diff --git a/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveDependencyTimeout/compose.yaml b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveDependencyTimeout/compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..114b50c6418
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveDependencyTimeout/compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+services:
+  db:
+    image: alpine
+    command: sleep infinity
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "false"]
+      interval: 1s
+      retries: 100
+  web:
+    image: alpine
+    command: echo web-started
+    depends_on:
+      db:
+        condition: service_healthy
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveDryRun/compose.yaml b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveDryRun/compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a35fee06453
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveDryRun/compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+services:
+  app:
+    image: alpine
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveHookLogs/compose.yaml b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveHookLogs/compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fc7cf9fc2b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveHookLogs/compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+services:
+  app:
+    image: alpine
+    # the sleep keeps the container running while post_start execs into it and
+    # the session streams its output
+    command: sh -c 'echo "app-read:$(cat /shared/init.txt)"; sleep 5'
+    volumes:
+      - data:/shared
+    pre_start:
+      - image: alpine
+        # prints a marker the service never logs, so its presence in the
+        # session can only come from the hook's own output stream
+        command: sh -c 'echo pre-start-hook-stdout; echo "pre-start-file-content" > /shared/init.txt'
+    post_start:
+      - command: echo post-start-hook-ran
+volumes:
+  data:
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveImmediateExit/compose.yaml b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveImmediateExit/compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c0bcba59920
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveImmediateExit/compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+services:
+  quick:
+    image: alpine
+    command: echo hi
+  long:
+    image: alpine
+    command: sleep infinity
+    init: true
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveRecreateStreamsNewContainer/compose.yaml b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveRecreateStreamsNewContainer/compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bf0ece21b24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveRecreateStreamsNewContainer/compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+services:
+  app:
+    image: alpine
+    # the sleep keeps the container running while the session attaches to it
+    command: sh -c 'echo "value=$VALUE"; sleep 2'
+    environment:
+      VALUE: ${VALUE:-one}
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveRestartsExitedContainer/compose.yaml b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveRestartsExitedContainer/compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8f80cc9df5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveRestartsExitedContainer/compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+services:
+  app:
+    image: alpine
+    command: sh -c 'if [ -f /tmp/ran ]; then echo second-run; else touch /tmp/ran; fi'
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveWaitsForHealthy/compose.yaml b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveWaitsForHealthy/compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a940773b8dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/e2e/testdata/TestUpInteractiveWaitsForHealthy/compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+services:
+  db:
+    image: alpine
+    command: sh -c 'sleep 3; touch /shared/ready; sleep 60'
+    init: true
+    volumes:
+      - shared:/shared
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "test", "-f", "/shared/ready"]
+      interval: 1s
+      timeout: 1s
+      retries: 30
+  web:
+    image: alpine
+    command: sh -c 'if [ -f /shared/ready ]; then echo web-saw-ready; else echo web-too-early; fi'
+    volumes:
+      - shared:/shared
+    depends_on:
+      db:
+        condition: service_healthy
+volumes:
+  shared:
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/up_interactive_test.go b/pkg/e2e/up_interactive_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..00b6d3a7d78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/e2e/up_interactive_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+//go:build e2e
+
+/*
+   Copyright 2026 Docker Compose CLI authors
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package e2e
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Scenarios locking the observable behavior of the foreground (non-detached)
+// `compose up`. Most e2e coverage of the start phase runs detached.
+
+func TestUpInteractiveHookLogs(t *testing.T) {
+	NewScenario(t, "a foreground up must run the hooks around the service and stream their output into its session").
+		Step("up shows both hooks' output, and the service reads what pre_start wrote before it started",
+			ComposeCmd("up", "--menu=false").Within(120*time.Second),
+			StdoutContains("pre-start-hook-stdout"),
+			StdoutContains("app-read:pre-start-file-content"),
+			StdoutContains("post-start-hook-ran"),
+			ServiceState("app", "exited"))
+}
+
+func TestUpInteractiveImmediateExit(t *testing.T) {
+	NewScenario(t, "a foreground up --abort-on-container-exit must notice a container that exits as soon as it starts").
+		Step("up aborts on the instantly exiting container instead of waiting for the long-running one",
+			ComposeCmd("up", "--menu=false", "--abort-on-container-exit").Within(60*time.Second),
+			OutputContains("quick-1 exited with code 0"),
+			ServiceState("quick", "exited"),
+			ServiceState("long", "exited"))
+}
+
+func TestUpInteractiveRestartsExitedContainer(t *testing.T) {
+	NewScenario(t, "a foreground up must start a container that exited earlier, reusing it").
+		Step("up -d leaves the service exited after its first run",
+			ComposeCmd("up", "-d"),
+			Eventually(ServiceState("app", "exited"), 15*time.Second)).
+		Step("a foreground up runs the same container a second time",
+			ComposeCmd("up", "--menu=false").Within(60*time.Second),
+			NotRecreated("app"),
+			StdoutContains("second-run"),
+			ServiceState("app", "exited"))
+}
+
+func TestUpInteractiveWaitsForHealthy(t *testing.T) {
+	NewScenario(t, "a foreground up must not start a service before its service_healthy dependency is healthy").
+		Step("up starts web only once db reports healthy",
+			ComposeCmd("up", "--menu=false", "--abort-on-container-exit").Within(120*time.Second),
+			StdoutContains("web-saw-ready"),
+			OutputNotContains("web-too-early"),
+			ServiceState("web", "exited"))
+}
+
+func TestUpInteractiveRecreateStreamsNewContainer(t *testing.T) {
+	NewScenario(t, "a foreground up after a config change must recreate the service and stream the new container's output").
+		Step("up -d creates the service with its first configuration",
+			ComposeCmd("up", "-d"),
+			Eventually(ServiceState("app", "exited"), 15*time.Second)).
+		Step("a foreground up with another value recreates it and shows the new output",
+			ComposeCmd("up", "--menu=false").WithEnv("VALUE=two").Within(60*time.Second),
+			Recreated("app"),
+			ContainerEnv("app", "VALUE", "two"),
+			StdoutContains("value=two"),
+			OutputNotContains("value=one"))
+}
+
+func TestUpInteractiveDependencyTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	NewScenario(t, "a foreground up with --wait-timeout must fail once a dependency stays unhealthy, without starting the dependent").
+		Step("up fails on the dependency timeout; web exists but was never started",
+			ComposeCmd("up", "--menu=false", "--wait-timeout", "3").MayFail().Within(60*time.Second),
+			ExitCode(1),
+			OutputContains("timeout waiting for dependencies"),
+			OutputNotContains("deadline exceeded"),
+			OutputNotContains("web-started"),
+			ServiceState("db", "running"),
+			// web's container is created in the create phase, before the start
+			// phase blocks on db's health: "created" (not "no container") is
+			// what says it was prepared but never started.
+			ServiceState("web", "created"))
+}
+
+func TestUpInteractiveDryRun(t *testing.T) {
+	// the progress lines name the container after the project
+	s := NewScenario(t, "a foreground up --dry-run must report the container creation, never start it and leave nothing behind")
+	s.Step("up --dry-run reports the creation, no start, and leaves no container behind",
+		ComposeCmd("up", "--menu=false", "--dry-run").Within(60*time.Second),
+		OutputContains("Container "+s.Project()+"-app-1 Created"),
+		OutputNotContains(s.Project()+"-app-1 Start"),
+		ServiceNotCreated("app"))
+}