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PurposeThis study aims to achieve two objectives: First, to investigate the moderating influences of Coronavirus-19 (Covid-19)-related psychological distress on the process of entrepreneurial cognition; and second, to close the gap between entrepreneurial intention and behavior of higher education institutions students.Design/methodology/approachScales from previous studies have been adopted to develop a questionnaire survey. An online survey questionnaire then is carried out to collect the data; the final sample includes 405 university students. The validity and reliability of scales are tested throughout Cronbach's alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. Hypothesized correlations were then tested via structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results confirm the important roles of perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial intention in encouraging entrepreneurial behavior, whereas attitude toward entrepreneurship is strongly and positively related to intention to engage in a business venture. Yet, subjective norms are not found to have an impact on entrepreneurial intention. Entrepreneurial attitude-intention link has been negatively moderated by Covid-19-related psychological distress. Also, Covid-19-related psychological distress can lessen the entrepreneurial intention–behavior linkage of higher education institutions students.Practical implicationsThe study provides useful recommendations for practitioners such as educators and policymakers to promote higher education institutions students' entrepreneurship, especially in the global crisis context of the spread of Covid-19.Social implicationsBeing aware of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the entrepreneurship process and translations from intention into behavior to become entrepreneurs provide useful insights to nascent entrepreneurs, community and our society to limit the negative influence of the Covid-19 pandemic and help us overcome this crisis.Originality/valueAddressing the entrepreneurial intention–behavior gap is considered as the biggest contribution of this study. Moreover, the association between perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial behavior, overlooked by previous studies, is also tested in this study. Furthermore, the findings confirm that psychological distress caused by Covid-19 can inhibit the cognitive process of entrepreneurship.