diff --git a/bin/compose-core b/bin/compose-core
index f6d54cc..7738575 100755
--- a/bin/compose-core
+++ b/bin/compose-core
@@ -3169,7 +3169,14 @@ $(declare -f read-0)
 docker_run_opts=()
 
 while read-0 opt; do
-    docker_run_opts+=("\$opt")
+    if [[ "\$opt" == "!env:"* ]]; then
+        opt="\${opt##!env:}"
+        var="\${opt%%=*}"
+        value="\${opt#*=}"
+        export "\$var"="\$value"
+    else
+        docker_run_opts+=("\$opt")
+    fi
 done < <(cat "$COMPOSE_LAUNCHER_OPTS")
 
 docker_run_opts+=(
@@ -3180,7 +3187,7 @@ docker_run_opts+=(
     docker_run_opts+=("-ti")
 }
 
-exec docker run --rm "\${docker_run_opts[@]}" "${COMPOSE_DOCKER_IMAGE:-docker.0k.io/compose}" "\$@"
+exec docker run --rm "\${docker_run_opts[@]}" "\${COMPOSE_DOCKER_IMAGE:-docker.0k.io/compose}" "\$@"
 
 EOF