diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/12-correct_pull_wo_starting.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/12-correct_pull_wo_starting.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2082ba6c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/12-correct_pull_wo_starting.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- "docker-compose - fix not pulling when ``state: present`` and ``stopped: true`` (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.docker/issues/12, https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.docker/pull/119)."
diff --git a/plugins/modules/docker_compose.py b/plugins/modules/docker_compose.py
index 823920186..e32d2df7e 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/docker_compose.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/docker_compose.py
@@ -770,7 +770,7 @@ def cmd_up(self):
                         ))
                     result['actions'].append(result_action)
 
-        if not self.check_mode and result['changed'] and not self.stopped:
+        if not self.check_mode and result['changed']:
             out_redir_name, err_redir_name = make_redirection_tempfiles()
             try:
                 with stdout_redirector(out_redir_name):
@@ -784,7 +784,8 @@ def cmd_up(self):
                             do_build=do_build,
                             detached=detached,
                             remove_orphans=self.remove_orphans,
-                            timeout=self.timeout)
+                            timeout=self.timeout,
+                            start=not self.stopped)
             except Exception as exc:
                 fail_reason = get_failure_info(exc, out_redir_name, err_redir_name,
                                                msg_format="Error starting project %s")
@@ -794,7 +795,7 @@ def cmd_up(self):
 
         if self.stopped:
             stop_output = self.cmd_stop(service_names)
-            result['changed'] = stop_output['changed']
+            result['changed'] |= stop_output['changed']
             result['actions'] += stop_output['actions']
 
         if self.restarted: