diff --git a/pkg/blocks/basicstep.go b/pkg/blocks/basicstep.go
index 3553ba15..b8e7eb70 100755
--- a/pkg/blocks/basicstep.go
+++ b/pkg/blocks/basicstep.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
+const DefaultExecutionTimeout = 100 * time.Minute
+
 // BasicStep is a type that represents a basic execution step.
 type BasicStep struct {
 	actionDefaults `yaml:",inline"`
@@ -89,14 +91,14 @@ func (b *BasicStep) Validate(execCtx TTPExecutionContext) error {
 
 // Execute runs the step and returns an error if one occurs.
 func (b *BasicStep) Execute(execCtx TTPExecutionContext) (*ActResult, error) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 100*time.Minute)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), DefaultExecutionTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	if b.Inline == "" {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("empty inline value in Execute(...)")
 	}
 
-	executor := NewExecutor(b.ExecutorName, b.Inline, b.Environment)
+	executor := NewExecutor(b.ExecutorName, b.Inline, "", nil, b.Environment)
 	result, err := executor.Execute(ctx, execCtx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/blocks/executor.go b/pkg/blocks/executor.go
index 4f3f54c0..2095367e 100644
--- a/pkg/blocks/executor.go
+++ b/pkg/blocks/executor.go
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/facebookincubator/ttpforge/pkg/logging"
 )
 
 // These are all the different executors that could run
@@ -45,19 +49,30 @@ type Executor interface {
 	Execute(ctx context.Context, execCtx TTPExecutionContext) (*ActResult, error)
 }
 
-// DefaultExecutor encapsulates logic to execute TTP steps
-type DefaultExecutor struct {
+// ScriptExecutor executes TTP steps by passing script via stdin
+type ScriptExecutor struct {
 	Name        string
 	Inline      string
 	Environment map[string]string
 }
 
-// NewExecutor creates a new DefaultExecutor
-func NewExecutor(executorName string, inline string, environment map[string]string) Executor {
-	return &DefaultExecutor{Name: executorName, Inline: inline, Environment: environment}
+// FileExecutor executes TTP steps by calling a script file or binary with arguments
+type FileExecutor struct {
+	Name        string
+	FilePath    string
+	Args        []string
+	Environment map[string]string
 }
 
-func (e *DefaultExecutor) buildCommand(ctx context.Context) *exec.Cmd {
+// NewExecutor creates a new ScriptExecutor or FileExecutor based on the executorName
+func NewExecutor(executorName string, inline string, filePath string, args []string, environment map[string]string) Executor {
+	if filePath != "" {
+		return &FileExecutor{Name: executorName, FilePath: filePath, Args: args, Environment: environment}
+	}
+	return &ScriptExecutor{Name: executorName, Inline: inline, Environment: environment}
+}
+
+func (e *ScriptExecutor) buildCommand(ctx context.Context) *exec.Cmd {
 	if e.Name == ExecutorPowershell || e.Name == ExecutorPowershellOnLinux {
 		// @lint-ignore G204
 		return exec.CommandContext(ctx, e.Name, "-NoLogo", "-NoProfile", "-NonInteractive", "-Command", "-")
@@ -71,7 +86,7 @@ func (e *DefaultExecutor) buildCommand(ctx context.Context) *exec.Cmd {
 }
 
 // Execute runs the command
-func (e *DefaultExecutor) Execute(ctx context.Context, execCtx TTPExecutionContext) (*ActResult, error) {
+func (e *ScriptExecutor) Execute(ctx context.Context, execCtx TTPExecutionContext) (*ActResult, error) {
 	// expand variables in command
 	expandedInlines, err := execCtx.ExpandVariables([]string{e.Inline})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -80,7 +95,7 @@ func (e *DefaultExecutor) Execute(ctx context.Context, execCtx TTPExecutionConte
 
 	body := expandedInlines[0]
 	if e.Name == ExecutorPowershellOnLinux || e.Name == ExecutorPowershell {
-		// Write the TTP step to executor stdin
+		// Wrap the PowerShell command in a script block
 		body = fmt.Sprintf("&{%s}\n\n", body)
 	}
 
