diff --git a/cmd/nerdctl/compose/compose_up.go b/cmd/nerdctl/compose/compose_up.go
index f4670947c3f..0cf2d6bccd2 100644
--- a/cmd/nerdctl/compose/compose_up.go
+++ b/cmd/nerdctl/compose/compose_up.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ func newComposeUpCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	composeUpCommand.Flags().Bool("force-recreate", false, "Recreate containers even if their configuration and image haven't changed.")
 	composeUpCommand.Flags().Bool("no-recreate", false, "Don't recreate containers if they exist, conflict with --force-recreate.")
 	composeUpCommand.Flags().StringArray("scale", []string{}, "Scale SERVICE to NUM instances. Overrides the `scale` setting in the Compose file if present.")
+	composeUpCommand.Flags().String("pull", "", "Pull image before running (\"always\"|\"missing\"|\"never\")")
 	return composeUpCommand
 }
 
@@ -96,6 +97,10 @@ func composeUpAction(cmd *cobra.Command, services []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	pull, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("pull")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	removeOrphans, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("remove-orphans")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -154,6 +159,7 @@ func composeUpAction(cmd *cobra.Command, services []string) error {
 		QuietPull:            quietPull,
 		RemoveOrphans:        removeOrphans,
 		Scale:                scale,
+		Pull:                 pull,
 		ForceRecreate:        forceRecreate,
 		NoRecreate:           noRecreate,
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/nerdctl/compose/compose_up_linux_test.go b/cmd/nerdctl/compose/compose_up_linux_test.go
index 6dbd6b7cf34..6da3162b4b9 100644
--- a/cmd/nerdctl/compose/compose_up_linux_test.go
+++ b/cmd/nerdctl/compose/compose_up_linux_test.go
@@ -579,3 +579,57 @@ services:
 	}
 	c.Assert(expected)
 }
+
+func TestComposeUpPull(t *testing.T) {
+	base := testutil.NewBase(t)
+
+	var dockerComposeYAML = fmt.Sprintf(`
+services:
+  test:
+    image: %s
+    command: sh -euxc "echo hi"
+`, testutil.CommonImage)
+
+	comp := testutil.NewComposeDir(t, dockerComposeYAML)
+	defer comp.CleanUp()
+
+	// Cases where pull is required
+	for _, pull := range []string{"missing", "always"} {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("pull=%s", pull), func(t *testing.T) {
+			base.Cmd("rmi", "-f", testutil.CommonImage).Run()
+			base.Cmd("images").AssertOutNotContains(testutil.CommonImage)
+			t.Cleanup(func() {
+				base.ComposeCmd("-f", comp.YAMLFullPath(), "down").AssertOK()
+			})
+			base.ComposeCmd("-f", comp.YAMLFullPath(), "up", "--pull", pull).AssertOutContains("hi")
+		})
+	}
+
+	t.Run("pull=never, no pull", func(t *testing.T) {
+		base.Cmd("rmi", "-f", testutil.CommonImage).Run()
+		base.Cmd("images").AssertOutNotContains(testutil.CommonImage)
+		t.Cleanup(func() {
+			base.ComposeCmd("-f", comp.YAMLFullPath(), "down").AssertOK()
+		})
+		base.ComposeCmd("-f", comp.YAMLFullPath(), "up", "--pull", "never").AssertExitCode(1)
+	})
+}
+
+func TestComposeUpServicePullPolicy(t *testing.T) {
+	base := testutil.NewBase(t)
+
+	var dockerComposeYAML = fmt.Sprintf(`
+services:
+  test:
+    image: %s
+    command: sh -euxc "echo hi"
+    pull_policy: "never"
+`, testutil.CommonImage)
+
+	comp := testutil.NewComposeDir(t, dockerComposeYAML)
+	defer comp.CleanUp()
+
+	base.Cmd("rmi", "-f", testutil.CommonImage).Run()
+	base.Cmd("images").AssertOutNotContains(testutil.CommonImage)
+	base.ComposeCmd("-f", comp.YAMLFullPath(), "up").AssertExitCode(1)
+}
diff --git a/docs/command-reference.md b/docs/command-reference.md
index 628a1e50b9e..28c4da551de 100644
--- a/docs/command-reference.md
+++ b/docs/command-reference.md
@@ -1413,6 +1413,7 @@ Flags:
 - :whale: `--remove-orphans`: Remove containers for services not defined in the Compose file
 - :whale: `--force-recreate`: force Compose to stop and recreate all containers
 - :whale: `--no-recreate`: force Compose to reuse existing containers
+- :whale: `--pull`: Pull image before running ("always"|"missing"|"never")
 
