diff --git a/newsfragments/398.bugfix b/newsfragments/398.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4735dbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/398.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Fixed a bug that caused dependent containers to be started even with --no-deps
diff --git a/podman_compose.py b/podman_compose.py
index 576ed051..c2abc1bf 100755
--- a/podman_compose.py
+++ b/podman_compose.py
@@ -2600,7 +2600,8 @@ def get_excluded(compose, args):
     if args.services:
         excluded = set(compose.services)
         for service in args.services:
-            excluded -= set(x.name for x in compose.services[service]["_deps"])
+            if not args.no_deps:
+                excluded -= set(x.name for x in compose.services[service]["_deps"])
             excluded.discard(service)
     log.debug("** excluding: %s", excluded)
     return excluded
@@ -2699,10 +2700,13 @@ async def compose_up(compose: PodmanCompose, args):
         if cnt["_service"] in excluded:
             log.debug("** skipping: %s", cnt["name"])
             continue
-        podman_args = await container_to_args(compose, cnt, detached=args.detach)
+        podman_args = await container_to_args(
+            compose, cnt, detached=args.detach, no_deps=args.no_deps
+        )
         subproc = await compose.podman.run([], podman_command, podman_args)
+        deps = set() if args.no_deps else cnt["_deps"]
         if podman_command == "run" and subproc is not None:
-            await run_container(compose, cnt["name"], cnt["_deps"], ([], "start", [cnt["name"]]))
+            await run_container(compose, cnt["name"], deps, ([], "start", [cnt["name"]]))
     if args.no_start or args.detach or args.dry_run:
         return
     # TODO: handle already existing
@@ -2732,12 +2736,13 @@ async def compose_up(compose: PodmanCompose, args):
             log.debug("** skipping: %s", cnt["name"])
             continue
 
+        deps = set() if args.no_deps else cnt["_deps"]
         tasks.add(
             asyncio.create_task(
                 run_container(
                     compose,
                     cnt["name"],
-                    cnt["_deps"],
+                    deps,
                     ([], "start", ["-a", cnt["name"]]),
                     log_formatter=log_formatter,
                 ),
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_podman_compose_deps.py b/tests/integration/test_podman_compose_deps.py
index fe9f2fd3..65c3485d 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_podman_compose_deps.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_podman_compose_deps.py
@@ -60,6 +60,27 @@ def test_run_nodeps(self):
                 "down",
             ])
 
+    def test_up_nodeps(self):
+        try:
+            output, error = self.run_subprocess_assert_returncode([
+                podman_compose_path(),
+                "-f",
+                compose_yaml_path(),
+                "up",
+                "--detach",
+                "--no-deps",
+                "sleep",
+            ])
+            self.assertNotIn(b"deps_web_1", output)
+            self.assertIn(b"deps_sleep_1", output)
+        finally:
+            self.run_subprocess_assert_returncode([
+                podman_compose_path(),
+                "-f",
+                compose_yaml_path(),
+                "down",
+            ])
+
 
 class TestComposeConditionalDeps(unittest.TestCase, RunSubprocessMixin):
     def test_deps_succeeds(self):