diff --git a/pkg/commands/docker.go b/pkg/commands/docker.go
index 0ce4fba1..1f16de92 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/docker.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/docker.go
@@ -158,6 +158,10 @@ func NewDockerCommand(log *logrus.Entry, osCommand *OSCommand, tr *i18n.Translat
 }
 
 func (c *DockerCommand) setDockerComposeCommand(config *config.AppConfig) {
+	if config.UserConfig.CommandTemplates.DockerComposeSetByUser {
+		return
+	}
+
 	if config.UserConfig.CommandTemplates.DockerCompose != "docker compose" {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/docker_test.go b/pkg/commands/docker_test.go
index 0d459686..cb3c8df5 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/docker_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/docker_test.go
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 package commands
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazydocker/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
@@ -61,3 +65,78 @@ func TestNewDockerClientVersionNegotiation(t *testing.T) {
 			"client version should not be locked to DOCKER_API_VERSION env var")
 	})
 }
+
+func TestSetDockerComposeCommandRespectsExplicitUserOverride(t *testing.T) {
+	configDir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath := filepath.Join(configDir, "config.yml")
+	content := []byte("commandTemplates:\n  dockerCompose: docker compose\n")
+
+	if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, content, 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	originalConfigDir := os.Getenv("CONFIG_DIR")
+	defer func() {
+		if originalConfigDir == "" {
+			os.Unsetenv("CONFIG_DIR")
+		} else {
+			os.Setenv("CONFIG_DIR", originalConfigDir)
+		}
+	}()
+	os.Setenv("CONFIG_DIR", configDir)
+
+	appConfig, err := config.NewAppConfig("lazydocker", "version", "commit", "date", "buildSource", false, nil, "projectDir", "")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %s", err)
+	}
+	osCommand := NewOSCommand(NewDummyLog(), appConfig)
+	osCommand.SetCommand(newHelperCommand(true))
+
+	dockerCommand := &DockerCommand{
+		OSCommand: osCommand,
+		Config:    appConfig,
+	}
+
+	dockerCommand.setDockerComposeCommand(appConfig)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "docker compose", appConfig.UserConfig.CommandTemplates.DockerCompose)
+}
+
+func TestSetDockerComposeCommandFallsBackWhenUnconfigured(t *testing.T) {
+	userConfig := config.GetDefaultConfig()
+	appConfig := &config.AppConfig{UserConfig: &userConfig}
+	osCommand := NewOSCommand(NewDummyLog(), appConfig)
+	osCommand.SetCommand(newHelperCommand(true))
+
+	dockerCommand := &DockerCommand{
+		OSCommand: osCommand,
+		Config:    appConfig,
+	}
+
+	dockerCommand.setDockerComposeCommand(appConfig)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "docker-compose", appConfig.UserConfig.CommandTemplates.DockerCompose)
+}
+
+func TestDockerCommandHelperProcess(t *testing.T) {
+	if len(os.Args) < 4 || os.Args[2] != "--" || os.Args[3] != "docker-helper" {
+		return
+	}
+
+	if len(os.Args) > 4 && os.Args[4] == "fail" {
+		fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, "simulated failure")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	os.Exit(0)
+}
+
+func newHelperCommand(shouldFail bool) func(string, ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+	return func(name string, arg ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+		args := []string{"-test.run=TestDockerCommandHelperProcess", "--", "docker-helper"}
+		if shouldFail {
+			args = append(args, "fail")
+		}
+		return exec.Command(os.Args[0], args...)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/config/app_config.go b/pkg/config/app_config.go
index 0ebc1796..765161a6 100644
--- a/pkg/config/app_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/app_config.go
@@ -174,6 +174,9 @@ type CommandTemplatesConfig struct {
 	// of whatever you've set in this value rather than you having to copy and
 	// paste it to all the other commands
 	DockerCompose string `yaml:"dockerCompose,omitempty"`
+	// DockerComposeSetByUser tracks whether dockerCompose was explicitly present
+	// in the user's config file so command auto-detection does not overwrite it.
+	DockerComposeSetByUser bool `yaml:"-"`
 
 	// StopService is the command for stopping a service
 	StopService string `yaml:"stopService,omitempty"`
@@ -579,10 +582,25 @@ func loadUserConfig(configDir string, base *UserConfig) (*UserConfig, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	type commandTemplatePresence struct {
+		DockerCompose *string `yaml:"dockerCompose,omitempty"`
+	}
+
+	type userConfigPresence struct {
+		CommandTemplates commandTemplatePresence `yaml:"commandTemplates,omitempty"`
+	}
+
+	presence := userConfigPresence{}
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(content, &presence); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(content, base); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	base.CommandTemplates.DockerComposeSetByUser = presence.CommandTemplates.DockerCompose != nil
+
 	return base, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/config/app_config_test.go b/pkg/config/app_config_test.go
index cd8167e4..771ef96a 100644
--- a/pkg/config/app_config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/app_config_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package config
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/yaml"
@@ -96,3 +97,26 @@ func TestWritingToConfigFile(t *testing.T) {
 	// modifying an existing file that already has 'ConfirmOnQuit'
 	testFn(t, conf, false)
 }
+
+func TestLoadUserConfigMarksExplicitDockerComposeOverride(t *testing.T) {
+	configDir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath := filepath.Join(configDir, "config.yml")
+	content := []byte("commandTemplates:\n  dockerCompose: docker compose\n")
+
+	if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, content, 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	conf, err := loadUserConfigWithDefaults(configDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if conf.CommandTemplates.DockerCompose != "docker compose" {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected docker compose but got %s", conf.CommandTemplates.DockerCompose)
+	}
+
+	if !conf.CommandTemplates.DockerComposeSetByUser {
+		t.Fatal("Expected dockerCompose override to be marked as user-set")
+	}
+}