What is the easiest way to globally enable optional .env.local in Docker Compose?

[0x131315]

In Makefile i use this way:

include .env
-include .env.local
-include local.mk
export

//other code

What is the easiest way to GLOBALLY enable OPTIONAL .env.local in Docker Compose?

In issues and official docs i have found the following options, but they are not simple:

• env_file - support optional files, but not globally, requires too many edits when there are a lot of services
• COMPOSE_ENV_FILES - globally, but does not support optional files

I use Docker Compose version 2.32.4

[ndeloof]

There's no such mechanism offered by Docker Compose.
.env is the sole supported source to define variables to be applied for interpolation.

[0xShubhamSolanki]

As of Docker Compose version 2.32.4 (released after February 2025, aligning with the current date of April 10, 2025), there isn’t a built-in, straightforward way to globally enable an optional .env.local file across all services without some customization. However, based on your requirement and the constraints you’ve outlined (avoiding per-service env_file edits and the limitations of COMPOSE_ENV_FILES), here’s the easiest practical approach:

Easiest Solution: Use a Shell Wrapper with COMPOSE_ENV_FILES
You can leverage the COMPOSE_ENV_FILES environment variable in combination with a simple shell script or Makefile to make .env.local optional and globally applied. This avoids modifying the docker-compose.yml file for each service and works with your existing setup.

Steps:
Modify Your Makefile (or Create a Shell Script):
Update your existing Makefile to dynamically include .env.local if it exists, and set it in COMPOSE_ENV_FILES. Here’s how you can adapt it:

makefile

include .env -include .env.local export ifneq ($(wildcard .env.local),) export COMPOSE_ENV_FILES=.env,.env.local else export COMPOSE_ENV_FILES=.env endif up: docker compose up

Run Your Command:
Use the Makefile to start Docker Compose:

make up