diff --git a/lib/entry-points.js b/lib/entry-points.js
index 0bb4be3dd..7350b2065 100644
--- a/lib/entry-points.js
+++ b/lib/entry-points.js
@@ -166098,6 +166098,11 @@ var toolrunner = __toESM(require_toolrunner());
 var github = __toESM(require_github());
 var io2 = __toESM(require_io());
 
+// src/config/action-config.ts
+function hasConfigKey(config, key) {
+  return config[key] !== void 0;
+}
+
 // src/environment.ts
 var core = __toESM(require_core());
 function getRequiredEnvVar(env, paramName) {
@@ -170208,6 +170213,9 @@ function getWorkflowEvent(env = getEnv()) {
   }
 }
 async function printDebugLogs(config) {
+  if (!hasConfigKey(config, "languages") || !hasConfigKey(config, "dbLocation")) {
+    return;
+  }
   for (const language of config.languages) {
     const databaseDirectory = getCodeQLDatabasePath(config, language);
     const logsDirectory = path2.join(databaseDirectory, "log");
@@ -175118,6 +175126,12 @@ async function getConfig(tempDir, logger2) {
   const configFile = getPathToParsedConfigFile(tempDir);
   return readConfigFile(logger2, configFile);
 }
+function getAbortedInitConfig(action, tempDir) {
+  if (action.name !== "init-post" /* InitPost */) {
+    return void 0;
+  }
+  return readConfigFile(action.logger, getPathToFailedConfigFile(tempDir));
+}
 async function generateRegistries(registriesInput, tempDir, logger2) {
   const registries = parseRegistries(registriesInput);
   let registriesAuthTokens;
@@ -186963,14 +186977,14 @@ async function uploadFailureInfo(uploadAllAvailableDebugArtifacts, printDebugLog
       );
     }
   }
-  if (config.debugMode) {
+  if (config.debugMode && hasConfigKey(config, "dbLocation")) {
     logger2.info(
       "Debug mode is on. Uploading available database bundles and logs as Actions debugging artifacts..."
     );
     await uploadAllAvailableDebugArtifacts(codeql, config, logger2);
     await printDebugLogs2(config);
   }
-  if (isSelfHostedRunner()) {
+  if (isSelfHostedRunner() && config.dbLocation) {
     try {
       fs30.rmSync(config.dbLocation, {
         recursive: true,
@@ -187006,7 +187020,7 @@ function isConclusiveJobStatus(jobStatus) {
   }
 }
 async function recordOverlayStatus(codeql, config, features, jobStatus, env, logger2) {
-  if (config.overlayDatabaseMode !== "overlay-base" /* OverlayBase */ || env.getOptional("CODEQL_ACTION_ANALYZE_DID_COMPLETE_SUCCESSFULLY" /* ANALYZE_DID_COMPLETE_SUCCESSFULLY */) === "true" || !await features.getValue("overlay_analysis_status_save" /* OverlayAnalysisStatusSave */)) {
+  if (config.overlayDatabaseMode !== "overlay-base" /* OverlayBase */ || env.getOptional("CODEQL_ACTION_ANALYZE_DID_COMPLETE_SUCCESSFULLY" /* ANALYZE_DID_COMPLETE_SUCCESSFULLY */) === "true" || !await features.getValue("overlay_analysis_status_save" /* OverlayAnalysisStatusSave */) || config.languages === void 0) {
     return;
   }
   if (!isConclusiveJobStatus(jobStatus) && !didCodeQlReportError(env)) {
@@ -187120,6 +187134,9 @@ async function run4(action) {
     restoreInputs(logger2);
     const tmpDir = getTemporaryDirectory();
     config = await getConfig(tmpDir, logger2);
+    if (config === void 0) {
+      config = getAbortedInitConfig(action, tmpDir);
+    }
     const gitHubVersion = config?.gitHubVersion ?? await getGitHubVersion();
     checkGitHubVersionInRange(gitHubVersion, logger2);
     const repositoryNwo = getRepositoryNwo();
@@ -187129,7 +187146,7 @@ async function run4(action) {
       getTemporaryDirectory(),
       logger2
     );
-    if (config === void 0) {
+    if (config?.codeQLCmd === void 0) {
       logger2.warning(
         "Debugging artifacts are unavailable since the 'init' Action failed before it could produce any."
       );
@@ -187146,7 +187163,7 @@ async function run4(action) {
         getEnv(),
         logger2
       );
-      if (await isAnalyzingDefaultBranch() && config.dependencyCachingEnabled !== "none" /* None */) {
+      if (await isAnalyzingDefaultBranch() && hasConfigKey(config, "dependencyCachingEnabled") && config.dependencyCachingEnabled !== "none" /* None */) {
         dependencyCachingUsage = await getDependencyCacheUsage(logger2);
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/actions-util.ts b/src/actions-util.ts
index ea9a119ed..e43abbb0b 100644
--- a/src/actions-util.ts
+++ b/src/actions-util.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import * as toolrunner from "@actions/exec/lib/toolrunner";
 import * as github from "@actions/github";
 import * as io from "@actions/io";
 
