diff --git a/cli/cmd/compose/create.go b/cli/cmd/compose/create.go
index 4380c6bf8..87ef50894 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/compose/create.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/compose/create.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 package compose
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -34,10 +36,17 @@ func createCommand(p *projectOptions) *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "create [SERVICE...]",
 		Short: "Creates containers for a service.",
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			if opts.Build && opts.noBuild {
+				return fmt.Errorf("--build and --no-build are incompatible")
+			}
+			if opts.forceRecreate && opts.noRecreate {
+				return fmt.Errorf("--force-recreate and --no-recreate are incompatible")
+			}
 			return runCreateStart(cmd.Context(), upOptions{
 				composeOptions: &composeOptions{
 					projectOptions: p,
 					Build:          opts.Build,
+					noBuild:        opts.noBuild,
 				},
 				noStart:       true,
 				forceRecreate: opts.forceRecreate,
@@ -47,6 +56,7 @@ func createCommand(p *projectOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	}
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.Build, "build", false, "Build images before starting containers.")
+	flags.BoolVar(&opts.noBuild, "no-build", false, "Don't build an image, even if it's missing.")
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.forceRecreate, "force-recreate", false, "Recreate containers even if their configuration and image haven't changed.")
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.noRecreate, "no-recreate", false, "If containers already exist, don't recreate them. Incompatible with --force-recreate.")
 	return cmd
diff --git a/cli/cmd/compose/up.go b/cli/cmd/compose/up.go
index a52ffb09b..2cff80c49 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/compose/up.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/compose/up.go
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ import (
 // composeOptions hold options common to `up` and `run` to run compose project
 type composeOptions struct {
 	*projectOptions
-	Build bool
+	Build   bool
+	noBuild bool
 	// ACI only
 	DomainName string
 }
@@ -87,6 +88,9 @@ func upCommand(p *projectOptions, contextType string) *cobra.Command {
 				if opts.exitCodeFrom != "" {
 					opts.cascadeStop = true
 				}
+				if opts.Build && opts.noBuild {
+					return fmt.Errorf("--build and --no-build are incompatible")
+				}
 				if opts.cascadeStop && opts.Detach {
 					return fmt.Errorf("--abort-on-container-exit and --detach are incompatible")
 				}
@@ -103,6 +107,7 @@ func upCommand(p *projectOptions, contextType string) *cobra.Command {
 	flags.StringArrayVarP(&opts.Environment, "environment", "e", []string{}, "Environment variables")
 	flags.BoolVarP(&opts.Detach, "detach", "d", false, "Detached mode: Run containers in the background")
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.Build, "build", false, "Build images before starting containers.")
+	flags.BoolVar(&opts.noBuild, "no-build", false, "Don't build an image, even if it's missing.")
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.removeOrphans, "remove-orphans", false, "Remove containers for services not defined in the Compose file.")
 	flags.StringArrayVar(&opts.scale, "scale", []string{}, "Scale SERVICE to NUM instances. Overrides the `scale` setting in the Compose file if present.")
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.noColor, "no-color", false, "Produce monochrome output.")
@@ -284,10 +289,18 @@ func setup(ctx context.Context, opts composeOptions, services []string) (*client
 		project.Services[0].DomainName = opts.DomainName
 	}
 	if opts.Build {
-		for _, service := range project.Services {
+		for i, service := range project.Services {
 			service.PullPolicy = types.PullPolicyBuild
+			project.Services[i] = service
 		}
 	}
+	if opts.noBuild {
+		for i, service := range project.Services {
+			service.Build = nil
+			project.Services[i] = service
+		}
+	}
+
 	if opts.EnvFile != "" {
 		var services types.Services
 		for _, s := range project.Services {
diff --git a/local/compose/build.go b/local/compose/build.go
index 9c88430f1..78f5426a3 100644
--- a/local/compose/build.go
+++ b/local/compose/build.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func (s *composeService) ensureImagesExists(ctx context.Context, project *types.
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		// TODO build vs pull should be controlled by pull policy, see https://github.com/compose-spec/compose-spec/issues/26
+
 		if service.Image != "" {
 			if localImagePresent {
 				continue