/action-types.yml
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ inputs:
    type: string
   enable-hw-keyboard:
    type: boolean
+  keep-running:
+   type: boolean
   emulator-build:
    type: string
   working-directory:
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 4f9767ce6..636a3b2bd 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ inputs:
   enable-hw-keyboard:
     description: 'whether to enable hardware keyboard - `true` or `false`.'
     default: 'false'
+  keep-running:
+    description: 'whether to keep the emulator running after the script so subsequent steps can use it - `true` or `false`.'
+    default: 'false'
   emulator-build:
     description: 'build number of a specific version of the emulator binary to use - e.g. `6061023` for emulator v29.3.0.0'
   working-directory:
diff --git a/lib/input-validator.js b/lib/input-validator.js
index 7a69636dd..9afc600a8 100644
--- a/lib/input-validator.js
+++ b/lib/input-validator.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ exports.checkDisableAnimations = checkDisableAnimations;
 exports.checkDisableSpellchecker = checkDisableSpellchecker;
 exports.checkDisableLinuxHardwareAcceleration = checkDisableLinuxHardwareAcceleration;
 exports.checkEnableHardwareKeyboard = checkEnableHardwareKeyboard;
+exports.checkKeepRunning = checkKeepRunning;
 exports.checkEmulatorBuild = checkEmulatorBuild;
 exports.checkDiskSize = checkDiskSize;
 exports.MIN_API_LEVEL = 15;
@@ -69,6 +70,11 @@ function checkEnableHardwareKeyboard(enableHardwareKeyboard) {
         throw new Error(`Input for input.enable-hw-keyboard should be either 'true' or 'false'.`);
     }
 }
+function checkKeepRunning(keepRunning) {
+    if (!isValidBoolean(keepRunning)) {
+        throw new Error(`Input for input.keep-running should be either 'true' or 'false'.`);
+    }
+}
 function checkEmulatorBuild(emulatorBuild) {
     if (isNaN(Number(emulatorBuild)) || !Number.isInteger(Number(emulatorBuild))) {
         throw new Error(`Unexpected emulator build: '${emulatorBuild}'.`);
diff --git a/lib/main.js b/lib/main.js
index 98f640469..eb978c89b 100644
--- a/lib/main.js
+++ b/lib/main.js
@@ -135,6 +135,11 @@ async function run() {
         (0, input_validator_1.checkEnableHardwareKeyboard)(enableHardwareKeyboardInput);
         const enableHardwareKeyboard = enableHardwareKeyboardInput === 'true';
         console.log(`enable hardware keyboard: ${enableHardwareKeyboard}`);
+        // keep the emulator running after the script so subsequent steps can use it
+        const keepRunningInput = core.getInput('keep-running');
+        (0, input_validator_1.checkKeepRunning)(keepRunningInput);
+        const keepRunning = keepRunningInput === 'true';
+        console.log(`keep running: ${keepRunning}`);
         // emulator build
         const emulatorBuildInput = core.getInput('emulator-build');
         if (emulatorBuildInput) {
@@ -220,8 +225,18 @@ async function run() {
         catch (error) {
             core.setFailed(error instanceof Error ? error.message : error);
         }
-        // finally kill the emulator
-        await (0, emulator_manager_1.killEmulator)(port);
+        // finally kill the emulator, unless the caller asked to keep it running
+        if (keepRunning) {
+            // Leave the emulator running for subsequent workflow steps. The backgrounded
+            // emulator inherits this process's stdio, so the node event loop will not drain
+            // on its own — force-exit to let the action finish, propagating any exit code
+            // core.setFailed already set (e.g. when the custom script failed) so failures
+            // are not masked as success.
+            process.exit(process.exitCode ?? 0);
+        }
+        else {
+            await (0, emulator_manager_1.killEmulator)(port);
+        }
     }
     catch (error) {
         // kill the emulator so the action can exit
diff --git a/src/input-validator.ts b/src/input-validator.ts
index 2fd0c6237..f6aad4718 100644
--- a/src/input-validator.ts
+++ b/src/input-validator.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ export function checkEnableHardwareKeyboard(enableHardwareKeyboard: string): voi
   }
 }
 
+export function checkKeepRunning(keepRunning: string): void {
+  if (!isValidBoolean(keepRunning)) {
+    throw new Error(`Input for input.keep-running should be either 'true' or 'false'.`);
+  }
+}
+
 export function checkEmulatorBuild(emulatorBuild: string): void {
   if (isNaN(Number(emulatorBuild)) || !Number.isInteger(Number(emulatorBuild))) {
     throw new Error(`Unexpected emulator build: '${emulatorBuild}'.`);
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index a6c787e74..67a5b05a4 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   checkForceAvdCreation,
   checkChannel,
   checkEnableHardwareKeyboard,
+  checkKeepRunning,
   checkDiskSize,
   checkPort,
   playstoreTargetSubstitution,
@@ -134,6 +135,12 @@ async function run() {
     const enableHardwareKeyboard = enableHardwareKeyboardInput === 'true';
     console.log(`enable hardware keyboard: ${enableHardwareKeyboard}`);
 
+    // keep the emulator running after the script so subsequent steps can use it
+    const keepRunningInput = core.getInput('keep-running');
+    checkKeepRunning(keepRunningInput);
+    const keepRunning = keepRunningInput === 'true';
+    console.log(`keep running: ${keepRunning}`);
+
     // emulator build
     const emulatorBuildInput = core.getInput('emulator-build');
     if (emulatorBuildInput) {
@@ -229,8 +236,17 @@ async function run() {
       core.setFailed(error instanceof Error ? error.message : (error as string));
     }
 
-    // finally kill the emulator
-    await killEmulator(port);
+    // finally kill the emulator, unless the caller asked to keep it running
+    if (keepRunning) {
+      // Leave the emulator running for subsequent workflow steps. The backgrounded
+      // emulator inherits this process's stdio, so the node event loop will not drain
+      // on its own — force-exit to let the action finish, propagating any exit code
+      // core.setFailed already set (e.g. when the custom script failed) so failures
+      // are not masked as success.
+      process.exit(process.exitCode ?? 0);
+    } else {
+      await killEmulator(port);
+    }
   } catch (error) {
     // kill the emulator so the action can exit
     await killEmulator(port);