diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 146362d6..82d3bf0e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ The following pipeline will run `test.sh` inside a `app` service container using
 steps:
   - command: test.sh
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
 ```
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ through if you need:
 steps:
   - command: test.sh
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
           config: docker-compose.tests.yml
           env:
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ or multiple config files:
 steps:
   - command: test.sh
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
           config:
             - docker-compose.yml
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ env:
 steps:
   - command: test.sh
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
 ```
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ If you want to control how your command is passed to docker-compose, you can use
 ```yml
 steps:
   - plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
           command: ["custom", "command", "values"]
 ```
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ steps:
   - plugins:
       - docker-login#v2.0.1:
           username: xyz
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           build: app
           image-repository: index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo
   - wait
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ steps:
     plugins:
       - docker-login#v2.0.1:
           username: xyz
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
 ```
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ steps:
   - command: generate-dist.sh
     artifact_paths: "dist/*"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
 ```
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ steps:
   - command: generate-dist.sh
     artifact_paths: "dist/*"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
           volumes:
             - "./dist:/app/dist"
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ this plugin offers a `environment` block of its own:
 steps:
   - command: generate-dist.sh
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
           env:
             - BUILDKITE_BUILD_NUMBER
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ Alternatively, you can have the plugin add all environment variables defined for
 steps:
   - command: use-vars.sh
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
           propagate-environment: true
 ```
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ Alternatively, if you want to set build arguments when pre-building an image, th
 steps:
   - command: generate-dist.sh
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           build: app
           image-repository: index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo
           args:
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ If you have multiple steps that use the same service/image (such as steps that r
 steps:
   - label: ":docker: Build"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           build: app
           image-repository: index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo
 
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ steps:
     command: test.sh
     parallelism: 25
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: app
 ```
 
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ steps:
     agents:
       queue: docker-builder
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           build:
             - app
             - tests
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ steps:
     command: test.sh
     parallelism: 25
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: tests
 ```
 
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ If you want to push your Docker images ready for deployment, you can use the `pu
 steps:
   - label: ":docker: Push"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           push: app
 ```
 
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ To push multiple images, you can use a list:
 steps:
   - label: ":docker: Push"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           push:
             - first-service
             - second-service
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ If you want to push to a specific location (that's not defined as the `image` in
 steps:
   - label: ":docker: Push"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           push:
             - app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp
             - app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp:latest
@@ -282,19 +282,23 @@ A newly spawned agent won't contain any of the docker caches for the first run w
 steps:
   - label: ":docker: Build an image"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           build: app
           image-repository: index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo
           cache-from: app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp:latest
   - wait
   - label: ":docker: Push to final repository"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           push:
             - app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp
             - app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp:latest
 ```
 
+**Important**: if your registry URL contains a port, you will need to take the following into account:
+* specify the `separator-cache-from` option to change the colon character to something else (like `#`)
+* you will have to specify tags in the `push` elements (or the plugin will try to validate everything after the port as a tag)
+
 #### Multiple cache-from values
 
 This plugin allows for the value of `cache-from` to be a string or a list. If it's a list, as below, then the first successfully pulled image will be used.
@@ -303,20 +307,20 @@ This plugin allows for the value of `cache-from` to be a string or a list. If it
 steps:
   - label: ":docker Build an image"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           build: app
           image-repository: index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo
+          separator-cache-from: "#"
           cache-from:
-            - app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp:my-branch
-            - app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp:latest
+            - "app#myregistry:port/myrepo/myapp#my-branch"
+            - "app#myregistry:port/myrepo/myapp#latest"
   - wait
   - label: ":docker: Push to final repository"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           push:
-            - app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp
-            - app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp:my-branch
-            - app:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp:latest
+            - app:myregistry:port/myrepo/myapp:my-branch
+            - app:myregistry:port/myrepo/myapp:latest
 ```
 
 You may actually want to build your image with multiple cache-from values, for instance, with the cached images of multiple stages in a multi-stage build.
@@ -326,7 +330,7 @@ Adding a grouping tag to the end of a cache-from list item allows this plugin to
 steps:
   - label: ":docker: Build Intermediate Image"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           build: myservice_intermediate  # docker-compose.yml is the same as myservice but has `target: intermediate`
           image-name: buildkite-build-${BUILDKITE_BUILD_NUMBER}
           image-repository: index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myservice_intermediate
@@ -336,7 +340,7 @@ steps:
   - wait
   - label: ":docker: Build Final Image"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           build: myservice
           image-name: buildkite-build-${BUILDKITE_BUILD_NUMBER}
           image-repository: index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo
@@ -380,7 +384,7 @@ A basic pipeline similar to the following:
 steps:
   - label: ":docker: Run & Push"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           run: myservice
           push: myservice
 ```
@@ -395,7 +399,7 @@ A basic pipeline similar to the following:
 steps:
   - label: ":docker: Build & Push"
     plugins:
-      - docker-compose#v4.7.0:
+      - docker-compose#v4.9.0:
           build: myservice
           push: myservice
 ```
@@ -518,6 +522,14 @@ This option can also be configured on the agent machine using the environment va
 
