diff --git a/bin/compose b/bin/compose
index 98f39b5..00e69a9 100755
--- a/bin/compose
+++ b/bin/compose
@@ -979,8 +979,7 @@ get_compose_service_def () {
     fi
 
     [ -z "$service" ] && print_syntax_error "Missing service as first argument."
-
-    docker_compose=$([ "$COMPOSE_YML_FILE" -a -e "$COMPOSE_YML_FILE" ] && cat "$COMPOSE_YML_FILE")
+    docker_compose=$(get_compose_yml_content) || return 1
     result=$(_get_compose_service_def_cached "$service" "$docker_compose") || return 1
     echo "$result" | tee "$cache_file" || return 1
 }
@@ -1664,13 +1663,12 @@ _run_service_action_direct() {
         return 1
     fi
 
-    compose_file=$(get_compose_yml_location) || return 1
     export action_errlvl_file="$state_tmpdir/action-$service-$charm-$action-errlvl"
     export state_tmpdir
     {
         (
             set +e  ## Prevents unwanted leaks from parent shell
-            export COMPOSE_CONFIG=$(cat "$compose_file")
+            export COMPOSE_CONFIG=$(get_compose_yml_content)
             export METADATA_CONFIG=$(charm.metadata "$charm")
             export SERVICE_NAME=$service
             export ACTION_NAME=$action
@@ -1705,7 +1703,6 @@ _run_service_action_relation() {
 
     export RELATION_DATA_FILE=$(get_relation_data_file "$service" "$target_service" "$relation_name" "$relation_config")
 
-    compose_file=$(get_compose_yml_location) || return 1
     export action_errlvl_file="$state_tmpdir/action-$service-$charm-$action-errlvl"
     export state_tmpdir
     {
@@ -2100,7 +2097,7 @@ get_default_project_name() {
             return 0
         fi
     fi
-    echo "project"
+    echo "orphan"
     return 0
 }
 export -f get_default_project_name
@@ -2169,6 +2166,10 @@ launch_docker_compose() {
 export -f launch_docker_compose
 
 get_compose_yml_location() {
+    if ! [ -z ${COMPOSE_YML_FILE+x} ]; then   ## if set, even if empty
+        echo "$COMPOSE_YML_FILE"
+        return 0
+    fi
     parent=$(while ! [ -e "./compose.yml" ]; do
                  [ "$PWD" == "/" ] && exit 0
                  cd ..
@@ -2178,22 +2179,62 @@ get_compose_yml_location() {
         echo "$parent/compose.yml"
         return 0
     fi
+    ## XXXvlab: do we need this additional environment variable,
+    ## COMPOSE_YML_FILE is not sufficient ?
     if [ "$DEFAULT_COMPOSE_FILE" ]; then
         if ! [ -e "$DEFAULT_COMPOSE_FILE" ]; then
-            err "No 'compose.yml' was found in current or parent dirs," \
+            warn "No 'compose.yml' was found in current or parent dirs," \
                 "and \$DEFAULT_COMPOSE_FILE points to an unexistent file." \
                 "(${DEFAULT_COMPOSE_FILE})"
-            die "Please provide a 'compose.yml' file."
+            return 0
         fi
         echo "$DEFAULT_COMPOSE_FILE"
         return 0
     fi
-    err "No 'compose.yml' was found in current or parent dirs, and no \$DEFAULT_COMPOSE_FILE was set."
-    die "Please provide a 'compose.yml' file."
-    return 1
+    warn "No 'compose.yml' was found in current or parent dirs, and no \$DEFAULT_COMPOSE_FILE was set."
+    return 0
 }
 export -f get_compose_yml_location
 
