diff --git a/cli/compose/loader/loader_test.go b/cli/compose/loader/loader_test.go
index fab2301135..31e7f1af10 100644
--- a/cli/compose/loader/loader_test.go
+++ b/cli/compose/loader/loader_test.go
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func strPtr(val string) *string {
 }
 
 var sampleConfig = types.Config{
-	Version: "3.0",
+	Version: "3.10",
 	Services: []types.ServiceConfig{
 		{
 			Name:        "foo",
diff --git a/cli/compose/schema/schema.go b/cli/compose/schema/schema.go
index a662f4aaf5..9d2a58e8b3 100644
--- a/cli/compose/schema/schema.go
+++ b/cli/compose/schema/schema.go
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 // Version returns the version of the config, defaulting to the latest "3.x"
-// version (3.10).
+// version (3.10). If only the major version "3" is specified, it is used as
+// version "3.x" and returns the default version (latest 3.x).
 func Version(config map[string]interface{}) string {
 	version, ok := config[versionField]
 	if !ok {
@@ -51,10 +52,8 @@ func Version(config map[string]interface{}) string {
 
 func normalizeVersion(version string) string {
 	switch version {
-	case "":
+	case "", "3":
 		return defaultVersion
-	case "3":
-		return "3.0"
 	default:
 		return version
 	}
diff --git a/cli/compose/schema/schema_test.go b/cli/compose/schema/schema_test.go
index ed14e1d0ae..b8687b076a 100644
--- a/cli/compose/schema/schema_test.go
+++ b/cli/compose/schema/schema_test.go
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ func TestValidateCredentialSpecs(t *testing.T) {
 		version     string
 		expectedErr string
 	}{
-		{version: "3", expectedErr: "credential_spec"},
 		{version: "3.0", expectedErr: "credential_spec"},
 		{version: "3.1", expectedErr: "credential_spec"},
 		{version: "3.2", expectedErr: "credential_spec"},
@@ -100,6 +99,7 @@ func TestValidateCredentialSpecs(t *testing.T) {
 		{version: "3.8"},
 		{version: "3.9"},
 		{version: "3.10"},
+		{version: "3"},
 		{version: ""},
 	}