diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 68413c7..12f0735 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -181,7 +181,13 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         version: ['mandrel-22.2.0.0-Final', 'mandrel-latest']
         java-version: ['17']
+        distribution: ['mandrel']
         os: [windows-latest, ubuntu-latest]
+        include:
+          - version: 'mandrel-latest'
+            java-version: '17'
+            distribution: '' # test empty distribution for backward compatibility
+            os: ubuntu-linux
         exclude: # temporarily disable Mandrel latest builds on Windows due to unavailability
           - version: 'mandrel-latest'
             java-version: '17'
@@ -192,6 +198,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./
         with:
           version: ${{ matrix.version }}
+          distribution: ${{ matrix.distribution }}
           java-version: ${{ matrix.java-version }}
           github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
       - name: Check environment
diff --git a/dist/main/index.js b/dist/main/index.js
index faa8001..094753b 100644
--- a/dist/main/index.js
+++ b/dist/main/index.js
@@ -71200,7 +71200,12 @@ function run() {
                         graalVMHome = yield graalvm.setUpGraalVMJDKCE(javaVersion);
                         break;
                     case c.DISTRIBUTION_MANDREL:
-                        throw new Error(`Mandrel requires the 'version' option (see https://github.com/graalvm/setup-graalvm/tree/main#options).`);
+                        if (graalvmVersion.startsWith(c.MANDREL_NAMESPACE)) {
+                            graalVMHome = yield (0, mandrel_1.setUpMandrel)(graalvmVersion, javaVersion);
+                        }
+                        else {
+                            throw new Error(`Mandrel requires the 'version' option (see https://github.com/graalvm/setup-graalvm/tree/main#options).`);
+                        }
                     case '':
                         if (javaVersion === c.VERSION_DEV) {
                             core.info(`This build is using GraalVM Community Edition. To select a specific distribution, use the 'distribution' option (see https://github.com/graalvm/setup-graalvm/tree/main#options).`);
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 3e9e177..cd97440 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -51,9 +51,13 @@ async function run(): Promise<void> {
           graalVMHome = await graalvm.setUpGraalVMJDKCE(javaVersion)
           break
         case c.DISTRIBUTION_MANDREL:
-          throw new Error(
-            `Mandrel requires the 'version' option (see https://github.com/graalvm/setup-graalvm/tree/main#options).`
-          )
+          if (graalvmVersion.startsWith(c.MANDREL_NAMESPACE)) {
+            graalVMHome = await setUpMandrel(graalvmVersion, javaVersion)
+          } else {
+            throw new Error(
+              `Mandrel requires the 'version' option (see https://github.com/graalvm/setup-graalvm/tree/main#options).`
+            )
+          }
         case '':
           if (javaVersion === c.VERSION_DEV) {
             core.info(