diff --git a/src/pkg/cli/compose/fixup.go b/src/pkg/cli/compose/fixup.go
index 84291a029..8e4e639c7 100644
--- a/src/pkg/cli/compose/fixup.go
+++ b/src/pkg/cli/compose/fixup.go
@@ -241,6 +241,14 @@ func fixupPostgresService(svccfg *composeTypes.ServiceConfig, provider client.Pr
 		}
 		term.Debugf("service %q: adding postgres host port %d", svccfg.Name, port)
 		svccfg.Ports = []composeTypes.ServicePortConfig{{Target: port, Mode: Mode_HOST, Protocol: Protocol_TCP}}
+	} else {
+		for i, port := range svccfg.Ports {
+			if port.Mode == Mode_INGRESS || port.Mode == "" {
+				svccfg.Ports[i].Mode = Mode_HOST
+				svccfg.Ports[i].Published = ""   // ignore published port in host mode
+				svccfg.Ports[i].AppProtocol = "" // ignore app protocol in host mode
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -303,6 +311,14 @@ func fixupRedisService(svccfg *composeTypes.ServiceConfig, provider client.Provi
 		}
 		term.Debugf("service %q: adding redis host port %d", svccfg.Name, port)
 		svccfg.Ports = []composeTypes.ServicePortConfig{{Target: port, Mode: Mode_HOST, Protocol: Protocol_TCP}}
+	} else {
+		for i, port := range svccfg.Ports {
+			if port.Mode == Mode_INGRESS || port.Mode == "" {
+				svccfg.Ports[i].Mode = Mode_HOST
+				svccfg.Ports[i].Published = ""   // ignore published port in host mode
+				svccfg.Ports[i].AppProtocol = "" // ignore app protocol in host mode
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/src/pkg/cli/compose/validation_test.go b/src/pkg/cli/compose/validation_test.go
index 929e50b94..413e75a58 100644
--- a/src/pkg/cli/compose/validation_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/cli/compose/validation_test.go
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ func TestValidationAndConvert(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
+		if err := FixupServices(context.Background(), mockClient, project, UploadModeIgnore); err != nil {
+			t.Logf("Service conversion failed: %v", err)
+			logs.WriteString(err.Error() + "\n")
+		}
+
 		if err := ValidateProjectConfig(context.Background(), project, listConfigNamesFunc); err != nil {
 			t.Logf("Project config validation failed: %v", err)
 			logs.WriteString(err.Error() + "\n")
@@ -56,11 +61,6 @@ func TestValidationAndConvert(t *testing.T) {
 			logs.WriteString(err.Error() + "\n")
 		}
 
-		if err := FixupServices(context.Background(), mockClient, project, UploadModeIgnore); err != nil {
-			t.Logf("Service conversion failed: %v", err)
-			logs.WriteString(err.Error() + "\n")
-		}
-
 		// The order of the services is not guaranteed, so we sort the logs before comparing
 		logLines := strings.SplitAfter(logs.String(), "\n")
 		slices.Sort(logLines)
diff --git a/src/pkg/cli/composeUp.go b/src/pkg/cli/composeUp.go
index 48a3d4cca..7060b258f 100644
--- a/src/pkg/cli/composeUp.go
+++ b/src/pkg/cli/composeUp.go
@@ -47,10 +47,6 @@ func ComposeUp(ctx context.Context, project *compose.Project, fabric client.Fabr
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := compose.ValidateProject(project); err != nil {
-		return nil, project, &ComposeError{err}
-	}
-
 	// Create a new project with only the necessary resources.
 	// Do not modify the original project, because the caller needs it for debugging.
 	fixedProject := project.WithoutUnnecessaryResources()
@@ -59,6 +55,10 @@ func ComposeUp(ctx context.Context, project *compose.Project, fabric client.Fabr
 		return nil, project, err
 	}
 
