diff --git a/packages/service-integration/src/service_integration/cli/__init__.py b/packages/service-integration/src/service_integration/cli/__init__.py
index a146de5735dd..6e8b5c6343e5 100644
--- a/packages/service-integration/src/service_integration/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/packages/service-integration/src/service_integration/cli/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 from .._meta import __version__
 from ..settings import AppSettings
-from . import _compose_spec, _metadata, _run_creator, _test
+from . import _compose_spec, _escaping, _metadata, _run_creator, _test
 from ._config import config_app
 
 app = typer.Typer()
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ def main(
 app.command("compose")(_compose_spec.create_compose)
 app.add_typer(config_app, name="config", help="Manage osparc config files")
 app.command("test")(_test.run_tests)
+app.command("legacy-escape")(_escaping.legacy_escape)
 # legacy
 app.command("bump-version")(_metadata.bump_version)
 app.command("get-version")(_metadata.get_version)
diff --git a/packages/service-integration/src/service_integration/cli/_escaping.py b/packages/service-integration/src/service_integration/cli/_escaping.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2953911554cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/service-integration/src/service_integration/cli/_escaping.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import re
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Annotated
+
+import typer
+
+from ..osparc_config import OSPARC_CONFIG_DIRNAME
+
+
+def escape_dollar_brace(text: str) -> str:
+    # the pattern finds '$${' that is not preceded by another '$'.
+    pattern = r"(?<!\$)\$\${"
+    replacement = "$$$${"
+    return re.sub(pattern, replacement, text)
+
+
+def legacy_escape(
+    osparc_config_dirname: Annotated[
+        Path,
+        typer.Option(
+            "--osparc-config-dirname",
+            help="Path to where the .osparc configuration directory is located",
+        ),
+    ] = Path(OSPARC_CONFIG_DIRNAME),
+):
+    """
+    Replaces all '$${' sequences with '$$$${' unless they are part of an
+    existing '$$$${' sequence.
+    """
+
+    # NOTE: since https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/tag/v2.35.0
+    # docker-compose was fixed/changed to escape `${}`
+    # SEE https://github.com/docker/compose/pull/12664
+
+    if not osparc_config_dirname.exists():
+        msg = "Invalid path to metadata file or folder"
+        raise typer.BadParameter(msg)
+
+    for file in osparc_config_dirname.rglob("*.y*ml"):
+        read_text = file.read_text()
+        replaced_text = escape_dollar_brace(read_text)
+        if read_text != replaced_text:
+            print(f"Escaped sequence in {file}")
+        file.write_text(replaced_text)
diff --git a/packages/service-integration/tests/test_cli.py b/packages/service-integration/tests/test_cli.py
index 4eee418ec148..ac7f75a43bd0 100644
--- a/packages/service-integration/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/packages/service-integration/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -1,18 +1,56 @@
+# pylint:disable=redefined-outer-name
+
+import os
+import shutil
+import traceback
 from collections.abc import Callable
+from pathlib import Path
 
+import pytest
+from click.testing import Result
 from service_integration import __version__
 
 
+def _format_cli_error(result: Result) -> str:
+    assert result.exception
+    tb_message = "\n".join(traceback.format_tb(result.exception.__traceback__))
+    return f"Below exception was raised by the cli:\n{tb_message}"
+
+
 def test_cli_help(run_program_with_args: Callable):
     result = run_program_with_args(
         "--help",
     )
-    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert result.exit_code == os.EX_OK, _format_cli_error(result)
 
 
 def test_cli_version(run_program_with_args: Callable):
     result = run_program_with_args(
         "--version",
     )
-    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert result.exit_code == os.EX_OK, _format_cli_error(result)
     assert __version__ == result.output.strip()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def copy_tests_data_dir(tests_data_dir: Path, tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
+    new_dir_path = tmp_path / "copy_tests_data_dir"
+    new_dir_path.mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
+
+    for item in tests_data_dir.glob("*"):
+        print(f"Copying {item} to {new_dir_path / item.name}")
+        shutil.copy2(item, new_dir_path / item.name)
+
+    return new_dir_path
+
+
+def test_cli_legacy_escape(copy_tests_data_dir: Path, run_program_with_args: Callable):
+    result = run_program_with_args(
+        "legacy-escape", "--osparc-config-dirname", copy_tests_data_dir
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == os.EX_OK, _format_cli_error(result)
+    # NOTE only 1 file will have a sequence that will be escaped
+    assert (
+        f"Escaped sequence in {copy_tests_data_dir}/docker-compose-meta.yml"
+        in result.output.strip()
+    )
diff --git a/packages/service-integration/tests/test_cli__escaping.py b/packages/service-integration/tests/test_cli__escaping.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e33463b4dcd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/service-integration/tests/test_cli__escaping.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import pytest
+from service_integration.cli._escaping import escape_dollar_brace
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "to_escape, escaped",
+    [
+        ("some text", "some text"),
+        ("$${escapes}", "$$$${escapes}"),
+        ("$$${preserves}", "$$${preserves}"),
+        ("$$$${preserves}", "$$$${preserves}"),
+        ("$$$$${preserves}", "$$$$${preserves}"),
+        (
+            "$${escapes} & $$${preserves},$$$${preserves}, $$$$${preserves}",
+            "$$$${escapes} & $$${preserves},$$$${preserves}, $$$$${preserves}",
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_escape_dollar_brace(to_escape: str, escaped: str):
+    assert escape_dollar_brace(to_escape) == escaped