diff --git a/compose/service.py b/compose/service.py
index b5a6b392d..0aaf3cf37 100644
--- a/compose/service.py
+++ b/compose/service.py
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class Service(object):
         network_mode=None,
         networks=None,
         secrets=None,
-        scale=None,
+        scale=1,
         pid_mode=None,
         default_platform=None,
         **options
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ class Service(object):
         self.pid_mode = pid_mode or PidMode(None)
         self.networks = networks or {}
         self.secrets = secrets or []
-        self.scale_num = scale or 1
+        self.scale_num = scale
         self.default_platform = default_platform
         self.options = options
 
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/cli_test.py b/tests/acceptance/cli_test.py
index dbd822115..d2ce59ce6 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/cli_test.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/cli_test.py
@@ -2512,10 +2512,12 @@ class CLITestCase(DockerClientTestCase):
         self.dispatch(['up', '-d'])
         assert len(project.get_service('web').containers()) == 2
         assert len(project.get_service('db').containers()) == 1
+        assert len(project.get_service('worker').containers()) == 0
 
-        self.dispatch(['up', '-d', '--scale', 'web=3'])
+        self.dispatch(['up', '-d', '--scale', 'web=3', '--scale', 'worker=1'])
         assert len(project.get_service('web').containers()) == 3
         assert len(project.get_service('db').containers()) == 1
+        assert len(project.get_service('worker').containers()) == 1
 
     def test_up_scale_scale_down(self):
         self.base_dir = 'tests/fixtures/scale'
@@ -2524,22 +2526,26 @@ class CLITestCase(DockerClientTestCase):
         self.dispatch(['up', '-d'])
         assert len(project.get_service('web').containers()) == 2
         assert len(project.get_service('db').containers()) == 1
+        assert len(project.get_service('worker').containers()) == 0
 
         self.dispatch(['up', '-d', '--scale', 'web=1'])
         assert len(project.get_service('web').containers()) == 1
         assert len(project.get_service('db').containers()) == 1
+        assert len(project.get_service('worker').containers()) == 0
 
     def test_up_scale_reset(self):
         self.base_dir = 'tests/fixtures/scale'
         project = self.project
 
-        self.dispatch(['up', '-d', '--scale', 'web=3', '--scale', 'db=3'])
+        self.dispatch(['up', '-d', '--scale', 'web=3', '--scale', 'db=3', '--scale', 'worker=3'])
         assert len(project.get_service('web').containers()) == 3
         assert len(project.get_service('db').containers()) == 3
+        assert len(project.get_service('worker').containers()) == 3
 
         self.dispatch(['up', '-d'])
         assert len(project.get_service('web').containers()) == 2
         assert len(project.get_service('db').containers()) == 1
+        assert len(project.get_service('worker').containers()) == 0
 
     def test_up_scale_to_zero(self):
         self.base_dir = 'tests/fixtures/scale'
@@ -2548,10 +2554,12 @@ class CLITestCase(DockerClientTestCase):
         self.dispatch(['up', '-d'])
         assert len(project.get_service('web').containers()) == 2
         assert len(project.get_service('db').containers()) == 1
+        assert len(project.get_service('worker').containers()) == 0
 
-        self.dispatch(['up', '-d', '--scale', 'web=0', '--scale', 'db=0'])
+        self.dispatch(['up', '-d', '--scale', 'web=0', '--scale', 'db=0', '--scale', 'worker=0'])
         assert len(project.get_service('web').containers()) == 0
         assert len(project.get_service('db').containers()) == 0
+        assert len(project.get_service('worker').containers()) == 0
 
     def test_port(self):
         self.base_dir = 'tests/fixtures/ports-composefile'
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/scale/docker-compose.yml b/tests/fixtures/scale/docker-compose.yml
index a0d3b771f..53ae1342d 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/scale/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/scale/docker-compose.yml
@@ -5,5 +5,9 @@ services:
         command: top
         scale: 2
     db:
-      image: busybox
-      command: top
+        image: busybox
+        command: top
+    worker:
+        image: busybox
+        command: top
+        scale: 0