diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/containers/DockerComposeContainer.java b/core/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/containers/DockerComposeContainer.java
index 86a98586c7f..14124d88c28 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/containers/DockerComposeContainer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/containers/DockerComposeContainer.java
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ public class DockerComposeContainer<SELF extends DockerComposeContainer<SELF>>
 
     private final Map<String, WaitAllStrategy> waitStrategyMap = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
 
+    private Duration startupTimeout = Duration.ofMinutes(30);
+
     private final SocatContainer ambassadorContainer = new SocatContainer();
 
     private final Map<String, List<Consumer<OutputFrame>>> logConsumers = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
@@ -433,14 +435,14 @@ private String getServiceInstanceName(String serviceName) {
     /*
      * can have multiple wait strategies for a single container, e.g. if waiting on several ports
      * if no wait strategy is defined, the WaitAllStrategy will return immediately.
-     * The WaitAllStrategy uses an long timeout, because timeouts should be handled by the inner strategies.
+     * The WaitAllStrategy uses the startup timeout for everything as a global maximum, but we expect timeouts to be handled by the inner strategies.
      */
     private void addWaitStrategy(String serviceInstanceName, @NonNull WaitStrategy waitStrategy) {
         final WaitAllStrategy waitAllStrategy = waitStrategyMap.computeIfAbsent(
             serviceInstanceName,
             __ -> {
                 return new WaitAllStrategy(WaitAllStrategy.Mode.WITH_MAXIMUM_OUTER_TIMEOUT)
-                    .withStartupTimeout(Duration.ofMinutes(30));
+                    .withStartupTimeout(startupTimeout);
             }
         );
         waitAllStrategy.withStrategy(waitStrategy);
@@ -598,6 +600,16 @@ public SELF withRemoveImages(RemoveImages removeImages) {
         return self();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the maximum startup timeout all the waits set are bounded to.
+     *
+     * @return this instance. for chaining
+     */
+    public SELF withStartupTimeout(Duration startupTimeout) {
+        this.startupTimeout = startupTimeout;
+        return self();
+    }
+
     public Optional<ContainerState> getContainerByServiceName(String serviceName) {
         return Optional.ofNullable(serviceInstanceMap.get(serviceName));
     }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/containers/DockerComposeContainerWithServicesTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/containers/DockerComposeContainerWithServicesTest.java
index 8f056de98fa..305de496cc9 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/containers/DockerComposeContainerWithServicesTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/containers/DockerComposeContainerWithServicesTest.java
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 package org.testcontainers.containers;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.testcontainers.containers.wait.strategy.Wait;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
+import static org.rnorth.visibleassertions.VisibleAssertions.assertThrows;
 import static org.rnorth.visibleassertions.VisibleAssertions.assertEquals;
 
 public class DockerComposeContainerWithServicesTest {
@@ -87,6 +90,21 @@ public void testScaleInComposeFileIsRespected() {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testStartupTimeoutSetsTheHighestTimeout() {
+        assertThrows("We expect a timeout from the startup timeout", org.rnorth.ducttape.TimeoutException.class,
+            () -> {
+                try (
+                    DockerComposeContainer<?> compose = new DockerComposeContainer<>(SIMPLE_COMPOSE_FILE)
+                        .withServices("redis")
+                        .withStartupTimeout(Duration.ofMillis(1))
+                        .withExposedService("redis", 80, Wait.forListeningPort().withStartupTimeout(Duration.ofMinutes(1)));
+                ) {
+                    compose.start();
+                }
+            });
+    }
+
     private void verifyStartedContainers(final DockerComposeContainer<?> compose, final String... names) {
         final List<String> containerNames = compose
             .listChildContainers()