diff --git a/newsfragments/compose_down_inexistent_service.bugfix b/newsfragments/compose_down_inexistent_service.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..80d9c9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/compose_down_inexistent_service.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Fixed KeyError in case podman-compose down was called with an inexistent service
diff --git a/podman_compose.py b/podman_compose.py
index 77bb999..df1f9ee 100755
--- a/podman_compose.py
+++ b/podman_compose.py
@@ -2648,7 +2648,8 @@ def get_excluded(compose, args):
     if args.services:
         excluded = set(compose.services)
         for service in args.services:
-            if not args.no_deps:
+            # we need 'getattr' as compose_down_parse dose not configure 'no_deps'
+            if service in compose.services and not getattr(args, "no_deps", False):
                 excluded -= set(x.name for x in compose.services[service]["_deps"])
             excluded.discard(service)
     log.debug("** excluding: %s", excluded)