diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 58aab9f..114f6ad 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ running [Faasm](https://github.com/faasm/faasm) cluster.
 To install `faasmctl` you need a working `pip` (virtual-)environment. Then:
 
 ```bash
-pip install faasmctl==0.38.0
+pip install faasmctl==0.39.0
 ```
 
 ## Usage
diff --git a/faasmctl/util/compose.py b/faasmctl/util/compose.py
index e80c730..a0eae05 100644
--- a/faasmctl/util/compose.py
+++ b/faasmctl/util/compose.py
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 from subprocess import run
 from time import sleep
 
+DEFAULT_FAASM_OVERRIDE_CPU_COUNT = "8"
+
 
 def get_compose_env_vars(faasm_checkout, mount_source, ini_file=None):
     """
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@ def get_compose_env_vars(faasm_checkout, mount_source, ini_file=None):
     - A dictionary with the necessary env. variables
     """
     env = {}
+    env["FAASM_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE"] = "compose"
+
     if mount_source:
         env["FAASM_BUILD_DIR"] = join(faasm_checkout, "dev/faasm/build")
         env["CONAN_CACHE_MOUNT_SOURCE"] = join(faasm_checkout, "dev/faasm/conan")
@@ -103,6 +107,10 @@ def get_compose_env_vars(faasm_checkout, mount_source, ini_file=None):
         else:
             env["FAASM_WASM_VM"] = wasm_vm
 
+    env["FAASM_OVERRIDE_CPU_COUNT"] = DEFAULT_FAASM_OVERRIDE_CPU_COUNT
+    if "FAASM_OVERRIDE_CPU_COUNT" in environ:
+        env["FAASM_OVERRIDE_CPU_COUNT"] = environ["FAASM_OVERRIDE_CPU_COUNT"]
+
     if "FAASM_CLI_IMAGE" in environ:
         env["FAASM_CLI_IMAGE"] = environ["FAASM_CLI_IMAGE"]
 
diff --git a/faasmctl/util/version.py b/faasmctl/util/version.py
index 7d68ca1..0de495e 100644
--- a/faasmctl/util/version.py
+++ b/faasmctl/util/version.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FAASMCTL_VERSION = "0.38.0"
+FAASMCTL_VERSION = "0.39.0"
 
 
 def get_version():
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a327daa..b6bf012 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "faasmctl"
-version = "0.38.0"
+version = "0.39.0"
 authors = [
   { name="Faasm Team", email="foo@bar.com" },
 ]