diff --git a/plugins/caddy-vhosts/command-functions b/plugins/caddy-vhosts/command-functions
index 9e4347da5..d7409da1e 100755
--- a/plugins/caddy-vhosts/command-functions
+++ b/plugins/caddy-vhosts/command-functions
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ cmd-caddy-show-config() {
   declare cmd="caddy:show-config"
   [[ "$1" == "$cmd" ]] && shift 1
 
+  if ! fn-is-compose-installed; then
+    dokku_log_fail "Required docker compose plugin is not installed"
+  fi
+
   local TMP_COMPOSE_FILE=$(mktemp "/tmp/dokku-${DOKKU_PID}-${FUNCNAME[0]}.XXXXXX")
   trap "rm -rf '$TMP_COMPOSE_FILE' >/dev/null" RETURN INT TERM EXIT
 
@@ -120,6 +124,10 @@ cmd-caddy-start() {
   declare cmd="caddy:start"
   [[ "$1" == "$cmd" ]] && shift 1
 
+  if ! fn-is-compose-installed; then
+    dokku_log_fail "Required docker compose plugin is not installed"
+  fi
+
   local TMP_COMPOSE_FILE=$(mktemp "/tmp/dokku-${DOKKU_PID}-${FUNCNAME[0]}.XXXXXX")
   trap "rm -rf '$TMP_COMPOSE_FILE' >/dev/null" RETURN INT TERM EXIT
 
@@ -132,6 +140,10 @@ cmd-caddy-stop() {
   declare cmd="caddy:start"
   [[ "$1" == "$cmd" ]] && shift 1
 
+  if ! fn-is-compose-installed; then
+    dokku_log_fail "Required docker compose plugin is not installed"
+  fi
+
   local TMP_COMPOSE_FILE=$(mktemp "/tmp/dokku-${DOKKU_PID}-${FUNCNAME[0]}.XXXXXX")
   trap "rm -rf '$TMP_COMPOSE_FILE' >/dev/null" RETURN INT TERM EXIT
 
diff --git a/plugins/common/functions b/plugins/common/functions
index e2abf8bbf..232a31c27 100755
--- a/plugins/common/functions
+++ b/plugins/common/functions
@@ -399,6 +399,18 @@ get_docker_version() {
   echo "$CLIENT_VERSION_STRING"
 }
 
+fn-is-compose-installed() {
+  declare desc="check if the compose docker plugin is installed"
+  local COMPOSE_INSTALLED
+  COMPOSE_INSTALLED="$(docker info -f '{{range .ClientInfo.Plugins}}{{if eq .Name "compose"}}true{{end}}')"
+
+  if [[ "$COMPOSE_INSTALLED" == "true" ]]; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  return 1
+}
+
 is_number() {
   declare desc="returns 0 if input is a number"
   local NUMBER=$1
diff --git a/plugins/traefik-vhosts/command-functions b/plugins/traefik-vhosts/command-functions
index 423256a5c..1df4b90c8 100755
--- a/plugins/traefik-vhosts/command-functions
+++ b/plugins/traefik-vhosts/command-functions
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ cmd-traefik-show-config() {
   declare cmd="traefik:show-config"
   [[ "$1" == "$cmd" ]] && shift 1
 
+  if ! fn-is-compose-installed; then
+    dokku_log_fail "Required docker compose plugin is not installed"
+  fi
+
   local TMP_COMPOSE_FILE=$(mktemp "/tmp/dokku-${DOKKU_PID}-${FUNCNAME[0]}.XXXXXX")
   trap "rm -rf '$TMP_COMPOSE_FILE' >/dev/null" RETURN INT TERM EXIT
 
@@ -123,6 +127,10 @@ cmd-traefik-start() {
   declare cmd="traefik:start"
   [[ "$1" == "$cmd" ]] && shift 1
 
+  if ! fn-is-compose-installed; then
+    dokku_log_fail "Required docker compose plugin is not installed"
+  fi
+
   local TMP_COMPOSE_FILE=$(mktemp "/tmp/dokku-${DOKKU_PID}-${FUNCNAME[0]}.XXXXXX")
   trap "rm -rf '$TMP_COMPOSE_FILE' >/dev/null" RETURN INT TERM EXIT
 
@@ -137,6 +145,10 @@ cmd-traefik-stop() {
   declare cmd="traefik:start"
   [[ "$1" == "$cmd" ]] && shift 1
 
+  if ! fn-is-compose-installed; then
+    dokku_log_fail "Required docker compose plugin is not installed"
+  fi
+
   local TMP_COMPOSE_FILE=$(mktemp "/tmp/dokku-${DOKKU_PID}-${FUNCNAME[0]}.XXXXXX")
   trap "rm -rf '$TMP_COMPOSE_FILE' >/dev/null" RETURN INT TERM EXIT