diff --git a/cmd/compose/compose.go b/cmd/compose/compose.go
index 89002f062..0ee5bd0cd 100644
--- a/cmd/compose/compose.go
+++ b/cmd/compose/compose.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	dockercli "github.com/docker/cli/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli-plugins/manager"
 	"github.com/docker/compose/v2/cmd/formatter"
+	"github.com/docker/compose/v2/pkg/utils"
 	"github.com/morikuni/aec"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ func (o *projectOptions) toProject(services []string, po ...cli.ProjectOptionsFn
 		return nil, compose.WrapComposeError(err)
 	}
 
-	if o.Compatibility || project.Environment["COMPOSE_COMPATIBILITY"] == "true" {
+	if o.Compatibility || utils.StringToBool(project.Environment["COMPOSE_COMPATIBILITY"]) {
 		compose.Separator = "_"
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/compose/down.go b/cmd/compose/down.go
index 4c0369de9..daca5164f 100644
--- a/cmd/compose/down.go
+++ b/cmd/compose/down.go
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/compose-spec/compose-go/types"
+	"github.com/docker/compose/v2/pkg/utils"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func downCommand(p *projectOptions, backend api.Service) *cobra.Command {
 		ValidArgsFunction: noCompletion(),
 	}
 	flags := downCmd.Flags()
-	removeOrphans := strings.ToLower(os.Getenv("COMPOSE_REMOVE_ORPHANS ")) == "true"
+	removeOrphans := utils.StringToBool(os.Getenv("COMPOSE_REMOVE_ORPHANS "))
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.removeOrphans, "remove-orphans", removeOrphans, "Remove containers for services not defined in the Compose file.")
 	flags.IntVarP(&opts.timeout, "timeout", "t", 10, "Specify a shutdown timeout in seconds")
 	flags.BoolVarP(&opts.volumes, "volumes", "v", false, " Remove named volumes declared in the `volumes` section of the Compose file and anonymous volumes attached to containers.")
diff --git a/cmd/compose/up.go b/cmd/compose/up.go
index f889d3b8e..aebf53289 100644
--- a/cmd/compose/up.go
+++ b/cmd/compose/up.go
@@ -103,8 +103,7 @@ func upCommand(p *projectOptions, backend api.Service) *cobra.Command {
 			return validateFlags(&up, &create)
 		}),
 		RunE: p.WithServices(func(ctx context.Context, project *types.Project, services []string) error {
-			ignore := project.Environment["COMPOSE_IGNORE_ORPHANS"]
-			create.ignoreOrphans = strings.ToLower(ignore) == "true"
+			create.ignoreOrphans = utils.StringToBool(project.Environment["COMPOSE_IGNORE_ORPHANS"])
 			if create.ignoreOrphans && create.removeOrphans {
 				return fmt.Errorf("COMPOSE_IGNORE_ORPHANS and --remove-orphans cannot be combined")
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/utils/stringutils.go b/pkg/utils/stringutils.go
index fd2dd477d..01dd42387 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/stringutils.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/stringutils.go
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 
 package utils
 
+import (
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+)
+
 // StringContains check if an array contains a specific value
 func StringContains(array []string, needle string) bool {
 	for _, val := range array {
@@ -25,3 +30,9 @@ func StringContains(array []string, needle string) bool {
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+// StringToBool converts a string to a boolean ignoring errors
+func StringToBool(s string) bool {
+	b, _ := strconv.ParseBool(strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(s)))
+	return b
+}