+	if err := compose.ValidateProject(project); err != nil {
+		return nil, project, &ComposeError{err}
+	}
+
 	bytes, err := fixedProject.MarshalYAML()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, project, err
diff --git a/src/testdata/models/compose.yaml.warnings b/src/testdata/models/compose.yaml.warnings
index a782b8fa4..8e624a3c4 100644
--- a/src/testdata/models/compose.yaml.warnings
+++ b/src/testdata/models/compose.yaml.warnings
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
+ ! service "ai_model": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
  ! service "app": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
+ ! service "my_model": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
  ! service "withendpoint": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
diff --git a/src/testdata/ports/compose.yaml.warnings b/src/testdata/ports/compose.yaml.warnings
index 8b30e60f7..679d6aa54 100644
--- a/src/testdata/ports/compose.yaml.warnings
+++ b/src/testdata/ports/compose.yaml.warnings
@@ -13,7 +13,5 @@
  ! service "short": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
  ! service "short-published": ingress port without healthcheck defaults to GET / HTTP/1.1
  ! service "short-published": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
- ! service "short-udp": ingress port without healthcheck defaults to GET / HTTP/1.1
  ! service "short-udp": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
- ! service "short-udp-published": ingress port without healthcheck defaults to GET / HTTP/1.1
  ! service "short-udp-published": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
diff --git a/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml b/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml
index 7e1f277b4..f6d700614 100644
--- a/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml
+++ b/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ services:
       - target: 5432
         mode: host
 
+  short-ports:
+    image: postgres
+    x-defang-postgres:
+    ports:
+      - 5432:5432
+
   no-ext:
     image: postgres
     ports:
@@ -29,3 +35,4 @@ services:
     x-defang-postgres:
     environment:
       - PGPORT=5433
+
diff --git a/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.fixup b/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.fixup
index 09db6a768..fafe954e2 100644
--- a/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.fixup
+++ b/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.fixup
@@ -47,6 +47,21 @@
       }
     ]
   },
+  "short-ports": {
+    "command": null,
+    "entrypoint": null,
+    "image": "postgres",
+    "networks": {
+      "default": null
+    },
+    "ports": [
+      {
+        "mode": "host",
+        "target": 5432,
+        "protocol": "tcp"
+      }
+    ]
+  },
   "with-ext": {
     "command": null,
     "entrypoint": null,
diff --git a/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.golden b/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.golden
index ea3fc363e..0aedfc0ef 100644
--- a/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.golden
+++ b/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.golden
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@ services:
     networks:
       default: null
     x-defang-postgres: null
+  short-ports:
+    image: postgres
+    networks:
+      default: null
+    ports:
+      - mode: ingress
+        target: 5432
+        published: "5432"
+        protocol: tcp
+    x-defang-postgres: null
   with-ext:
     image: postgres
     networks:
diff --git a/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.warnings b/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.warnings
index 1add04c8d..9d2228cac 100644
--- a/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.warnings
+++ b/src/testdata/postgres/compose.yaml.warnings
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  ! service "no-ext": stateful service will lose data on restart; use a managed service instead
  ! service "no-ports": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
  ! service "no-ports-override": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
+ ! service "short-ports": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
  ! service "with-ext": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
  ! service "wrong-image": managed Postgres service should use a postgres image
  ! service "wrong-image": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
diff --git a/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml b/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml
index 89a86a189..251d67730 100644
--- a/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml
+++ b/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ services:
       - target: 6379
         mode: host
 
+  short-ports:
+    image: redis
+    x-defang-redis:
+    ports:
+      - 6379:6379
+
   no-ext:
     image: redis
     ports:
diff --git a/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.fixup b/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.fixup
index b16d5c3f8..c962800cf 100644
--- a/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.fixup
+++ b/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.fixup
@@ -47,6 +47,21 @@
       }
     ]
   },
+  "short-ports": {
+    "command": null,
+    "entrypoint": null,
+    "image": "redis",
+    "networks": {
+      "default": null
+    },
+    "ports": [
+      {
+        "mode": "host",
+        "target": 6379,
+        "protocol": "tcp"
+      }
+    ]
+  },
   "with-ext": {
     "command": null,
     "entrypoint": null,
diff --git a/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.golden b/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.golden
index fe7d0914a..c264924d2 100644
--- a/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.golden
+++ b/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.golden
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ services:
     networks:
       default: null
     x-defang-redis: null
+  short-ports:
+    image: redis
+    networks:
+      default: null
+    ports:
+      - mode: ingress
+        target: 6379
+        published: "6379"
+        protocol: tcp
+    x-defang-redis: null
   with-ext:
     image: redis
     networks:
diff --git a/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.warnings b/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.warnings
index 86d1f02b4..9b4797685 100644
--- a/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.warnings
+++ b/src/testdata/redis/compose.yaml.warnings
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  ! service "no-ext": stateful service will lose data on restart; use a managed service instead
  ! service "no-ports": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
  ! service "no-ports-override": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
+ ! service "short-ports": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
  ! service "with-ext": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors
  ! service "wrong-image": managed Redis service should use a redis image
  ! service "wrong-image": missing memory reservation; using provider-specific defaults. Specify deploy.resources.reservations.memory to avoid out-of-memory errors