diff --git a/cli/options.go b/cli/options.go
index f20803b0..abd4e5af 100644
--- a/cli/options.go
+++ b/cli/options.go
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ func WithEnv(env []string) ProjectOptionsFn {
 	}
 }
 
-// WithDiscardEnvFiles sets discards the `env_file` section after resolving to
+// WithDiscardEnvFile sets discards the `env_file` section after resolving to
 // the `environment` section
 func WithDiscardEnvFile(o *ProjectOptions) error {
 	o.loadOptions = append(o.loadOptions, loader.WithDiscardEnvFiles)
@@ -209,6 +209,15 @@ func WithLoadOptions(loadOptions ...func(*loader.Options)) ProjectOptionsFn {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithDefaultProfiles uses the provided profiles (if any), and falls back to
+// profiles specified via the COMPOSE_PROFILES environment variable otherwise.
+func WithDefaultProfiles(profile ...string) ProjectOptionsFn {
+	if len(profile) == 0 {
+		profile = strings.Split(os.Getenv(consts.ComposeProfiles), ",")
+	}
+	return WithProfiles(profile)
+}
+
 // WithProfiles sets profiles to be activated
 func WithProfiles(profiles []string) ProjectOptionsFn {
 	return func(o *ProjectOptions) error {
@@ -228,8 +237,9 @@ func WithOsEnv(o *ProjectOptions) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// WithEnvFile set an alternate env file
-// deprecated - use WithEnvFiles
+// WithEnvFile sets an alternate env file.
+//
+// Deprecated: use WithEnvFiles instead.
 func WithEnvFile(file string) ProjectOptionsFn {
 	var files []string
 	if file != "" {
diff --git a/loader/loader.go b/loader/loader.go
index 6b80ab23..74dc5c86 100644
--- a/loader/loader.go
+++ b/loader/loader.go
@@ -360,9 +360,6 @@ func load(ctx context.Context, configDetails types.ConfigDetails, opts *Options,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if profiles, ok := project.Environment[consts.ComposeProfiles]; ok && len(opts.Profiles) == 0 {
-		opts.Profiles = strings.Split(profiles, ",")
-	}
 	project.ApplyProfiles(opts.Profiles)
 
 	err := project.ResolveServicesEnvironment(opts.discardEnvFiles)