@@ -98,3 +113,61 @@ func (e *DefaultExecutor) Execute(ctx context.Context, execCtx TTPExecutionConte
 
 	return streamAndCapture(*cmd, execCtx.Cfg.Stdout, execCtx.Cfg.Stderr)
 }
+
+// Execute runs the binary with arguments
+func (e *FileExecutor) Execute(ctx context.Context, execCtx TTPExecutionContext) (*ActResult, error) {
+	// expand variables in command line arguments
+	expandedArgs, err := execCtx.ExpandVariables(e.Args)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// expand variables in environment
+	envAsList := append(FetchEnv(e.Environment), os.Environ()...)
+	expandedEnvAsList, err := execCtx.ExpandVariables(envAsList)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var cmd *exec.Cmd
+	if e.Name == ExecutorBinary {
+		cmd = exec.CommandContext(ctx, e.FilePath, expandedArgs...)
+	} else {
+		args := append([]string{e.FilePath}, expandedArgs...)
+		cmd = exec.CommandContext(ctx, e.Name, args...)
+	}
+
+	cmd.Env = expandedEnvAsList
+	cmd.Dir = execCtx.WorkDir
+	return streamAndCapture(*cmd, execCtx.Cfg.Stdout, execCtx.Cfg.Stderr)
+}
+
+// InferExecutor infers the executor based on the file extension and
+// returns it as a string.
+func InferExecutor(filePath string) string {
+	ext := filepath.Ext(filePath)
+	logging.L().Debugw("file extension inferred", "filepath", filePath, "ext", ext)
+	switch ext {
+	case ".sh":
+		return ExecutorSh
+	case ".py":
+		return ExecutorPython
+	case ".rb":
+		return ExecutorRuby
+	case ".pwsh", ".ps1":
+		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+			return ExecutorPowershell
+		} else {
+			return ExecutorPowershellOnLinux
+		}
+	case ".bat":
+		return ExecutorCmd
+	case "":
+		return ExecutorBinary
+	default:
+		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+			return ExecutorCmd
+		}
+		return ExecutorSh
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/blocks/filestep.go b/pkg/blocks/filestep.go
index 53e3ec29..15888489 100755
--- a/pkg/blocks/filestep.go
+++ b/pkg/blocks/filestep.go
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 package blocks
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"os/exec"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"runtime"
 
 	"github.com/facebookincubator/ttpforge/pkg/logging"
 	"github.com/facebookincubator/ttpforge/pkg/outputs"
@@ -109,28 +108,11 @@ func (f *FileStep) Validate(execCtx TTPExecutionContext) error {
 
 // Execute runs the step and returns an error if one occurs.
 func (f *FileStep) Execute(execCtx TTPExecutionContext) (*ActResult, error) {
-	var cmd *exec.Cmd
-	expandedArgs, err := execCtx.ExpandVariables(f.Args)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if f.Executor == ExecutorBinary {
-		cmd = exec.Command(f.FilePath, expandedArgs...)
-	} else {
-		args := []string{f.FilePath}
-		args = append(args, expandedArgs...)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), DefaultExecutionTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
 
-		logging.L().Debugw("command line execution:", "exec", f.Executor, "args", args)
-		cmd = exec.Command(f.Executor, args...)
-	}
-	envAsList := FetchEnv(f.Environment)
-	expandedEnvAsList, err := execCtx.ExpandVariables(envAsList)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	cmd.Env = expandedEnvAsList
-	cmd.Dir = execCtx.WorkDir
-	result, err := streamAndCapture(*cmd, execCtx.Cfg.Stdout, execCtx.Cfg.Stderr)
+	executor := NewExecutor(f.Executor, "", f.FilePath, f.Args, f.Environment)
+	result, err := executor.Execute(ctx, execCtx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -142,33 +124,6 @@ func (f *FileStep) Execute(execCtx TTPExecutionContext) (*ActResult, error) {
 // Assumes that the type is the cleanup step and is invoked by
 // f.CleanupStep.Cleanup.
 func (f *FileStep) Cleanup(execCtx TTPExecutionContext) (*ActResult, error) {
+	// TODO: why call Execute on a cleanup??
 	return f.Execute(execCtx)
 }
-
-// InferExecutor infers the executor based on the file extension and
-// returns it as a string.
-func InferExecutor(filePath string) string {
-	ext := filepath.Ext(filePath)
-	logging.L().Debugw("file extension inferred", "filepath", filePath, "ext", ext)
-	switch ext {
-	case ".sh":
-		return ExecutorSh
-	case ".py":
-		return ExecutorPython
-	case ".rb":
-		return ExecutorRuby
-	case ".pwsh":
-		return ExecutorPowershell
-	case ".ps1":
-		return ExecutorPowershell
-	case ".bat":
-		return ExecutorCmd
-	case "":
-		return ExecutorBinary
-	default:
-		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-			return ExecutorCmd
-		}
-		return ExecutorSh
-	}
-}