Perception and action are closely linked, with conceptual knowledge shaping how stimuli are processed during goal-directed actions. According to the theory of event coding, perceptual and response features are integrated into event-files, whose retrieval depends on feature overlap. While attentional manipulations within tasks are known to modulate such feature bindings, it remains unclear whether conceptual activation prior to the task exerts similar effects. In the present study (N = 228), we tested whether pre-activating conceptual knowledge enhances distractor–response (D-R) bindings. Participants read a short text describing specific objects either before (experimental group) or after (control group) completing a DRB task involving exemplary stimuli. In the task, participants responded to a frame around distractor images, allowing assessment of D-R binding based on repetition versus change of distractors and responses across prime–probe trials. The experimental group showed stronger DRB effects, particularly in error rates, indicating enhanced integration and retrieval of distractor–response bindings following conceptual pre-activation. These findings suggest that prior conceptual activation, much like attentional focus during task execution, strengthens perception–action integration and affects subsequent behaviour.