diff --git a/pulsar/client/action_mapper.py b/pulsar/client/action_mapper.py
index 96a70d97b0aa24b258527ec15ad4afacfb73cd55..4bbc6fb6a60ea88de65a1e577e6e86be356472d7 100644
--- a/pulsar/client/action_mapper.py
+++ b/pulsar/client/action_mapper.py
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ class FileActionMapper(object):
         if action_config_path:
             config = read_file(action_config_path)
         else:
-            config = dict()
+            config = getattr(client, "file_actions", {})
         config["default_action"] = client.default_file_action
         config["files_endpoint"] = client.files_endpoint
         for attr in ['ssh_key', 'ssh_user', 'ssh_port', 'ssh_host']:
diff --git a/test/client_staging_test.py b/test/client_staging_test.py
index 8eaab8e6b17a7cbb58d0c8ac948db40449b4af3c..d6ae5155bbac286d34907f3a030916a8ef09cbed 100644
--- a/test/client_staging_test.py
+++ b/test/client_staging_test.py
@@ -93,6 +93,22 @@ class TestStager(TempDirectoryTestCase):
         assert uploaded_file1[1] == "unstructured"
         self.assertEqual(uploaded_file1[0], local_unstructured_file)
 
+    def test_file_actions_by_dict(self):
+        self.client_job_description.rewrite_paths = True
+        self.client.set_action_map_config(dict(paths=[
+            dict(path=self.temp_directory, path_types="*any*"),
+        ]), by_path=False)
+        local_unstructured_file = os.path.join(self.temp_directory, "A_RANDOM_FILE")
+        open(local_unstructured_file, "wb").write(b"Hello World!")
+        command_line = "foo.exe %s" % local_unstructured_file
+        self.client_job_description.command_line = command_line
+        self.client.expect_put_paths(["/pulsar/staging/1/other/A_RANDOM_FILE"])
+        self.client.expect_command_line("foo.exe /pulsar/staging/1/other/A_RANDOM_FILE")
+        self._submit()
+        uploaded_file1 = self.client.put_files[0]
+        assert uploaded_file1[1] == "unstructured"
+        self.assertEqual(uploaded_file1[0], local_unstructured_file)
+
     def test_submit_no_rewrite(self):
         # Expect no rewrite of paths
         command_line_template = "run_test.exe --input1=%s --input2=%s"
@@ -144,8 +160,11 @@ class MockClient(object):
         ])
         self.put_files = []
 
-    def set_action_map_config(self, config):
-        self.action_config_path = write_config(self, config, name="actions.yaml")
+    def set_action_map_config(self, config, by_path=True):
+        if by_path:
+            self.action_config_path = write_config(self, config, name="actions.yaml")
+        else:
+            self.file_actions = config
 
     def expect_put_paths(self, paths):
         self.put_paths = deque(paths)