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To stop Docker Compose from changing containers unexpectedly, pin every production image to an immutable digest, set an explicit pull_policy, keep image changes in version control, run pulls deliberately, preview deployments with --dry-run, and isolate Compose Watch from production. The safest reproducible combination is a reviewed digest with pull_policy: never; use missing only when first-run convenience is worth allowing a pull for an uncached image.

Why Docker Compose updates or recreates containers

Compose does not need an obvious “update” button to replace a container. A startup command can resolve a different image, a build can produce a new image, or an automation rule can react to a file change. The result may look like an unexpected update even though Compose is following the configuration it received.

  • Floating image tags: A tag such as latest or app:2 is a label, not a permanent image identity. A registry can point that label at a different image later.
  • Pull policy: A policy that permits registry access can download a newer image during startup. The exact policy matters, especially when a tag is mutable.
  • Explicit pull or build commands: Deployment scripts, CI jobs, or an operator may run docker compose pull, docker compose up --build, or an equivalent command before you notice the change.
  • Compose Watch: Watch rules can rebuild an image, recreate a service, or restart it after watched files change.
  • Merged files and environment variables: Compose can combine multiple files and resolve settings from environment variables. The rendered model may therefore differ from the file you opened.

Preventing surprises means controlling both image identity and the events that are allowed to change a service. Pinning alone does not stop a rebuild or a restart; disabling pulls alone does not make a mutable tag safe.

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Pin each image to an immutable digest

Docker distinguishes mutable tags from immutable digests. A tag can be overwritten by anyone with push access to its registry, while a digest identifies one exact image. Docker’s trust guidance states that “Tags are mutable” and “Digests are immutable.” For a service that must start reproducibly, use the digest form:

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services:
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    image: registry.example.com/app@sha256:3b7c2a9f4e1d8c6b0a5f7e2d9c4b1a8e6f3d0c7b2e9a5d1f8c6b4e0a2d7f9c3b

The hexadecimal value above is illustrative; in a real file, use the complete digest produced for the image you reviewed. Do not mix a digest with an informal assumption that a tag will continue to refer to the same bytes. The digest is the identity that should be approved.

Make a digest change a code change

Store the Compose file, or a separate lock-like digest record, in version control. When a new image is approved, change the digest in a pull request or equivalent review, record why it changed, and retain the previous value so rollback is a one-line configuration reversal. Treating the digest as code creates an audit trail and prevents an unseen registry retag from changing a running environment.

Tags still have a useful role

A human-readable release tag can remain in release notes, change records, or a review description. The startup reference should be the digest when reproducibility matters. If a process needs to discover a new release automatically, that is an explicit freshness policy and should not be confused with a no-surprise deployment.

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Choose an explicit pull_policy

The Compose Specification defines always, never, missing, build, daily, weekly, and every_<duration>. Do not leave the decision implicit. Select the policy that matches the way your team approves image changes.

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Policy or group What it means for update control When it fits
never Compose refuses registry pulls and fails if the image is not already cached locally. Production or offline starts where the image must already have been approved and loaded.
missing Compose pulls when the image is absent. The latest tag is pulled even under this policy. First-run convenience with an immutable digest; avoid it with latest when predictable starts matter.
always Registry refresh is part of startup behavior. Only when obtaining the current registry image at startup is an intentional operating rule.
daily, weekly, or every_<duration> Refreshes are scheduled according to the selected interval. Environments that trade strict startup reproducibility for planned freshness.

The specification also names build. Treat it as a build-oriented policy and verify its behavior against the Compose version used by your deployment before adopting it as a safety control. The important distinction is that a policy governing builds is not a substitute for reviewing the resulting image.

The strict cache-only example

services:
  app:
    image: registry.example.com/app@sha256:3b7c2a9f4e1d8c6b0a5f7e2d9c4b1a8e6f3d0c7b2e9a5d1f8c6b4e0a2d7f9c3b
    pull_policy: never

With this setting, startup succeeds only when that exact digest is available locally. A missing image produces a failure rather than an implicit registry request. That failure is useful: it tells the deployment process to load or deliberately pull the approved image before starting.

The first-run convenience example

services:
  app:
    image: registry.example.com/app@sha256:3b7c2a9f4e1d8c6b0a5f7e2d9c4b1a8e6f3d0c7b2e9a5d1f8c6b4e0a2d7f9c3b
    pull_policy: missing

This allows a pull when the digest is not cached, but the reference remains immutable. Do not use missing with latest if “start the same image every time” is a requirement: Compose still pulls latest under missing.

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Use a deliberate image-update workflow

A controlled update separates downloading an image from starting or replacing a service. Use this sequence for a reviewed release:

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  1. Edit the image reference: Change the tag or, preferably, the digest in version control. Include the reason, release identifier, and rollback value in the review.
  2. Render the intended model: Run docker compose config with the same files, profiles, and environment used by deployment. Confirm the image reference and pull_policy in the rendered output.
  3. Download without starting: Run docker compose pull. This command downloads images but does not start containers, so the retrieved content can be inspected before service changes occur.
  4. Preview the application: Run docker compose --dry-run up --build -d. The dry run displays planned pull, build, and start operations without changing stack state.
  5. Apply the reviewed change: After the rendered configuration and dry-run output match the change request, run docker compose up -d.
  6. Record the result: Save the deployed digest and the Compose configuration revision with the deployment record. That makes a later comparison and rollback unambiguous.

