diff --git a/cmd/podman/compose.go b/cmd/podman/compose.go
index 869cbbb42d..d4df638993 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/compose.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/compose.go
@@ -170,6 +170,18 @@ func composeEnv() ([]string, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// composeShouldLogWarning returns whether a notice on engine redirection should be piped to stderr regardless of logging configuration
+func composeShouldLogWarning() (bool, error) {
+	if shouldWarnLogsEnv, ok := os.LookupEnv("PODMAN_COMPOSE_WARNING_LOGS"); ok {
+		if shouldWarnLogsEnvVal, err := strconv.ParseBool(shouldWarnLogsEnv); err == nil {
+			return shouldWarnLogsEnvVal, nil
+		} else if shouldWarnLogsEnv != "" {
+			return true, fmt.Errorf("PODMAN_COMPOSE_WARNING_LOGS should be a boolean: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+	return registry.PodmanConfig().ContainersConfDefaultsRO.Engine.ComposeWarningLogs, nil
+}
+
 // underline uses ANSI codes to underline the specified string.
 func underline(str string) string {
 	return "\033[4m" + str + "\033[0m"
@@ -229,7 +241,11 @@ func composeHelp(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return composeProviderExec([]string{"--help"}, nil, nil, registry.PodmanConfig().ContainersConfDefaultsRO.Engine.ComposeWarningLogs)
+	shouldLog, err := composeShouldLogWarning()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return composeProviderExec([]string{"--help"}, nil, nil, shouldLog)
 }
 
 // composeMain is the main function of the compose command.
@@ -249,5 +265,9 @@ func composeMain(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return composeHelp(cmd)
 	}
 
-	return composeProviderExec(args, nil, nil, registry.PodmanConfig().ContainersConfDefaultsRO.Engine.ComposeWarningLogs)
+	shouldLog, err := composeShouldLogWarning()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return composeProviderExec(args, nil, nil, shouldLog)
 }
diff --git a/test/compose/test-compose b/test/compose/test-compose
index 3275f987f6..ec87c291e3 100755
--- a/test/compose/test-compose
+++ b/test/compose/test-compose
@@ -295,11 +295,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 # hide annoying podman compose warnings, some tests want to check compose stderr and this breaks it.
-CONTAINERS_CONF_OVERRIDE="$WORKDIR/containers.conf"
-echo '[engine]
-compose_warning_logs=false' > "$CONTAINERS_CONF_OVERRIDE"
-export CONTAINERS_CONF_OVERRIDE
-
+export PODMAN_COMPOSE_WARNING_LOGS=false
 
 # Identify the tests to run. If called with args, use those as globs.
 tests_to_run=()