diff --git a/bin/compose-core b/bin/compose-core
index 7073dad..792d6fd 100755
--- a/bin/compose-core
+++ b/bin/compose-core
@@ -1266,8 +1266,13 @@ get_compose_service_def () {
     docker_compose=$(get_compose_yml_content) || return 1
     result=$(_get_compose_service_def_cached "$service" "$docker_compose") || return 1
     charm=$(echo "$result" | shyaml get-value charm 2>/dev/null) || return 1
-    metadata=$(charm.metadata "$charm") || return 1
-    if default_options=$(printf "%s" "$metadata" | shyaml -y -q get-value default-options); then
+    if charm.exists "$charm"; then
+        metadata=$(charm.metadata "$charm") || return 1
+    else
+        err "Charm $DARKPINK$charm$NORMAL not found in charm-store."
+        return 1
+    fi
+    if default_options=$(e "$metadata" | shyaml -y -q get-value default-options); then
         default_options=$(yaml_key_val_str "options" "$default_options") || return 1
         result=$(merge_yaml_str "$default_options" "$result") || return 1
     fi
@@ -2164,7 +2169,7 @@ _get_services_uses() {
 
     for service in "$@"; do
         _get_service_uses "$service" | while read-0 rn rd; do
-            printf "%s\0" "$service" "$rn" "$rd"
+            p0 "$service" "$rn" "$rd"
         done
         [ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" == 0 ] || {
             return 1