How to get docker-compose to always re-create containers from fresh images?

docker-compose up --force-recreate is one option, but if you're using it for CI, I would start the build with docker-compose rm -f to stop and remove the containers and volumes (then follow it with pull and up).

This is what I use:

docker-compose rm -f
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up --build -d
# Run some tests
./tests
docker-compose stop -t 1

The reason containers are recreated is to preserve any data volumes that might be used (and it also happens to make up a lot faster).

If you're doing CI you don't want that, so just removing everything should get you want you want.

Update: use up --build which was added in docker-compose 1.7

The only solution that worked for me was the --no-cache flag:

docker-compose build --no-cache

This will automatically pull a fresh image from the repo. It also won't use the cached version that is prebuilt with any parameters you've been using before.

By current official documentation there is a short cut that stops and removes containers, networks, volumes, and images created by up, if they are already stopped or partially removed and so on, then it will do the trick too:

docker-compose down

Then if you have new changes on your images or Dockerfiles use:

docker-compose build --no-cache

Finally:docker-compose up

In one command: docker-compose down && docker-compose build --no-cache && docker-compose up

docker-compose up --build

OR

docker-compose build --no-cache