Do not combine an unreviewed file edit, an unrestricted pull, and a build in one opaque script. Separate commands make it clear whether a change came from a new image, a local build, or service configuration.

Preview operations with dry-run

The command docker compose --dry-run up --build -d is a change preview. It reports the operations Compose would perform, including pulls, builds, and starts, while leaving the current stack untouched. Use it in deployment scripts and during incident analysis before allowing a command that includes --build, a pull, or recreation.

What to inspect in the preview

  • Whether a registry pull is planned even though you expected a cached image.
  • Whether a build is planned because a build section, an explicit --build, or development automation is involved.
  • Which services would start or be recreated.
  • Whether the image reference is the reviewed digest rather than a floating tag.

A dry run is a preview, not an approval mechanism by itself. Keep the output alongside the reviewed change when you need an audit trail.

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Keep Compose Watch out of production unless it is intentional

Compose Watch is designed to react to file changes. Its documented actions include rebuild, restart, sync, and sync+restart. A watched source change can therefore rebuild an image, recreate a service, or restart it without a person running a separate update command.

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Separate development automation

Put Watch rules in a development-specific Compose file or profile. Keep the production invocation limited to the files and profiles required for deployment. This prevents a developer convenience rule from becoming an operational trigger when the same project is started elsewhere.

Review each action

  • sync: Files are synchronized into the service without implying an image rebuild.
  • restart: A service restart is expected when the watched change occurs.
  • rebuild: The image is rebuilt and the service can be recreated as part of applying the result.
  • sync+restart: Synchronization is followed by a restart.

The action names describe development behavior, not a production update approval process. If automatic changes are required in production, document the trigger, scope, and rollback path explicitly.

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Render the complete configuration before trusting it

Compose merges files and resolves environment-driven settings. Inspect the final model with docker compose config rather than reviewing only one YAML file. This catches a second file that changes the image, a profile that adds a service, or an environment substitution that changes the deployment context.

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Check the variables that select the context

  • COMPOSE_FILE can select or combine Compose files.
  • COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME determines the project identity used by Compose.
  • COMPOSE_PROFILES controls which optional services are enabled.
  • COMPOSE_PARALLEL_LIMIT controls operation concurrency; it does not make mutable images immutable, but it should still be known when interpreting deployment output.

Check these variables in CI jobs, scheduled tasks, shell profiles, and service accounts. A command run with a different file list, project name, or profile can operate on a different set of services and appear to have recreated the wrong container.

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Diagnose an unexpected recreation

Start with the rendered configuration and the deployment command that ran. Do not delete containers first; doing so removes useful evidence.

  1. Compare image references: Check the previous and current digest. If a mutable tag was used, determine whether the registry tag moved.
  2. Check pull behavior: Look for pull_policy in the rendered model and identify whether the command or policy allowed a registry contact.
  3. Review command history and automation: Search CI logs, scheduled jobs, and operator runbooks for docker compose pull, docker compose up --build, or a plain up executed after a pull.
  4. Inspect Watch: Confirm whether a watched file changed and which action was configured. A rebuild or restart can be expected even when the registry image did not change.
  5. Compare merged files and environment: Run docker compose config using the exact deployment environment. Differences in files, profiles, or project name can change the target model.
  6. Use a dry run before recovery: Run docker compose --dry-run up --build -d and verify that the proposed operation matches the intended repair.

Select settings by environment

Environment goal Image reference Pull policy Automation boundary
Maximum reproducibility Reviewed digest never Watch disabled; pulls and starts are separate reviewed commands.
Convenient first start with deterministic content Reviewed digest missing Allow the initial pull, then review subsequent changes through version control.
Planned freshness Reviewed digest updated on an agreed schedule daily, weekly, or every_<duration> Schedule the refresh and record the resulting digest.
Development feedback loop Development image or build configuration Policy selected for the local workflow Watch may be enabled, with its rebuild, sync, and restart effects understood.

Rollback and ongoing controls

Rollback is simplest when the old digest remains in version control. Revert the image reference, ensure that exact image is available locally or download it through an explicit, authorized pull, run docker compose config, preview with --dry-run, and then apply with docker compose up -d. With pull_policy: never, a rollback fails safely if the old image has not been cached; load or pull it deliberately rather than weakening the policy during an incident.

For ongoing control, make these checks part of deployment review:

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  • Reject floating production references where a digest is required.
  • Require a reviewed change for every digest update.
  • Keep Compose files and digest records together in the same change process.
  • Run docker compose config in CI and archive the rendered model.
  • Run a dry-run preview before a command that can pull, build, or recreate.
  • Keep Watch in development files or profiles unless automatic production changes are explicitly approved.
  • Document the registry, image digest, Compose files, profiles, and environment variables used for each deployment.

These controls address different failure modes: the digest fixes image identity, pull_policy controls registry access, version control controls approval, dry-run controls visibility, and Watch isolation controls file-triggered automation. Using them together prevents most unplanned container updates without giving up deliberate releases.

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