-import type { Config } from "./config-utils";
+import { hasConfigKey, type Config } from "./config/action-config";
 import { Env, EnvVar, ActionsEnvVars, ReadOnlyEnv } from "./environment";
 import { Logger } from "./logging";
 import {
@@ -131,7 +131,14 @@ export function getWorkflowEvent(env: Env = getEnv()): any {
   }
 }
 
-export async function printDebugLogs(config: Config) {
+export async function printDebugLogs(config: Partial<Config>) {
+  if (
+    !hasConfigKey(config, "languages") ||
+    !hasConfigKey(config, "dbLocation")
+  ) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   for (const language of config.languages) {
     const databaseDirectory = getCodeQLDatabasePath(config, language);
     const logsDirectory = path.join(databaseDirectory, "log");
diff --git a/src/analyze.ts b/src/analyze.ts
index 4eeb447e1..4d5fd5354 100644
--- a/src/analyze.ts
+++ b/src/analyze.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { getTemporaryDirectory } from "./actions-util";
 import * as analyses from "./analyses";
 import { setupCppAutobuild } from "./autobuild";
 import { type CodeQL } from "./codeql";
+import type { ActionConfig } from "./config/action-config";
 import { defaultSuites } from "./config/db-config";
 import * as configUtils from "./config-utils";
 import {
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ async function shouldExtractLanguage(
 }
 
 export function dbIsFinalized(
-  config: configUtils.Config,
+  config: ActionConfig<"dbLocation">,
   language: Language,
   logger: Logger,
 ) {
diff --git a/src/config/action-config.ts b/src/config/action-config.ts
index 1024c6fec..110b3665a 100644
--- a/src/config/action-config.ts
+++ b/src/config/action-config.ts
@@ -143,6 +143,14 @@ export type ActionConfig<
   T extends ActionConfigProperties = ActionConfigProperties,
 > = Partial<Config> & Pick<Config, T>;
 
+/** Helper function to check whether `config` has `key` to narrow the type of `config`. */
+export function hasConfigKey<Key extends ActionConfigProperties>(
+  config: Partial<Config>,
+  key: Key,
+): config is ActionConfig<Key> {
+  return config[key] !== undefined;
+}
+
 /** A minimal configuration that we can make available even when `init` aborts. */
 export type AbortedInitConfig = ActionConfig<
   | "version"
diff --git a/src/debug-artifacts.ts b/src/debug-artifacts.ts
index 70c9a0ebd..56497f14e 100644
--- a/src/debug-artifacts.ts
+++ b/src/debug-artifacts.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { getOptionalInput, getTemporaryDirectory } from "./actions-util";
 import { dbIsFinalized } from "./analyze";
 import { scanArtifactsForTokens } from "./artifact-scanner";
 import { type CodeQL } from "./codeql";
-import { Config } from "./config-utils";
+import type { ActionConfig } from "./config/action-config";
 import { EnvVar, exportEnvVar } from "./environment";
 import * as json from "./json";
 import { Language } from "./languages";
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ export async function uploadCombinedSarifArtifacts(
  * @return The path to that debug artifact, or undefined if an error occurs.
  */
 function tryPrepareSarifDebugArtifact(
-  config: Config,
+  config: ActionConfig<"dbLocation">,
   language: Language,
   logger: Logger,
 ): string | undefined {
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ function tryPrepareSarifDebugArtifact(
  */
 async function tryBundleDatabase(
   codeql: CodeQL,
-  config: Config,
+  config: ActionConfig<"dbLocation">,
   language: Language,
   logger: Logger,
 ): Promise<string | undefined> {
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ async function tryBundleDatabase(
   }
 }
 