 Unimplemented `docker-compose up` (V1) flags: `--no-deps`, `--always-recreate-deps`,
 `--no-start`, `--abort-on-container-exit`, `--attach-dependencies`, `--timeout`, `--renew-anon-volumes`, `--exit-code-from`
diff --git a/pkg/composer/create.go b/pkg/composer/create.go
index 25d6872590b..a2ae9180160 100644
--- a/pkg/composer/create.go
+++ b/pkg/composer/create.go
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func (c *Composer) Create(ctx context.Context, opt CreateOptions, services []str
 		return err
 	}
 	for _, ps := range parsedServices {
-		if err := c.ensureServiceImage(ctx, ps, !opt.NoBuild, opt.Build, BuildOptions{}, false); err != nil {
+		if err := c.ensureServiceImage(ctx, ps, !opt.NoBuild, opt.Build, BuildOptions{}, false, ""); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/composer/run.go b/pkg/composer/run.go
index b2e98ea2b1d..0b3c4c72342 100644
--- a/pkg/composer/run.go
+++ b/pkg/composer/run.go
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func (c *Composer) runServices(ctx context.Context, parsedServices []*servicepar
 
 	// TODO: parallelize loop for ensuring images (make sure not to mess up tty)
 	for _, ps := range parsedServices {
-		if err := c.ensureServiceImage(ctx, ps, !ro.NoBuild, ro.ForceBuild, BuildOptions{}, ro.QuietPull); err != nil {
+		if err := c.ensureServiceImage(ctx, ps, !ro.NoBuild, ro.ForceBuild, BuildOptions{}, ro.QuietPull, ""); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/composer/up.go b/pkg/composer/up.go
index b508b8ddc3d..98106c81ae4 100644
--- a/pkg/composer/up.go
+++ b/pkg/composer/up.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ type UpOptions struct {
 	ForceRecreate        bool
 	NoRecreate           bool
 	Scale                map[string]int // map of service name to replicas
+	Pull                 string
 }
 
 func (opts UpOptions) recreateStrategy() string {
diff --git a/pkg/composer/up_service.go b/pkg/composer/up_service.go
index 85010f25ce9..f0da7c9b72a 100644
--- a/pkg/composer/up_service.go
+++ b/pkg/composer/up_service.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func (c *Composer) upServices(ctx context.Context, parsedServices []*servicepars
 
 	// TODO: parallelize loop for ensuring images (make sure not to mess up tty)
 	for _, ps := range parsedServices {
-		if err := c.ensureServiceImage(ctx, ps, !uo.NoBuild, uo.ForceBuild, BuildOptions{}, uo.QuietPull); err != nil {
+		if err := c.ensureServiceImage(ctx, ps, !uo.NoBuild, uo.ForceBuild, BuildOptions{}, uo.QuietPull, uo.Pull); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func (c *Composer) upServices(ctx context.Context, parsedServices []*servicepars
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *Composer) ensureServiceImage(ctx context.Context, ps *serviceparser.Service, allowBuild, forceBuild bool, bo BuildOptions, quiet bool) error {
+func (c *Composer) ensureServiceImage(ctx context.Context, ps *serviceparser.Service, allowBuild, forceBuild bool, bo BuildOptions, quiet bool, pullModeArg string) error {
 	if ps.Build != nil && allowBuild {
 		if ps.Build.Force || forceBuild {
 			return c.buildServiceImage(ctx, ps.Image, ps.Build, ps.Unparsed.Platform, bo)
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ func (c *Composer) ensureServiceImage(ctx context.Context, ps *serviceparser.Ser
 	}
 
 	log.G(ctx).Infof("Ensuring image %s", ps.Image)
+	if pullModeArg != "" {
+		return c.EnsureImage(ctx, ps.Image, pullModeArg, ps.Unparsed.Platform, ps, quiet)
+	}
 	return c.EnsureImage(ctx, ps.Image, ps.PullMode, ps.Unparsed.Platform, ps, quiet)
 }