diff --git a/cmd/werf/compose/main.go b/cmd/werf/compose/main.go
index 788b7041dd..6488e53a8a 100644
--- a/cmd/werf/compose/main.go
+++ b/cmd/werf/compose/main.go
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func NewUpCmd(ctx context.Context) *cobra.Command {
 }
 
 func NewDownCmd(ctx context.Context) *cobra.Command {
-	return newCmd(ctx, "down", &newCmdOptions{
+	cmd := newCmd(ctx, "down", &newCmdOptions{
 		Use: "down [IMAGE_NAME...] [options] [--docker-compose-options=\"OPTIONS\"] [--docker-compose-command-options=\"OPTIONS\"]",
 		Example: `  # Run docker-compose down with forwarded image names
   $ werf compose down
@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ func NewDownCmd(ctx context.Context) *cobra.Command {
 		FollowSupport: false,
 		ArgsSupport:   false,
 	})
+
+	cmd.Flag("without-images").DefValue = "true"
+
+	return cmd
 }
 
 func newCmd(ctx context.Context, composeCmdName string, options *newCmdOptions) *cobra.Command {
@@ -345,81 +349,82 @@ func runMain(ctx context.Context, dockerComposeCmdName string, cmdData composeCm
 }
 
 func run(ctx context.Context, containerBackend container_backend.ContainerBackend, giterminismManager giterminism_manager.Interface, commonCmdData common.CmdData, cmdData composeCmdData, dockerComposeCmdName string) error {
-	imagesToProcess := common.GetImagesToProcess(cmdData.WerfImagesToProcess, *commonCmdData.WithoutImages)
-
-	_, werfConfig, err := common.GetRequiredWerfConfig(ctx, &commonCmdData, giterminismManager, common.GetWerfConfigOptions(&commonCmdData, true))
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to load werf config: %w", err)
-	}
-	if err := werfConfig.CheckThatImagesExist(imagesToProcess.OnlyImages); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	projectName := werfConfig.Meta.Project
-
 	var envArray []string
+	if dockerComposeCmdName != "down" {
+		imagesToProcess := common.GetImagesToProcess(cmdData.WerfImagesToProcess, *commonCmdData.WithoutImages)
 
-	if !imagesToProcess.WithoutImages && (len(werfConfig.StapelImages)+len(werfConfig.ImagesFromDockerfile) > 0) {
-		projectTmpDir, err := tmp_manager.CreateProjectDir(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("getting project tmp dir failed: %w", err)
-		}
-		defer tmp_manager.ReleaseProjectDir(projectTmpDir)
-
-		stagesStorage, err := common.GetStagesStorage(ctx, containerBackend, &commonCmdData)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		finalStagesStorage, err := common.GetOptionalFinalStagesStorage(ctx, containerBackend, &commonCmdData)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		synchronization, err := common.GetSynchronization(ctx, &commonCmdData, projectName, stagesStorage)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		storageLockManager, err := common.GetStorageLockManager(ctx, synchronization)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		secondaryStagesStorageList, err := common.GetSecondaryStagesStorageList(ctx, stagesStorage, containerBackend, &commonCmdData)
+		_, werfConfig, err := common.GetRequiredWerfConfig(ctx, &commonCmdData, giterminismManager, common.GetWerfConfigOptions(&commonCmdData, true))
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to load werf config: %w", err)
 		}
-		cacheStagesStorageList, err := common.GetCacheStagesStorageList(ctx, containerBackend, &commonCmdData)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err := werfConfig.CheckThatImagesExist(imagesToProcess.OnlyImages); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		storageManager := manager.NewStorageManager(projectName, stagesStorage, finalStagesStorage, secondaryStagesStorageList, cacheStagesStorageList, storageLockManager)
+		projectName := werfConfig.Meta.Project
 
-		logboek.Context(ctx).Info().LogOptionalLn()
+		if !imagesToProcess.WithoutImages && (len(werfConfig.StapelImages)+len(werfConfig.ImagesFromDockerfile) > 0) {
+			projectTmpDir, err := tmp_manager.CreateProjectDir(ctx)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("getting project tmp dir failed: %w", err)
+			}
+			defer tmp_manager.ReleaseProjectDir(projectTmpDir)
 
-		conveyorWithRetry := build.NewConveyorWithRetryWrapper(werfConfig, giterminismManager, giterminismManager.ProjectDir(), projectTmpDir, ssh_agent.SSHAuthSock, containerBackend, storageManager, storageLockManager, common.GetConveyorOptions(&commonCmdData, imagesToProcess))
-		defer conveyorWithRetry.Terminate()
+			stagesStorage, err := common.GetStagesStorage(ctx, containerBackend, &commonCmdData)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			finalStagesStorage, err := common.GetOptionalFinalStagesStorage(ctx, containerBackend, &commonCmdData)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			synchronization, err := common.GetSynchronization(ctx, &commonCmdData, projectName, stagesStorage)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			storageLockManager, err := common.GetStorageLockManager(ctx, synchronization)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			secondaryStagesStorageList, err := common.GetSecondaryStagesStorageList(ctx, stagesStorage, containerBackend, &commonCmdData)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			cacheStagesStorageList, err := common.GetCacheStagesStorageList(ctx, containerBackend, &commonCmdData)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 
-		if err := conveyorWithRetry.WithRetryBlock(ctx, func(c *build.Conveyor) error {
-			if *commonCmdData.SkipBuild {
-				if err := c.ShouldBeBuilt(ctx, build.ShouldBeBuiltOptions{}); err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-			} else {
-				if err := c.Build(ctx, build.BuildOptions{SkipImageMetadataPublication: *commonCmdData.Dev}); err != nil {
-					return err
+			storageManager := manager.NewStorageManager(projectName, stagesStorage, finalStagesStorage, secondaryStagesStorageList, cacheStagesStorageList, storageLockManager)
+
+			logboek.Context(ctx).Info().LogOptionalLn()
+
+			conveyorWithRetry := build.NewConveyorWithRetryWrapper(werfConfig, giterminismManager, giterminismManager.ProjectDir(), projectTmpDir, ssh_agent.SSHAuthSock, containerBackend, storageManager, storageLockManager, common.GetConveyorOptions(&commonCmdData, imagesToProcess))
+			defer conveyorWithRetry.Terminate()
+
+			if err := conveyorWithRetry.WithRetryBlock(ctx, func(c *build.Conveyor) error {
+				if *commonCmdData.SkipBuild {
+					if err := c.ShouldBeBuilt(ctx, build.ShouldBeBuiltOptions{}); err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
+				} else {
+					if err := c.Build(ctx, build.BuildOptions{SkipImageMetadataPublication: *commonCmdData.Dev}); err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
 				}
-			}
 
-			for _, imageName := range c.GetExportedImagesNames() {
-				if err := c.FetchLastImageStage(ctx, imageName); err != nil {
-					return err
+				for _, imageName := range c.GetExportedImagesNames() {
+					if err := c.FetchLastImageStage(ctx, imageName); err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
 				}
-			}
 
-			envArray = c.GetImagesEnvArray()
+				envArray = c.GetImagesEnvArray()
 
-			return nil
-		}); err != nil {
-			return err
+				return nil
+			}); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
 	}