+/** The minimal configuration needed for `tryUploadAllAvailableDebugArtifacts`. */
+export type UploadDebugArtifactsConfig = ActionConfig<
+  "languages" | "gitHubVersion" | "dbLocation" | "debugArtifactName"
+>;
+
 /**
  * Attempt to upload all available debug artifacts.
  *
@@ -164,7 +169,7 @@ async function tryBundleDatabase(
  */
 export async function tryUploadAllAvailableDebugArtifacts(
   codeql: CodeQL,
-  config: Config,
+  config: UploadDebugArtifactsConfig,
   logger: Logger,
 ) {
   const filesToUpload: string[] = [];
@@ -353,7 +358,7 @@ export async function getArtifactUploaderClient(
  * all files in the database folder and return the path.
  */
 async function createPartialDatabaseBundle(
-  config: Config,
+  config: ActionConfig<"dbLocation">,
   language: Language,
 ): Promise<string> {
   const databasePath = getCodeQLDatabasePath(config, language);
@@ -394,7 +399,7 @@ async function createPartialDatabaseBundle(
  */
 async function createDatabaseBundleCli(
   codeql: CodeQL,
-  config: Config,
+  config: ActionConfig<"dbLocation">,
   language: Language,
 ): Promise<string> {
   const databaseBundlePath = await bundleDb(
diff --git a/src/init-action-post-helper.ts b/src/init-action-post-helper.ts
index ce06e1719..270bc0f07 100644
--- a/src/init-action-post-helper.ts
+++ b/src/init-action-post-helper.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ import * as actionsUtil from "./actions-util";
 import { CodeScanning, RiskAssessment } from "./analyses";
 import { getApiClient, getGitHubVersion } from "./api-client";
 import { CodeQL, getCodeQL } from "./codeql";
-import type { ActionConfig } from "./config/action-config";
+import {
+  hasConfigKey,
+  type AbortedInitConfig,
+  type ActionConfig,
+} from "./config/action-config";
 import {
   Config,
   isCodeScanningEnabled,
@@ -17,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   getArtifactSuffix,
   getArtifactUploaderClient,
   sanitizeArtifactName,
+  type UploadDebugArtifactsConfig,
 } from "./debug-artifacts";
 import * as dependencyCaching from "./dependency-caching";
 import { EnvVar, ReadOnlyEnv } from "./environment";
@@ -330,12 +335,12 @@ export async function tryUploadSarifIfRunFailed(
 export async function uploadFailureInfo(
   uploadAllAvailableDebugArtifacts: (
     codeql: CodeQL,
-    config: Config,
+    config: UploadDebugArtifactsConfig,
     logger: Logger,
   ) => Promise<void>,
-  printDebugLogs: (config: Config) => Promise<void>,
+  printDebugLogs: (config: Partial<Config>) => Promise<void>,
   codeql: CodeQL,
-  config: Config,
+  config: Config | AbortedInitConfig,
   repositoryNwo: RepositoryNwo,
   features: FeatureEnablement,
   jobStatus: string | undefined,
@@ -382,7 +387,7 @@ export async function uploadFailureInfo(
   }
 
   // Upload appropriate Actions artifacts for debugging
-  if (config.debugMode) {
+  if (config.debugMode && hasConfigKey(config, "dbLocation")) {
     logger.info(
       "Debug mode is on. Uploading available database bundles and logs as Actions debugging artifacts...",
     );
@@ -390,7 +395,7 @@ export async function uploadFailureInfo(
     await printDebugLogs(config);
   }
 
-  if (actionsUtil.isSelfHostedRunner()) {
+  if (actionsUtil.isSelfHostedRunner() && config.dbLocation) {
     try {
       fs.rmSync(config.dbLocation, {
         recursive: true,
@@ -453,7 +458,7 @@ function isConclusiveJobStatus(jobStatus: string | undefined): boolean {
  */
 async function recordOverlayStatus(
   codeql: CodeQL,
-  config: Config,
+  config: Partial<Config>,
   features: FeatureEnablement,
   jobStatus: string | undefined,
   env: ReadOnlyEnv,
@@ -462,7 +467,8 @@ async function recordOverlayStatus(
   if (
     config.overlayDatabaseMode !== OverlayDatabaseMode.OverlayBase ||
     env.getOptional(EnvVar.ANALYZE_DID_COMPLETE_SUCCESSFULLY) === "true" ||
-    !(await features.getValue(Feature.OverlayAnalysisStatusSave))
+    !(await features.getValue(Feature.OverlayAnalysisStatusSave)) ||
+    config.languages === undefined
   ) {
     return;
   }
diff --git a/src/init-action-post.ts b/src/init-action-post.ts
index 9e623a579..2325fc5d2 100644
--- a/src/init-action-post.ts
+++ b/src/init-action-post.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@ import {
 import { getGitHubVersion, wrapApiConfigurationError } from "./api-client";
 import { CachingKind } from "./caching-utils";
 import { getCodeQL } from "./codeql";
-import { type Config, getConfig } from "./config-utils";
+import {
+  hasConfigKey,
+  type AbortedInitConfig,
+  type Config,
+} from "./config/action-config";
+import { getAbortedInitConfig, getConfig } from "./config-utils";
 import * as debugArtifacts from "./debug-artifacts";
 import {
   DependencyCachingUsageReport,
@@ -49,7 +54,7 @@ async function run(action: ActionState<["Base", "Logger"]>) {
   // possible, and only use safe functions outside.
   const logger = action.logger;
 
