diff --git a/playbooks/roles/gitea/tasks/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/gitea/tasks/main.yaml
index 3965bccaab..940166ab6e 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/gitea/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/gitea/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -97,7 +97,9 @@
   when: root_user_check.status==404
   block:
     - name: Create root user
-      command: "docker exec -t gitea-docker_gitea-web_1 gitea admin user create --name root --password {{ gitea_root_password }} --email {{ gitea_root_email }} --admin"
+      command: >
+        /usr/local/bin/docker-compose -f /etc/gitea-docker/docker-compose.yaml exec -T gitea-web
+        gitea admin user create --name root --password {{ gitea_root_password }} --email {{ gitea_root_email }} --admin
       no_log: "{{ gitea_no_log }}"
 - name: Check if gerrit user exists
   uri:
@@ -205,7 +207,9 @@
   cron:
     name: pack-git-refs
     state: present
-    job: "docker exec -t gitea-docker_gitea-web_1 find /data/git/repositories/ -maxdepth 2 -name *.git -type d -execdir git --git-dir={} gc --quiet \\;"
+    job: >
+      /usr/local/bin/docker-compose -f /etc/gitea-docker/docker-compose.yaml exec -T gitea-web
+      find /data/git/repositories/ -maxdepth 2 -name *.git -type d -execdir git --git-dir={} gc --quiet \;
     minute: '{{ 59 | random(seed=inventory_hostname) }}'
     hour: '{{ 23 | random(seed=inventory_hostname) }}'
     weekday: '*/2'
diff --git a/testinfra/test_gitea.py b/testinfra/test_gitea.py
index 260d681ed1..42a6a6e7aa 100644
--- a/testinfra/test_gitea.py
+++ b/testinfra/test_gitea.py
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ def test_gitea_listening(host):
     assert gitea_proxy.is_listening
 
 def test_ulimit(host):
-    cmd = host.run("docker exec gitea-docker_gitea-web_1 prlimit")
+    cmd = host.run("/usr/local/bin/docker-compose "
+                   "-f /etc/gitea-docker/docker-compose.yaml "
+                   "exec -T gitea-web prlimit")
     expected = ("STACK      max stack size                      "
                 "16777216 9223372036854775807 bytes")
     assert expected in cmd.stdout.split('\n')
diff --git a/testinfra/test_gitea_lb.py b/testinfra/test_gitea_lb.py
index b44c388435..02d7c24334 100644
--- a/testinfra/test_gitea_lb.py
+++ b/testinfra/test_gitea_lb.py
@@ -25,10 +25,13 @@ def test_gitea_listening(host):
     assert gitea_http.is_listening
 
 def test_haproxy_statsd_running(host):
-    cmd = host.run("docker inspect haproxy-docker_haproxy-statsd_1")
-    out = json.loads(cmd.stdout)
-    assert out[0]["State"]["Status"] == "running"
-    assert out[0]["RestartCount"] == 0
+    # TODO(clarkb) when everything is using docker compose we can use
+    # ps --format json and inspect the json document directly. Old
+    # docker-compose doesn't support this.
+    cmd = host.run("/usr/local/bin/docker-compose "
+                   "-f /etc/haproxy-docker/docker-compose.yaml "
+                   "ps haproxy-statsd")
+    assert ' Up ' in cmd.stdout
 
 def test_haproxy_gitea_connection(host):
     cmd = host.run('curl --resolve opendev.org:443:127.0.0.1 '