diff --git a/pkg/compose/images.go b/pkg/compose/images.go
index 8612cdaf1..efddc5755 100644
--- a/pkg/compose/images.go
+++ b/pkg/compose/images.go
@@ -264,6 +264,13 @@ func (s *composeService) canonicalBuiltDigest(ctx context.Context, imageRef, pla
 // pre-manifest behavior. Every image identity compose records for staleness
 // comparison must be computed through here, whatever the image's provenance
 // (pulled, built, already local), so any two runs produce comparable values.
+//
+// The converse also holds: this platform-specific digest is ONLY an identity
+// for staleness comparison. Pinning image references in a reproducible
+// compose model (publish / config --resolve-image-digests) must keep using
+// the registry descriptor digest — the multi-platform index — through
+// ImageDigestResolver, or the published file would be bound to the platform
+// of whoever resolved it.
 func localContentDigest(inspect client.ImageInspectResult, platform string) (string, bool, error) {
 	var matcher platforms.Matcher = platforms.Default()
 	pinned := platform != ""
diff --git a/pkg/compose/pull.go b/pkg/compose/pull.go
index b2b3676dc..3c2aac623 100644
--- a/pkg/compose/pull.go
+++ b/pkg/compose/pull.go
@@ -335,7 +335,17 @@ func (s *composeService) pullServiceImage(ctx context.Context, service types.Ser
 	return nil
 }
 
-// ImageDigestResolver creates a func able to resolve image digest from a docker ref,
+// ImageDigestResolver creates a func able to resolve image digest from a
+// docker ref, for pinning image references in a reproducible compose model
+// (`compose publish` / `config --resolve-image-digests`).
+//
+// It deliberately returns the registry descriptor digest — the multi-platform
+// index digest for multi-arch images — via DistributionInspect: a published
+// compose file must stay deployable on any platform. This is NOT the same
+// digest kind as localContentDigest, which selects the platform-specific
+// runnable manifest to compare a running container with a fresh build/pull;
+// never funnel this resolution through the local content-digest producer, and
+// never pin a published reference with a per-platform digest.
 func ImageDigestResolver(ctx context.Context, file *configfile.ConfigFile, apiClient client.APIClient) func(named reference.Named) (digest.Digest, error) {
 	return func(named reference.Named) (digest.Digest, error) {
 		auth, err := encodedAuth(named, file)
diff --git a/pkg/compose/pull_test.go b/pkg/compose/pull_test.go
index 4f70be781..606ea175b 100644
--- a/pkg/compose/pull_test.go
+++ b/pkg/compose/pull_test.go
@@ -25,13 +25,19 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/compose-spec/compose-go/v2/types"
+	"github.com/distribution/reference"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/config/configfile"
 	"github.com/moby/moby/api/types/image"
 	"github.com/moby/moby/api/types/jsonstream"
+	registrytypes "github.com/moby/moby/api/types/registry"
 	"github.com/moby/moby/client"
+	"github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
+	ocispec "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
 	"go.uber.org/mock/gomock"
 	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
 
 	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/pkg/api"
+	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/pkg/mocks"
 )
 
 // scheduledHookImages runs addPreStartHookPulls and returns the hook image
@@ -294,3 +300,31 @@ func TestShouldPullImageProvider(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 	assert.Assert(t, !pull, "provider service without image has nothing to pull")
 }
+
+// TestImageDigestResolverUsesDistributionDigest locks the distinction between
+// the two digest kinds compose manipulates: pinning a reference for a
+// reproducible compose model (publish / config --resolve-image-digests) must
+// use the registry descriptor digest — the multi-platform index — and never
+// the local platform-specific content digest used for staleness comparison.
+// The mock declares no ImageInspect expectation, so any attempt to resolve
+// through the local content-digest producer fails the test.
+func TestImageDigestResolverUsesDistributionDigest(t *testing.T) {
+	mockCtrl := gomock.NewController(t)
+	defer mockCtrl.Finish()
+	mockAPI := mocks.NewMockAPIClient(mockCtrl)
+
+	const indexDigest = "sha256:bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb"
+	mockAPI.EXPECT().
+		DistributionInspect(gomock.Any(), "docker.io/library/foo:1", gomock.Any()).
+		Return(client.DistributionInspectResult{
+			DistributionInspect: registrytypes.DistributionInspect{
+				Descriptor: ocispec.Descriptor{Digest: digest.Digest(indexDigest)},
+			},
+		}, nil)
+
+	named, err := reference.ParseDockerRef("foo:1")
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	resolved, err := ImageDigestResolver(t.Context(), &configfile.ConfigFile{}, mockAPI)(named)
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, resolved.String(), indexDigest)
+}