diff --git a/docs/balena-cli.md b/docs/balena-cli.md
index ffa46337..a8cb33fe 100644
--- a/docs/balena-cli.md
+++ b/docs/balena-cli.md
@@ -3316,6 +3316,11 @@ suspected issues with the balenaCloud backend.
 
 Alternative Dockerfile name/path, relative to the source folder
 
+#### --composefile COMPOSEFILE
+
+Alternative compose file name/path, relative to the source folder.
+Only works for local devices
+
 #### -c, --nocache
 
 Don't use cached layers of previously built images for this project. This
diff --git a/lib/commands/push/index.ts b/lib/commands/push/index.ts
index 7693f7c4..aa8c75cd 100644
--- a/lib/commands/push/index.ts
+++ b/lib/commands/push/index.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@ export default class PushCmd extends Command {
 			description:
 				'Alternative Dockerfile name/path, relative to the source folder',
 		}),
+		composefile: Flags.string({
+			description: stripIndent`
+			Alternative compose file name/path, relative to the source folder.
+			Only works for local devices`,
+		}),
 		nocache: Flags.boolean({
 			description: stripIndent`
 				Don't use cached layers of previously built images for this project. This
@@ -238,6 +243,7 @@ export default class PushCmd extends Command {
 			sdk,
 			{
 				dockerfilePath: options.dockerfile,
+				composefile: options.composefile,
 				noParentCheck: options['noparent-check'],
 				projectPath: options.source,
 				registrySecretsPath: options['registry-secrets'],
@@ -248,6 +254,11 @@ export default class PushCmd extends Command {
 			case BuildTarget.Cloud:
 				logger.logDebug(`Pushing to cloud for fleet: ${params.fleetOrDevice}`);
 
+				if (options.composefile) {
+					throw new Error(stripIndent`
+						The use of a compose file is not permitted for cloud builds.`);
+				}
+
 				await this.pushToCloud(
 					params.fleetOrDevice,
 					options,
@@ -363,6 +374,7 @@ export default class PushCmd extends Command {
 				source: options.source,
 				deviceHost: localDeviceAddress,
 				dockerfilePath,
+				composefile: options.composefile,
 				registrySecrets,
 				multiDockerignore: options['multi-dockerignore'],
 				nocache: options.nocache,
diff --git a/lib/utils/compose-types.d.ts b/lib/utils/compose-types.d.ts
index 1d8924a2..6b9f32e4 100644
--- a/lib/utils/compose-types.d.ts
+++ b/lib/utils/compose-types.d.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ export interface TaggedImage {
 export interface ComposeOpts {
 	convertEol: boolean;
 	dockerfilePath?: string;
+	composefile?: string;
 	inlineLogs?: boolean;
 	multiDockerignore: boolean;
 	noParentCheck: boolean;
diff --git a/lib/utils/compose.ts b/lib/utils/compose.ts
index cfcfd4a4..cdbf00f2 100644
--- a/lib/utils/compose.ts
+++ b/lib/utils/compose.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ export function generateOpts(options: {
 	nologs: boolean;
 	'noconvert-eol': boolean;
 	dockerfile?: string;
+	composefile?: string;
 	'multi-dockerignore': boolean;
 	'noparent-check': boolean;
 }): Promise<ComposeOpts> {
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ export function generateOpts(options: {
 		inlineLogs: !options.nologs,
 		convertEol: !options['noconvert-eol'],
 		dockerfilePath: options.dockerfile,
+		composefile: options.composefile,
 		multiDockerignore: !!options['multi-dockerignore'],
 		noParentCheck: options['noparent-check'],
 	}));
diff --git a/lib/utils/compose_ts.ts b/lib/utils/compose_ts.ts
index 3a34c7fd..4f31ef71 100644
--- a/lib/utils/compose_ts.ts
+++ b/lib/utils/compose_ts.ts
@@ -128,7 +128,12 @@ export async function loadProject(
 		composeStr = compose.defaultComposition(image);
 	} else {
 		logger.logDebug('Resolving project...');
-		[composeName, composeStr] = await resolveProject(logger, opts.projectPath);
+		[composeName, composeStr] = await resolveProject(
+			logger,
+			opts.projectPath,
+			false,
+			opts.composefile,
+		);
 
 		if (composeName) {
 			if (opts.dockerfilePath) {
@@ -143,8 +148,9 @@ export async function loadProject(
 			composeStr = compose.defaultComposition(undefined, opts.dockerfilePath);
 		}
 
