diff --git a/podman_compose.py b/podman_compose.py
index ab2e605..9e3efe0 100755
--- a/podman_compose.py
+++ b/podman_compose.py
@@ -1523,6 +1523,8 @@ class PodmanCompose:
                 # log(filename, json.dumps(content, indent = 2))
                 content = rec_subs(content, self.environ)
                 rec_merge(compose, content)
+        resolved_services = self._resolve_profiles(compose.get("services", {}), set(args.profile))
+        compose["services"] = resolved_services
         self.merged_yaml = yaml.safe_dump(compose)
         merged_json_b = json.dumps(compose, separators=(",", ":")).encode("utf-8")
         self.yaml_hash = hashlib.sha256(merged_json_b).hexdigest()
@@ -1552,6 +1554,8 @@ class PodmanCompose:
         if services is None:
             services = {}
             log("WARNING: No services defined")
+        # include services with no profile defined or the selected profiles
+        services = self._resolve_profiles(services, set(args.profile))
 
         # NOTE: maybe add "extends.service" to _deps at this stage
         flat_deps(services, with_extends=True)
@@ -1666,6 +1670,28 @@ class PodmanCompose:
         self.containers = containers
         self.container_by_name = {c["name"]: c for c in containers}
 
+    def _resolve_profiles(self, defined_services, requested_profiles=None):
+        """
+        Returns a service dictionary (key = service name, value = service config) compatible with the requested_profiles
+        list.
+
+        The returned service dictionary contains all services which do not include/reference a profile in addition to
+        services that match the requested_profiles.
+
+        :param defined_services: The service dictionary
+        :param requested_profiles: The profiles requested using the --profile arg.
+        """
+        if requested_profiles is None:
+            requested_profiles = set()
+
+        services = {}
+
+        for name, config in defined_services.items():
+            service_profiles = set(config.get("profiles", []))
+            if not service_profiles or requested_profiles.intersection(service_profiles):
+                services[name] = config
+        return services
+
     def _parse_args(self):
         parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(formatter_class=argparse.RawTextHelpFormatter)
         self._init_global_parser(parser)
@@ -1717,6 +1743,13 @@ class PodmanCompose:
             action="append",
             default=[],
         )
+        parser.add_argument(
+            "--profile",
+            help="Specify a profile to enable",
+            metavar="profile",
+            action="append",
+            default=[]
+        )
         parser.add_argument(
             "-p",
             "--project-name",
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2733b73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+"""conftest.py
+
+Defines global pytest fixtures available to all tests.
+"""
+import pytest
+from pathlib import Path
+import os
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def base_path():
+    """Returns the base path for the project"""
+    return Path(__file__).parent.parent
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def test_path(base_path):
+    """Returns the path to the tests directory"""
+    return os.path.join(base_path, "tests")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def podman_compose_path(base_path):
+    """Returns the path to the podman compose script"""
+    return os.path.join(base_path, "podman_compose.py")
diff --git a/tests/profile/docker-compose.yml b/tests/profile/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a2a7cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/profile/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+version: "3"
+services:
+    default-service:
+      image: busybox
+      command: ["/bin/busybox", "httpd", "-f", "-h", "/etc/", "-p", "8000"]
+      tmpfs:
+        - /run
+        - /tmp
+    service-1:
+      image: busybox
+      command: ["/bin/busybox", "httpd", "-f", "-h", "/etc/", "-p", "8000"]
+      tmpfs:
+        - /run
+        - /tmp
+      profiles:
+        - profile-1
+    service-2:
+      image: busybox
+      command: ["/bin/busybox", "httpd", "-f", "-h", "/etc/", "-p", "8000"]
+      tmpfs:
+        - /run
+        - /tmp
+      profiles:
+        - profile-2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test_podman_compose_config.py b/tests/test_podman_compose_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ece5ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_podman_compose_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+"""
+test_podman_compose_config.py
+
+Tests the podman-compose config command which is used to return defined compose services.
+"""
+import pytest
+import os
+from test_podman_compose import capture
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def profile_compose_file(test_path):
+    """"Returns the path to the `profile` compose file used for this test module"""
+    return os.path.join(test_path, "profile", "docker-compose.yml")
+
+
+def test_config_no_profiles(podman_compose_path, profile_compose_file):
+    """
+    Tests podman-compose config command without profile enablement.
