diff --git a/cmd/compose/attach.go b/cmd/compose/attach.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3bc17134df6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/compose/attach.go
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+/*
+   Copyright 2020 Docker Compose CLI authors
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package compose
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command/container"
+	"github.com/docker/compose/v2/pkg/api"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+func attachCommand(p *ProjectOptions, dockerCli command.Cli, backend api.Service) *cobra.Command {
+	// uses NewAttachCommand from `docker container attach`:
+	// - lookup container by service name (and optionally index)
+	// - invoke underlying `container attach` with container ID
+
+	// FYI changes to the underlying NewAttachCommand could require changes here, i.e. help messages or options added that don't make sense with `compose attach`
+	// - That said, the command flags/behavior are pretty stable
+
+	cmd := container.NewAttachCommand(dockerCli)
+	containerAttachRunE := cmd.RunE
+
+	// Options:
+	// inherits `container attach` options: --detach-keys, --no-stdin, --sig-proxy, --dry-run
+	// additional options specific to compose (in this case to lookup a container):
+	opts := api.LookupContainerOptions{}
+	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&opts.Index, "index", 1, "index of the container if service has multiple replicas")
+
+	// Help messages: (override to name first arg SERVICE instead of CONTAINER):
+	cmd.Use = "attach [OPTIONS] SERVICE"
+	cmd.Short = "Attach local standard input, output, and error streams to a service's running container"
+
+	// clear alias for `docker attach`
+	cmd.Annotations = map[string]string{}
+
+	// todo is this for completions or validation? or both?
+	cmd.ValidArgsFunction = completeServiceNames(dockerCli, p)
+
+	// Args: why require a service name?
+	// - It's possible to make `compose attach` work without specifying a service (i.e. just use first container).
+	// - But, I don't see that convention used in other similar compose commands, i.e. `compose exec` which targets a single container too and requires the service name.
+	// - Also, the underlying `container attach` command requires 1 arg so it would have to be patched to ignore no args
+	// - And, other compose commands optionally take a service name, i.e. `compose logs`, but the behavior there is to view logs of all containers not just one.
+
+	cmd.RunE = Adapt(func(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
+		projectName, err := p.toProjectName(dockerCli)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if len(args) > 0 {
+			opts.Service = args[0]
+		}
+
+		containerID, err := backend.LookupContainer(ctx, projectName, opts)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		// TODO? --dry-run? would it be helpful to print the matching container name/ID and not attach?
+
+		return containerAttachRunE(cmd, []string{containerID})
+	})
+
+	return cmd
+}
diff --git a/cmd/compose/compose.go b/cmd/compose/compose.go
index a5acef5ffe1..fd68bae80f4 100644
--- a/cmd/compose/compose.go
+++ b/cmd/compose/compose.go
@@ -460,6 +460,7 @@ func RootCommand(dockerCli command.Cli, backend api.Service) *cobra.Command { //
 		scaleCommand(&opts, dockerCli, backend),
 		watchCommand(&opts, dockerCli, backend),
 		alphaCommand(&opts, dockerCli, backend),
+		attachCommand(&opts, dockerCli, backend),
 	)
 
 	c.Flags().SetInterspersed(false)
diff --git a/pkg/api/api.go b/pkg/api/api.go
index 42578638a57..e2757740497 100644
--- a/pkg/api/api.go
+++ b/pkg/api/api.go
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ type Service interface {
 	Events(ctx context.Context, projectName string, options EventsOptions) error
 	// Port executes the equivalent to a `compose port`
 	Port(ctx context.Context, projectName string, service string, port uint16, options PortOptions) (string, int, error)
+	// Lookup container by service and index
+	LookupContainer(ctx context.Context, projectName string, options LookupContainerOptions) (string, error)
 	// Publish executes the equivalent to a `compose publish`
 	Publish(ctx context.Context, project *types.Project, repository string, options PublishOptions) error
 	// Images executes the equivalent of a `compose images`
@@ -361,6 +363,11 @@ type PortOptions struct {
 	Index    int
 }
 
+type LookupContainerOptions struct {
+	Service string
+	Index   int
+}
+
 // PublishOptions group options of the Publish API
 type PublishOptions struct {
 	ResolveImageDigests bool
diff --git a/pkg/api/proxy.go b/pkg/api/proxy.go
index b08059a3229..60a50f5d616 100644
--- a/pkg/api/proxy.go
+++ b/pkg/api/proxy.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type ServiceProxy struct {
 	TopFn                func(ctx context.Context, projectName string, services []string) ([]ContainerProcSummary, error)
 	EventsFn             func(ctx context.Context, project string, options EventsOptions) error
 	PortFn               func(ctx context.Context, project string, service string, port uint16, options PortOptions) (string, int, error)
+	LookupContainerFn    func(ctx context.Context, project string, options LookupContainerOptions) (string, error)
 	ImagesFn             func(ctx context.Context, projectName string, options ImagesOptions) ([]ImageSummary, error)
 	WatchFn              func(ctx context.Context, project *types.Project, services []string, options WatchOptions) error
 	MaxConcurrencyFn     func(parallel int)
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ func (s *ServiceProxy) WithService(service Service) *ServiceProxy {
 	s.TopFn = service.Top
 	s.EventsFn = service.Events
 	s.PortFn = service.Port
+	s.LookupContainerFn = service.LookupContainer
 	s.PublishFn = service.Publish
 	s.ImagesFn = service.Images
 	s.WatchFn = service.Watch
@@ -315,6 +317,13 @@ func (s *ServiceProxy) Port(ctx context.Context, projectName string, service str
 	return s.PortFn(ctx, projectName, service, port, options)
 }
 
+func (s *ServiceProxy) LookupContainer(ctx context.Context, projectName string, options LookupContainerOptions) (string, error) {
+	if s.LookupContainerFn == nil {
+		return "", ErrNotImplemented
+	}
+	return s.LookupContainerFn(ctx, projectName, options)
+}
+
 func (s *ServiceProxy) Publish(ctx context.Context, project *types.Project, repository string, options PublishOptions) error {
 	return s.PublishFn(ctx, project, repository, options)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/compose/lookup_container.go b/pkg/compose/lookup_container.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a1d7c036ab4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/compose/lookup_container.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/*
+   Copyright 2020 Docker Compose CLI authors
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package compose
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/docker/compose/v2/pkg/api"
+)
+
+func (s *composeService) LookupContainer(ctx context.Context, projectName string, options api.LookupContainerOptions) (string, error) {
+	projectName = strings.ToLower(projectName)
+	container, err := s.getSpecifiedContainer(ctx, projectName, oneOffExclude, false, options.Service, options.Index)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return container.ID, nil
+}