+get_compose_yml_content() {
+    local cache_file="$state_tmpdir/$FUNCNAME.cache"
+    if [ -e "$cache_file" ]; then
+        cat "$cache_file" &&
+        touch "$cache_file" || return 1
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if [ -z "$COMPOSE_YML_FILE" ]; then
+        COMPOSE_YML_FILE=$(get_compose_yml_location) || exit 1
+    fi
+    if [ -e "$COMPOSE_YML_FILE" ]; then
+        debug "Found $WHITE$exname$NORMAL YAML file in '$COMPOSE_YML_FILE'."
+        COMPOSE_YML_CONTENT=$(cat "$COMPOSE_YML_FILE")
+    else
+        debug "No compose file found. Using an empty one."
+        COMPOSE_YML_CONTENT=""
+    fi
+
+    output=$(echo "$COMPOSE_YML_CONTENT"| shyaml get-value 2>&1)
+    if [ "$?" != 0 ]; then
+        outputed_something=
+        while IFS='' read -r line1 && IFS='' read -r line2; do
+            [ "$outputed_something" ] || err "Invalid YAML in '$COMPOSE_YML_FILE':"
+            outputed_something=true
+            echo "$line1 $GRAY($line2)$NORMAL"
+        done < <(echo "$output" | grep ^yaml.scanner -A 100 |
+                     sed -r 's/^  in "<stdin>", //g' | sed -r 's/^yaml.scanner.[a-zA-Z]+: //g') |
+            prefix "  $GRAY|$NORMAL "
+        [ "$outputed_something" ] || {
+            err "Unexpected error while running 'shyaml get-value' on '$COMPOSE_YML_FILE':"
+            echo "$output" | prefix "  $GRAY|$NORMAL "
+        }
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    echo "$COMPOSE_YML_CONTENT" | tee "$cache_file" || return 1
+}
+export -f get_compose_yml_content
+
 
 get_default_target_services() {
     local services=("$@")
@@ -2769,26 +2810,10 @@ done < <(cla.normalize "$@")
 
 export DOCKER_DATASTORE=${DOCKER_DATASTORE:-/srv/docker-datastore}
 
+
 COMPOSE_YML_FILE=$(get_compose_yml_location) || exit 1
-export COMPOSE_YML_FILE
-debug "Found $WHITE$exname$NORMAL YAML file in '$COMPOSE_YML_FILE'."
-
-output=$(shyaml get-value < "$COMPOSE_YML_FILE" 2>&1)
-if [ "$?" != 0 ]; then
-    outputed_something=
-    while IFS='' read -r line1 && IFS='' read -r line2; do
-        [ "$outputed_something" ] || err "Invalid YAML in '$COMPOSE_YML_FILE':"
-        outputed_something=true
-        echo "$line1 $GRAY($line2)$NORMAL"
-    done < <(echo "$output" | grep ^yaml.scanner -A 100 |
-                    sed -r 's/^  in "<stdin>", //g' | sed -r 's/^yaml.scanner.[a-zA-Z]+: //g') |
-        prefix "  $GRAY|$NORMAL "
-    [ "$outputed_something" ] || {
-        err "Unexpected error while running 'shyaml get-value' on '$COMPOSE_YML_FILE':"
-        echo "$output" | prefix "  $GRAY|$NORMAL "
-        }
-    exit 1
-fi
+export COMPOSE_YML_FILE COMPOSE_YML_CONTENT
+
 
 charm.sanity_checks || die "Sanity checks about charm-store failed. Please correct."
 
@@ -2818,7 +2843,7 @@ if [ -z "$is_docker_compose_action" -a "$action" ]; then
     fi
 else
     if [[ "$action" =~ (up|ps) && "${#services_args[@]}" == 0 ]]; then
-        services_args=($(shyaml keys <"$COMPOSE_YML_FILE"))
+        services_args=($(echo "$COMPOSE_YML_CONTENT" | shyaml keys))
     fi
     if [ "$action" == "config" ]; then
         services_args=("${action_posargs[@]}")
@@ -2931,7 +2956,7 @@ case "$action" in
             launch_docker_compose "${compose_opts[@]}" "$action" "${action_opts[@]}" "${action_posargs[@]}" "${remainder_args[@]}"
         fi
         ;;
-esac
+esac || exit 1
 
 
 if [ "$post_hook" -a "${#services_args[@]}" != 0 ]; then