+
+    :param podman_compose_path: The fixture used to specify the path to the podman compose file.
+    :param profile_compose_file: The fixtued used to specify the path to the "profile" compose used in the test.
+    """
+    config_cmd = [
+        "python3",
+        podman_compose_path,
+        "-f",
+        profile_compose_file,
+        "config"
+    ]
+
+    out, err, return_code = capture(config_cmd)
+    assert return_code == 0
+
+    string_output = out.decode("utf-8")
+    assert "default-service" in string_output
+    assert "service-1" not in string_output
+    assert "service-2" not in string_output
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("profiles, expected_services",
+                         [
+                             (["--profile", "profile-1", "config"],
+                              {"default-service": True, "service-1": True, "service-2": False}),
+                             (["--profile", "profile-2", "config"],
+                              {"default-service": True, "service-1": False, "service-2": True}),
+                             (["--profile", "profile-1", "--profile", "profile-2", "config"],
+                              {"default-service": True, "service-1": True, "service-2": True})
+                         ])
+def test_config_profiles(podman_compose_path, profile_compose_file, profiles, expected_services):
+    """
+    Tests podman-compose
+    :param podman_compose_path: The fixture used to specify the path to the podman compose file.
+    :param profile_compose_file: The fixtued used to specify the path to the "profile" compose used in the test.
+    :param profiles: The enabled profiles for the parameterized test.
+    :param expected_services: Dictionary used to model the expected "enabled" services in the profile.
+        Key = service name, Value = True if the service is enabled, otherwise False.
+    """
+    config_cmd = [
+        "python3",
+        podman_compose_path,
+        "-f",
+        profile_compose_file
+    ]
+    config_cmd.extend(profiles)
+
+    out, err, return_code = capture(config_cmd)
+    assert return_code == 0
+
+    actual_output = out.decode("utf-8")
+
+    assert len(expected_services) == 3
+
+    actual_services = {}
+    for service, expected_check in expected_services.items():
+        actual_services[service] = service in actual_output
+
+    assert expected_services == actual_services
diff --git a/tests/test_podman_compose_up_down.py b/tests/test_podman_compose_up_down.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33c1c34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_podman_compose_up_down.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+"""
+test_podman_compose_up_down.py
+
+Tests the podman compose up and down commands used to create and remove services.
+"""
+import pytest
+import os
+from test_podman_compose import capture
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def profile_compose_file(test_path):
+    """"Returns the path to the `profile` compose file used for this test module"""
+    return os.path.join(test_path, "profile", "docker-compose.yml")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def teardown(podman_compose_path, profile_compose_file):
+    """
+    Ensures that the services within the "profile compose file" are removed between each test case.
+
+    :param podman_compose_path: The path to the podman compose script.
+    :param profile_compose_file: The path to the compose file used for this test module.
+    """
+    # run the test case
+    yield
+
+    down_cmd = [
+        "python3",
+        podman_compose_path,
+        "--profile",
+        "profile-1",
+        "--profile",
+        "profile-2",
+        "-f",
+        profile_compose_file,
+        "down"
+    ]
+    capture(down_cmd)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("profiles, expected_services",
+                         [
+                             (["--profile", "profile-1", "up", "-d"],
+                              {"default-service": True, "service-1": True, "service-2": False}),
+                             (["--profile", "profile-2", "up", "-d"],
+                              {"default-service": True, "service-1": False, "service-2": True}),
+                             (["--profile", "profile-1", "--profile", "profile-2", "up", "-d"],
+                              {"default-service": True, "service-1": True, "service-2": True})
+                         ])
+def test_up(podman_compose_path, profile_compose_file, profiles, expected_services):
+    up_cmd = [
+        "python3",
+        podman_compose_path,
+        "-f",
+        profile_compose_file,
+    ]
+    up_cmd.extend(profiles)
+
+    out, err, return_code = capture(up_cmd)
+    assert return_code == 0
+
+    check_cmd = [
+        "podman",
+        "container",
+        "ps",
+        "--format",
+        '"{{.Names}}"',
+    ]
+    out, err, return_code = capture(check_cmd)
+    assert return_code == 0
+
+    assert len(expected_services) == 3
+    actual_output = out.decode("utf-8")
+
+    actual_services = {}
+    for service, expected_check in expected_services.items():
+        actual_services[service] = service in actual_output
+
+    assert expected_services == actual_services