 A list of images to pull caches from in the format `service:index.docker.io/myorg/myrepo/myapp:tag` before building, ignoring any failures. If multiple images are listed for a service, the first one to successfully pull will be used. Requires docker-compose file version `3.2+`.
 
+### `separator-cache-from` (optional, build only, single character)
+
+A single character that specifies the character to use for splitting elements in the `cache-from` option.
+
+By default it is `:` which should not be a problem unless your registry's URL contains a port, in which case you will have to use this option to specify a different character.
+
+**Important**: the tag to use is its own field, so you will have to specify elements like `service#registry:port/myrepo/myapp#tag#group`
+
 ### `target` (optional, build only)
 
 Allow for intermediate builds with `--target VALUE` options.
diff --git a/commands/build.sh b/commands/build.sh
index ddd6b04d..0ad9a025 100755
--- a/commands/build.sh
+++ b/commands/build.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ set -ueo pipefail
 image_repository="$(plugin_read_config IMAGE_REPOSITORY)"
 pull_retries="$(plugin_read_config PULL_RETRIES "0")"
 push_retries="$(plugin_read_config PUSH_RETRIES "0")"
+separator="$(plugin_read_config SEPARATOR_CACHE_FROM ":")"
 override_file="docker-compose.buildkite-${BUILDKITE_BUILD_NUMBER}-override.yml"
 build_images=()
 
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ fi
 # If no-cache is set skip pulling the cache-from images
 if [[ "$(plugin_read_config NO_CACHE "false")" == "false" ]] ; then
   for line in $(plugin_read_list CACHE_FROM) ; do
-    IFS=':' read -r -a tokens <<< "$line"
+    IFS="${separator}" read -r -a tokens <<< "$line"
     service_name=${tokens[0]}
     service_image=$(IFS=':'; echo "${tokens[*]:1:2}")
     if [ ${#tokens[@]} -gt 2 ]; then
diff --git a/commands/push.sh b/commands/push.sh
index 6aecd365..bc96fb63 100755
--- a/commands/push.sh
+++ b/commands/push.sh
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ for line in $(plugin_read_list PUSH) ; do
   service_image=$(compose_image_for_service "$service_name")
 
   # push in the form of service:repo:tag
+  # if the registry contains a port this means that the tag is mandatory
   if [[ ${#tokens[@]} -gt 2 ]]; then 
-    if ! validate_tag "${tokens[2]}"; then
+    if ! validate_tag "${tokens[-1]}"; then
       echo "🚨 specified image to push ${line} has an invalid tag so it will be ignored"
       continue
     fi
diff --git a/plugin.yml b/plugin.yml
index 938b958b..78525af7 100644
--- a/plugin.yml
+++ b/plugin.yml
@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@ configuration:
       type: integer
     rm:
       type: boolean
+    separator-cache-from:
+      type: string
+      minLength: 1
+      maxLength: 1
     service-ports:
       type: boolean
     skip-checkout:
@@ -119,6 +123,7 @@ configuration:
     ansi: [ run ]
     buildkit: [ build ]
     cache-from: [ build ]
+    cache-from-separator: [ cache-from ]
     dependencies: [ run ]
     env: [ run ]
     environment: [ run ]
diff --git a/tests/build.bats b/tests/build.bats
index 0cb6a2cb..1b8b0ffa 100644
--- a/tests/build.bats
+++ b/tests/build.bats
@@ -288,6 +288,32 @@ load '../lib/shared'
   unstub docker-compose
 }
 
