diff --git a/consts/consts.go b/consts/consts.go
index bf5cc9f1..76bdb82e 100644
--- a/consts/consts.go
+++ b/consts/consts.go
@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@ const (
 	ComposeProjectName   = "COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME"
 	ComposePathSeparator = "COMPOSE_PATH_SEPARATOR"
 	ComposeFilePath      = "COMPOSE_FILE"
+	ComposeProfiles      = "COMPOSE_PROFILES"
 )
diff --git a/loader/loader.go b/loader/loader.go
index 93b3c93c..eb09b313 100644
--- a/loader/loader.go
+++ b/loader/loader.go
@@ -246,9 +246,10 @@ func Load(configDetails types.ConfigDetails, options ...func(*Options)) (*types.
 		}
 	}
 
-	if len(opts.Profiles) > 0 {
-		project.ApplyProfiles(opts.Profiles)
+	if profiles, ok := project.Environment[consts.ComposeProfiles]; ok && len(opts.Profiles) == 0 {
+		opts.Profiles = strings.Split(profiles, ",")
 	}
+	project.ApplyProfiles(opts.Profiles)
 
 	err = project.ResolveServicesEnvironment(opts.discardEnvFiles)
 
diff --git a/loader/merge_test.go b/loader/merge_test.go
index 9b919224..96301d40 100644
--- a/loader/merge_test.go
+++ b/loader/merge_test.go
@@ -1223,7 +1223,7 @@ func TestMergeTopLevelExtensions(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.DeepEqual(t, &types.Project{
 		Name:       "",
 		WorkingDir: "",
-		Services:   types.Services{},
+		Services:   nil,
 		Networks:   types.Networks{},
 		Volumes:    types.Volumes{},
 		Secrets:    types.Secrets{},
diff --git a/types/project.go b/types/project.go
index cf7526eb..59c06b41 100644
--- a/types/project.go
+++ b/types/project.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ type Project struct {
 
 	// DisabledServices track services which have been disable as profile is not active
 	DisabledServices Services `yaml:"-" json:"-"`
+	Profiles         []string `yaml:"-" json:"-"`
 }
 
 // ServiceNames return names for all services in this Compose config
@@ -119,6 +120,16 @@ func (p *Project) GetServices(names ...string) (Services, error) {
 	return services, nil
 }
 
+// GetDisabledService retrieve disabled service by name
+func (p Project) GetDisabledService(name string) (ServiceConfig, error) {
+	for _, config := range p.DisabledServices {
+		if config.Name == name {
+			return config, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return ServiceConfig{}, fmt.Errorf("no such service: %s", name)
+}
+
 // GetService retrieve a specific service by name
 func (p *Project) GetService(name string) (ServiceConfig, error) {
 	services, err := p.GetServices(name)
@@ -247,7 +258,7 @@ func (p *Project) ApplyProfiles(profiles []string) {
 		}
 	}
 	var enabled, disabled Services
-	for _, service := range p.Services {
+	for _, service := range p.AllServices() {
 		if service.HasProfile(profiles) {
 			enabled = append(enabled, service)
 		} else {
@@ -256,6 +267,41 @@ func (p *Project) ApplyProfiles(profiles []string) {
 	}
 	p.Services = enabled
 	p.DisabledServices = disabled
+	p.Profiles = profiles
+}
+
+// EnableServices ensure services are enabled and activate profiles accordingly
+func (p *Project) EnableServices(names ...string) error {
+	if len(names) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	var enabled []string
+	for _, name := range names {
+		_, err := p.GetService(name)
+		if err == nil {
+			// already enabled
+			continue
+		}
+		def, err := p.GetDisabledService(name)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		enabled = append(enabled, def.Profiles...)
+	}
+
+	profiles := p.Profiles
+PROFILES:
+	for _, profile := range enabled {
+		for _, p := range profiles {
+			if p == profile {
+				continue PROFILES
+			}
+		}
+		profiles = append(profiles, profile)
+	}
+	p.ApplyProfiles(profiles)
+
+	return p.ResolveServicesEnvironment(true)
 }
 
 // WithoutUnnecessaryResources drops networks/volumes/secrets/configs that are not referenced by active services
diff --git a/types/project_test.go b/types/project_test.go
index 05b8e459..b8421bc4 100644
--- a/types/project_test.go
+++ b/types/project_test.go
@@ -31,8 +31,22 @@ func Test_ApplyProfiles(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, len(p.Services), 2)
 	assert.Equal(t, p.Services[0].Name, "service_1")
 	assert.Equal(t, p.Services[1].Name, "service_2")
+	assert.Equal(t, len(p.DisabledServices), 3)
+	assert.Equal(t, p.DisabledServices[0].Name, "service_3")
+	assert.Equal(t, p.DisabledServices[1].Name, "service_4")
+	assert.Equal(t, p.DisabledServices[2].Name, "service_5")
+
+	err := p.EnableServices("service_4")
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, len(p.Services), 4)
+	assert.Equal(t, p.Services[0].Name, "service_1")
+	assert.Equal(t, p.Services[1].Name, "service_2")
+	assert.Equal(t, p.Services[2].Name, "service_4")
+	assert.Equal(t, p.Services[3].Name, "service_5")
 	assert.Equal(t, len(p.DisabledServices), 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, p.DisabledServices[0].Name, "service_3")
+
 }
 
 func Test_WithoutUnnecessaryResources(t *testing.T) {
@@ -60,7 +74,7 @@ func Test_NoProfiles(t *testing.T) {
 	p := makeProject()
 	p.ApplyProfiles(nil)
 	assert.Equal(t, len(p.Services), 1)
-	assert.Equal(t, len(p.DisabledServices), 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, len(p.DisabledServices), 4)
 	assert.Equal(t, p.Services[0].Name, "service_1")
 }
 
@@ -79,8 +93,10 @@ func Test_ForServices(t *testing.T) {
 	err := p.ForServices([]string{"service_2"})
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, len(p.DisabledServices), 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, len(p.DisabledServices), 3)
 	assert.Equal(t, p.DisabledServices[0].Name, "service_3")
+	assert.Equal(t, p.DisabledServices[1].Name, "service_4")
+	assert.Equal(t, p.DisabledServices[2].Name, "service_5")
 }
 
 func Test_ForServicesCycle(t *testing.T) {
@@ -103,6 +119,12 @@ func makeProject() Project {
 				Name:      "service_3",
 				Profiles:  []string{"bar"},
 				DependsOn: map[string]ServiceDependency{"service_2": {}},
+			}, ServiceConfig{
+				Name:     "service_4",
+				Profiles: []string{"zot"},
+			}, ServiceConfig{
+				Name:     "service_5",
+				Profiles: []string{"zot"},
 			}),
 		Networks: Networks{},
 		Volumes:  Volumes{},