diff --git a/cmd/compose/compose_test.go b/cmd/compose/compose_test.go
index 708929ff8c..de5bc02427 100644
--- a/cmd/compose/compose_test.go
+++ b/cmd/compose/compose_test.go
@@ -17,10 +17,16 @@
 package compose
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/compose-spec/compose-go/v2/types"
+	"github.com/moby/moby/client"
+	"go.uber.org/mock/gomock"
 	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
+
+	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/pkg/mocks"
 )
 
 func TestFilterServices(t *testing.T) {
@@ -53,3 +59,44 @@ func TestFilterServices(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err = p.GetService("zot")
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 }
+
+func TestUpReturnsDockerConnectionErrorBeforeConfigPathFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
+	defer ctrl.Finish()
+
+	wd := t.TempDir()
+	t.Chdir(wd)
+	t.Setenv("COMPOSE_FILE", "")
+
+	apiClient := mocks.NewMockAPIClient(ctrl)
+	apiClient.EXPECT().
+		Ping(gomock.Any(), client.PingOptions{NegotiateAPIVersion: true}).
+		Return(client.PingResult{}, fmt.Errorf("permission denied while trying to connect to the docker API at unix:///var/run/docker.sock"))
+
+	cli := mocks.NewMockCli(ctrl)
+	cli.EXPECT().Client().Return(apiClient).AnyTimes()
+
+	cmd := upCommand(&ProjectOptions{}, cli, &BackendOptions{})
+	cmd.SetContext(t.Context())
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"-d"})
+
+	err := cmd.Execute()
+
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "permission denied while trying to connect to the docker API")
+	assert.Assert(t, !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "is a directory"), err.Error())
+}
+
+func TestUpValidatesFlagConflictsBeforeDockerConnection(t *testing.T) {
+	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
+	defer ctrl.Finish()
+
+	cli := mocks.NewMockCli(ctrl)
+
+	cmd := upCommand(&ProjectOptions{}, cli, &BackendOptions{})
+	cmd.SetContext(t.Context())
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"--attach", "web", "--attach-dependencies"})
+
+	err := cmd.Execute()
+
+	assert.Error(t, err, "cannot combine --attach and --attach-dependencies")
+}
diff --git a/cmd/compose/up.go b/cmd/compose/up.go
index cda2678bbb..2046bd3bb4 100644
--- a/cmd/compose/up.go
+++ b/cmd/compose/up.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/compose-spec/compose-go/v2/types"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
 	xprogress "github.com/moby/buildkit/util/progress/progressui"
+	"github.com/moby/moby/client"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
@@ -124,16 +125,16 @@ func upCommand(p *ProjectOptions, dockerCli command.Cli, backendOptions *Backend
 			if !cmd.Flags().Changed("remove-orphans") {
 				create.removeOrphans = utils.StringToBool(os.Getenv(ComposeRemoveOrphans))
 			}
-			return validateFlags(&up, &create)
+			if err := validateFlags(&up, &create); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			return checkDockerConnection(ctx, dockerCli)
 		}),
 		RunE: p.WithServices(dockerCli, func(ctx context.Context, project *types.Project, services []string) error {
 			create.ignoreOrphans = utils.StringToBool(project.Environment[ComposeIgnoreOrphans])
 			if create.ignoreOrphans && create.removeOrphans {
 				return fmt.Errorf("cannot combine %s and --remove-orphans", ComposeIgnoreOrphans)
 			}
-			if len(up.attach) != 0 && up.attachDependencies {
-				return errors.New("cannot combine --attach and --attach-dependencies")
-			}
 
 			up.validateNavigationMenu(dockerCli)
 
@@ -186,6 +187,11 @@ func upCommand(p *ProjectOptions, dockerCli command.Cli, backendOptions *Backend
 	return upCmd
 }
 
+func checkDockerConnection(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli) error {
+	_, err := dockerCli.Client().Ping(ctx, client.PingOptions{NegotiateAPIVersion: true})
+	return err
+}
+
 //nolint:gocyclo
 func validateFlags(up *upOptions, create *createOptions) error {
 	if up.waitTimeout < 0 {
@@ -203,6 +209,9 @@ func validateFlags(up *upOptions, create *createOptions) error {
 		}
 		up.Detach = true
 	}
+	if len(up.attach) != 0 && up.attachDependencies {
+		return errors.New("cannot combine --attach and --attach-dependencies")
+	}
 	if create.Build && create.noBuild {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--build and --no-build are incompatible")
 	}