diff --git a/helper-scripts/update_compose.sh b/helper-scripts/update_compose.sh
index ae2d6ab1..47cc061d 100755
--- a/helper-scripts/update_compose.sh
+++ b/helper-scripts/update_compose.sh
@@ -4,56 +4,65 @@ SCRIPT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 source ${SCRIPT_DIR}/../mailcow.conf
 
 if [ "${DOCKER_COMPOSE_VERSION}" == "standalone" ]; then
-LATEST_COMPOSE=$(curl -Ls -w %{url_effective} -o /dev/null https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest) # redirect to latest release
-LATEST_COMPOSE=${LATEST_COMPOSE##*/v} #get the latest version from the redirect, excluding the "v" prefix
-COMPOSE_VERSION=$(docker-compose version --short)
-if [[ "$LATEST_COMPOSE" != "$COMPOSE_VERSION" ]]; then
-  echo -e "\e[33mA new docker-compose Version is available: $LATEST_COMPOSE\e[0m"
-  echo -e "\e[33mYour Version is: $COMPOSE_VERSION\e[0m"
-else
-  echo -e "\e[32mYour docker-compose Version is up to date! Not updating it...\e[0m"
-  exit 0 
-fi
-read -r -p "Do you want to update your docker-compose Version? It will automatic upgrade your docker-compose installation (recommended)? [y/N] " updatecomposeresponse 
+    _compose="${MAILCOW_DOCKER_COMPOSE:-"docker-compose"}"
+
+    LATEST_COMPOSE=$(curl -Ls -w %{url_effective} -o /dev/null https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest) # redirect to latest release
+    LATEST_COMPOSE=${LATEST_COMPOSE##*/v} #get the latest version from the redirect, excluding the "v" prefix
+    COMPOSE_VERSION=$(${_compose} version --short)
+    if [[ "$LATEST_COMPOSE" != "$COMPOSE_VERSION" ]]; then
+        echo -e "\e[33mA new docker-compose Version is available: $LATEST_COMPOSE\e[0m"
+        echo -e "\e[33mYour Version of '${_compose}' is: $COMPOSE_VERSION\e[0m"
+    else
+        echo -e "\e[32mYour docker-compose Version is up to date! Not updating it...\e[0m"
+        exit 0
+    fi
+    read -r -p "Do you want to update your docker-compose Version? It will automatic upgrade your docker-compose installation (recommended)? [y/N] " updatecomposeresponse
     if [[ ! "${updatecomposeresponse}" =~ ^([yY][eE][sS]|[yY])+$ ]]; then
-      echo "OK, not updating docker-compose."
-      exit 0
-    fi 
-echo -e "\e[32mFetching new docker-compose (standalone) version...\e[0m"
-echo -e "\e[32mTrying to determine GLIBC version...\e[0m"
+        echo "OK, not updating docker-compose."
+        exit 0
+    fi
+    echo -e "\e[32mFetching new docker-compose (standalone) version...\e[0m"
+    echo -e "\e[32mTrying to determine GLIBC version...\e[0m"
     if ldd --version > /dev/null; then
         GLIBC_V=$(ldd --version | grep -E '(GLIBC|GNU libc)' | rev | cut -d ' ' -f1 | rev | cut -d '.' -f2)
         if [ ! -z "${GLIBC_V}" ] && [ ${GLIBC_V} -gt 27 ]; then
-        DC_DL_SUFFIX=
+            DC_DL_SUFFIX=
         else
-        DC_DL_SUFFIX=legacy
+            DC_DL_SUFFIX=legacy
         fi
     else
         DC_DL_SUFFIX=legacy
     fi
     sleep 1
-    if [[ $(command -v pip 2>&1) && $(pip list --local 2>&1 | grep -v DEPRECATION | grep -c docker-compose) == 1 || $(command -v pip3 2>&1) && $(pip3 list --local 2>&1 | grep -v DEPRECATION | grep -c docker-compose) == 1 ]]; then
+    if [[ "${_compose}" == "docker-compose" ]] && [[ $(command -v pip 2>&1) && $(pip list --local 2>&1 | grep -v DEPRECATION | grep -c docker-compose) == 1 || $(command -v pip3 2>&1) && $(pip3 list --local 2>&1 | grep -v DEPRECATION | grep -c docker-compose) == 1 ]]; then
         echo -e "\e[33mFound a docker-compose Version installed with pip!\e[0m"
         echo -e "\e[31mPlease uninstall the pip Version of docker-compose since it doesn't support Versions higher than 1.29.2.\e[0m"
         sleep 2
         echo -e "\e[33mExiting...\e[0m"
         exit 1
         #prevent breaking a working docker-compose installed with pip
+        #when ${_compose} is set to a non-default value, don't complain, since in some cases both v1 and v2 are used
     elif [[ $(curl -sL -w "%{http_code}" https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest -o /dev/null) == "200" ]]; then
         LATEST_COMPOSE=$(curl -Ls -w %{url_effective} -o /dev/null https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest) # redirect to latest release
-        LATEST_COMPOSE=${LATEST_COMPOSE##*/} #get the latest version from the redirect, inlcuding the "v" prefix
-        COMPOSE_VERSION=$(docker-compose version --short)
+        LATEST_COMPOSE=${LATEST_COMPOSE##*/} #get the latest version from the redirect, including the "v" prefix
+        COMPOSE_VERSION=$(${_compose} version --short)
         if [[ "$LATEST_COMPOSE" != "$COMPOSE_VERSION" ]]; then
-        COMPOSE_PATH=$(command -v docker-compose)
-        if [[ -w ${COMPOSE_PATH} ]]; then
-            curl -#L https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/${LATEST_COMPOSE}/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m) > $COMPOSE_PATH
-            chmod +x $COMPOSE_PATH
-            echo -e "\e[32mYour Docker Compose (standalone) has been updated to: $LATEST_COMPOSE\e[0m"
-            exit 0
-        else
-            echo -e "\e[33mWARNING: $COMPOSE_PATH is not writable, but new version $LATEST_COMPOSE is available (installed: $COMPOSE_VERSION)\e[0m"
-            exit 1
-        fi
+            COMPOSE_PATH=$(command -v ${_compose})
+            if [[ -w ${COMPOSE_PATH} ]]; then
+                curl -#L https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/${LATEST_COMPOSE}/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m) > $COMPOSE_PATH
+                RC=$?
+                if [[ $RC -eq 0 ]]; then
+                    chmod +x $COMPOSE_PATH
+                    echo -e "\e[32mYour Docker Compose (standalone) has been updated to: $LATEST_COMPOSE\e[0m"
+                    exit 0
+                else
+                    echo -e "\e[31mError with updating $COMPOSE_PATH, please retry...\e[0m"
+                    exit 1
+                fi
+            else
+                echo -e "\e[33mWARNING: $COMPOSE_PATH is not writable, but new version $LATEST_COMPOSE is available (installed: $COMPOSE_VERSION)\e[0m"
+                exit 1
+            fi
         fi
     else
         echo -e "\e[33mCannot determine latest docker-compose version, skipping...\e[0m"
@@ -69,4 +78,4 @@ elif [ "${DOCKER_COMPOSE_VERSION}" == "native" ]; then
 else
     echo -e "\e[31mCan not read DOCKER_COMPOSE_VERSION variable from mailcow.conf! Is your mailcow up to date? Exiting...\e[0m"
     exit 1
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
+fi