+@test "Build with a cache-from image and custom separator" {
+  export BUILDKITE_JOB_ID=1111
+  export BUILDKITE_BUILD_NUMBER=1
+  export BUILDKITE_PIPELINE_SLUG=test
+
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_BUILD_0=helloworld
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CONFIG="tests/composefiles/docker-compose.v3.2.yml"
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CACHE_FROM_0='helloworld#my.repository:port/myservice_cache#latest'
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_SEPARATOR_CACHE_FROM='#'
+
+  stub docker \
+    "pull my.repository:port/myservice_cache:latest : echo pulled cache image"
+
+  stub docker-compose \
+    "-f tests/composefiles/docker-compose.v3.2.yml -p buildkite1111 -f docker-compose.buildkite-1-override.yml build --pull helloworld : echo built helloworld"
+
+  run "$PWD"/hooks/command
+
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial "pulled cache image"
+  assert_output --partial "- my.repository:port/myservice_cache:latest"
+  assert_output --partial "built helloworld"
+  unstub docker
+  unstub docker-compose
+}
+
 @test "Build with a cache-from image with no-cache also set" {
   export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CONFIG="tests/composefiles/docker-compose.v3.2.yml"
   export BUILDKITE_JOB_ID=1111
@@ -454,6 +480,46 @@ load '../lib/shared'
   unstub docker-compose
 }
 
+@test "Build with several cache-from image groups for one service with failures and separator" {
+  export BUILDKITE_BUILD_NUMBER=1
+  export BUILDKITE_JOB_ID=1111
+  export BUILDKITE_PIPELINE_SLUG=test
+
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_BUILD_0=helloworld
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CONFIG="tests/composefiles/docker-compose.v3.2.yml"
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CACHE_FROM_0=helloworld#my.repository:port/myservice_cache#build-target-build-1#target1
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CACHE_FROM_1=helloworld#my.repository:port/myservice_cache#build-target-latest#target1
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CACHE_FROM_2=helloworld#my.repository:port/myservice_cache#install-target-build-1#target2
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CACHE_FROM_3=helloworld#my.repository:port/myservice_cache#branch-name
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CACHE_FROM_4=helloworld#my.repository:port/myservice_cache#latest
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_SEPARATOR_CACHE_FROM='#'
+
+  stub docker \
+    "pull my.repository:port/myservice_cache:build-target-build-1 : exit 1" \
+    "pull my.repository:port/myservice_cache:build-target-latest : echo pulled cache image build-target-latest" \
+    "pull my.repository:port/myservice_cache:install-target-build-1 : echo pulled cache image install-target" \
+    "pull my.repository:port/myservice_cache:branch-name : echo pulled cache image branch-name"
+
+  stub docker-compose \
+    "-f tests/composefiles/docker-compose.v3.2.yml -p buildkite1111 -f docker-compose.buildkite-1-override.yml build --pull helloworld : echo built helloworld"
+
+  run "$PWD"/hooks/command
+
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial "pulled cache image build-target-latest"
+  assert_output --partial "pulled cache image install-target"
+  assert_output --partial "pulled cache image branch-name"
+  assert_output --partial "- my.repository:port/myservice_cache:build-target-latest"
+  assert_output --partial "- my.repository:port/myservice_cache:build-target-latest"
+  assert_output --partial "- my.repository:port/myservice_cache:install-target-build-1"
+  assert_output --partial "- my.repository:port/myservice_cache:branch-name"
+  refute_output --partial "- my.repository:port/myservice_cache:latest"
+  assert_output --partial "built helloworld"
+  
+  unstub docker
+  unstub docker-compose
+}
+
 @test "Build with several cache-from image groups out of order" {
   export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CONFIG="tests/composefiles/docker-compose.v3.2.yml"
   export BUILDKITE_JOB_ID=1111
diff --git a/tests/v2/build.bats b/tests/v2/build.bats
index 2a1d2255..9fc590e1 100644
--- a/tests/v2/build.bats
+++ b/tests/v2/build.bats
@@ -272,6 +272,29 @@ setup_file() {
   unstub docker
 }
 
+@test "Build with a cache-from image and custom separator" {
+  export BUILDKITE_JOB_ID=1111
+  export BUILDKITE_BUILD_NUMBER=1
+  export BUILDKITE_PIPELINE_SLUG=test
+
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_BUILD_0=helloworld
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CONFIG="tests/composefiles/docker-compose.v3.2.yml"
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CACHE_FROM_0='helloworld#my.repository:port/myservice_cache#latest'
+  export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_SEPARATOR_CACHE_FROM='#'
+
+  stub docker \
+    "pull my.repository:port/myservice_cache:latest : echo pulled cache image" \
+    "compose -f tests/composefiles/docker-compose.v3.2.yml -p buildkite1111 -f docker-compose.buildkite-1-override.yml build --pull helloworld : echo built helloworld"
+
+  run "$PWD"/hooks/command
+
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial "pulled cache image"
+  assert_output --partial "- my.repository:port/myservice_cache:latest"
+  assert_output --partial "built helloworld"
+  unstub docker
+}
+
 @test "Build with an invalid cache-from tag" {
   export BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_COMPOSE_CONFIG="tests/composefiles/docker-compose.v3.2.yml"
   export BUILDKITE_JOB_ID=1111