-		// If local push, merge dev compose overlay
-		if (opts.isLocal) {
+		// If local push and no specific compose file has been provided,
+		// merge dev compose overlay
+		if (opts.isLocal && !opts.composefile) {
 			composeStr = await mergeDevComposeOverlay(
 				logger,
 				composeStr,
@@ -206,10 +212,22 @@ async function resolveProject(
 	logger: Logger,
 	projectRoot: string,
 	quiet = false,
+	specificComposeName?: string,
 ): Promise<[string, string]> {
 	let composeFileName = '';
 	let composeFileContents = '';
-	for (const fname of compositionFileNames) {
+
+	let compositionFileNamesLocal: string[] = [];
+	if (specificComposeName) {
+		compositionFileNamesLocal = [specificComposeName];
+		logger.logInfo(
+			`Using specified "${specificComposeName}" file in "${projectRoot}"`,
+		);
+	} else {
+		compositionFileNamesLocal = compositionFileNames;
+	}
+
+	for (const fname of compositionFileNamesLocal) {
 		const fpath = path.join(projectRoot, fname);
 		if (await exists(fpath)) {
 			logger.logDebug(`${fname} file found at "${projectRoot}"`);
@@ -1149,6 +1167,7 @@ export async function validateProjectDirectory(
 	sdk: BalenaSDK,
 	opts: {
 		dockerfilePath?: string;
+		composefile?: string;
 		noParentCheck: boolean;
 		projectPath: string;
 		registrySecretsPath?: string;
@@ -1175,21 +1194,37 @@ export async function validateProjectDirectory(
 		);
 	} else {
 		const files = await fs.readdir(opts.projectPath);
-		const projectMatch = (file: string) =>
-			/^(Dockerfile|Dockerfile\.\S+|docker-compose.ya?ml|package.json)$/.test(
-				file,
-			);
-		if (!_.some(files, projectMatch)) {
-			throw new ExpectedError(stripIndent`
-				Error: no "Dockerfile[.*]", "docker-compose.yml" or "package.json" file
-				found in source folder "${opts.projectPath}"
-			`);
+		const projectMatch = (file: string, composefile?: string) => {
+			let regexPattern =
+				/^(Dockerfile|Dockerfile\.\S+|docker-compose.ya?ml|package(\.json)?)$/;
+			if (composefile) {
+				regexPattern = new RegExp(
+					`^(Dockerfile|Dockerfile\\.\\S+|docker-compose.ya?ml|${composefile}|package(\\.json)?)$`,
+				);
+			}
+			return regexPattern.test(file);
+		};
+		if (!_.some(files, (file) => projectMatch(file, opts.composefile))) {
+			if (opts.composefile) {
+				throw new ExpectedError(stripIndent`
+					Error: no "${opts.composefile}" file
+					found in source folder "${opts.projectPath}"
+				`);
+			} else {
+				throw new ExpectedError(stripIndent`
+					Error: no "Dockerfile[.*]", "docker-compose.yml" or "package.json" file
+					found in source folder "${opts.projectPath}"
+				`);
+			}
 		}
 		if (!opts.noParentCheck) {
 			const checkCompose = async (folder: string) => {
+				const compositionFileNamesLocal = opts.composefile
+					? [opts.composefile]
+					: compositionFileNames;
 				return _.some(
 					await Promise.all(
-						compositionFileNames.map((filename) =>
+						compositionFileNamesLocal.map((filename) =>
 							exists(path.join(folder, filename)),
 						),
 					),
diff --git a/lib/utils/device/deploy.ts b/lib/utils/device/deploy.ts
index 018467e8..841c8ea6 100644
--- a/lib/utils/device/deploy.ts
+++ b/lib/utils/device/deploy.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ export interface DeviceDeployOptions {
 	deviceHost: string;
 	devicePort?: number;
 	dockerfilePath?: string;
+	composefile?: string;
 	registrySecrets: RegistrySecrets;
 	multiDockerignore: boolean;
 	nocache: boolean;
@@ -183,6 +184,7 @@ export async function deployToDevice(opts: DeviceDeployOptions): Promise<void> {
 	const project = await loadProject(globalLogger, {
 		convertEol: opts.convertEol,
 		dockerfilePath: opts.dockerfilePath,
+		composefile: opts.composefile,
 		multiDockerignore: opts.multiDockerignore,
 		noParentCheck: opts.noParentCheck,
 		projectName: 'local',