-  let config: Config | undefined;
+  let config: Config | AbortedInitConfig | undefined;
   let uploadFailedSarifResult:
     | initActionPostHelper.UploadFailedSarifResult
     | undefined;
@@ -67,6 +72,13 @@ async function run(action: ActionState<["Base", "Logger"]>) {
     const tmpDir = getTemporaryDirectory();
     config = await getConfig(tmpDir, logger);
 
+    // If we weren't able to read the normal configuration file, the `init` step failed before it could write it.
+    // Try to load the "failed" configuration file instead which may have been written by the `init` step
+    // with a minimal configuration for this post-action.
+    if (config === undefined) {
+      config = getAbortedInitConfig(action, tmpDir);
+    }
+
     const gitHubVersion = config?.gitHubVersion ?? (await getGitHubVersion());
     checkGitHubVersionInRange(gitHubVersion, logger);
 
@@ -78,7 +90,7 @@ async function run(action: ActionState<["Base", "Logger"]>) {
       logger,
     );
 
-    if (config === undefined) {
+    if (config?.codeQLCmd === undefined) {
       logger.warning(
         "Debugging artifacts are unavailable since the 'init' Action failed before it could produce any.",
       );
@@ -103,6 +115,7 @@ async function run(action: ActionState<["Base", "Logger"]>) {
       // and where caching may not be enabled.
       if (
         (await gitUtils.isAnalyzingDefaultBranch()) &&
+        hasConfigKey(config, "dependencyCachingEnabled") &&
         config.dependencyCachingEnabled !== CachingKind.None
       ) {
         dependencyCachingUsage = await getDependencyCacheUsage(logger);
@@ -158,7 +171,7 @@ async function run(action: ActionState<["Base", "Logger"]>) {
  * Otherwise, we determine the job status based on whether the analyze step
  * completed successfully and whether we have a valid CodeQL config.
  */
-function getFinalJobStatus(config: Config | undefined): JobStatus {
+function getFinalJobStatus(config: Partial<Config> | undefined): JobStatus {
   const existingJobStatus = getJobStatusFromEnvironment();
   if (existingJobStatus !== undefined) {
     return existingJobStatus;
diff --git a/src/util.ts b/src/util.ts
index 674e2a2ee..566386de6 100644
--- a/src/util.ts
+++ b/src/util.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import * as semver from "semver";
 
 import * as apiCompatibility from "./api-compatibility.json";
 import type { CodeQL } from "./codeql";
+import type { ActionConfig } from "./config/action-config";
 import type { Pack } from "./config/db-config";
 import type { Config } from "./config-utils";
 import {
@@ -445,7 +446,10 @@ export function getThreadsFlag(
 /**
  * Get the path where the CodeQL database for the given language lives.
  */
-export function getCodeQLDatabasePath(config: Config, language: Language) {
+export function getCodeQLDatabasePath(
+  config: ActionConfig<"dbLocation">,
+  language: Language,
+) {
   return path.resolve(config.dbLocation, language);
 }
 
@@ -639,7 +643,9 @@ export async function codeQlVersionAtLeast(
   return semver.gte((await codeql.getVersion()).version, requiredVersion);
 }
 
-export function getBaseDatabaseOidsFilePath(config: Config): string {
+export function getBaseDatabaseOidsFilePath(
+  config: ActionConfig<"dbLocation">,
+): string {
   return path.join(config.dbLocation, BASE_DATABASE_OIDS_FILE_NAME);
 }
 
@@ -651,7 +657,7 @@ export function getBaseDatabaseOidsFilePath(config: Config): string {
  * given `includeDiagnostics` value.
  */
 export async function bundleDb(
-  config: Config,
+  config: ActionConfig<"dbLocation">,
   language: Language,
   codeql: CodeQL,
   dbName: string,