diff --git a/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-failover-custom-router/build.gradle b/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-failover-custom-router/build.gradle
index 5baa3542..fc0495b1 100644
--- a/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-failover-custom-router/build.gradle
+++ b/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-failover-custom-router/build.gradle
@@ -48,4 +48,6 @@ bootRun {
 			"--add-opens", "java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED",
 			"--add-opens", "java.base/sun.net=ALL-UNNAMED"
 	]
+	// when run from command line, path must be set relative to module dir
+	systemProperty 'spring.docker.compose.file', 'compose.yaml'
 }
diff --git a/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-failover-custom-router/src/main/resources/application.yml b/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-failover-custom-router/src/main/resources/application.yml
index 7267f11a..d5178113 100644
--- a/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-failover-custom-router/src/main/resources/application.yml
+++ b/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-failover-custom-router/src/main/resources/application.yml
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@ spring:
       message-routing-mode: custompartition
   docker:
     compose:
+      # when run from Intellij via "Run" button, path must be set from project root
       file: spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-failover-custom-router/compose.yaml
diff --git a/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-imperative-produce-consume/build.gradle b/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-imperative-produce-consume/build.gradle
index 20a25897..b4db9da8 100644
--- a/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-imperative-produce-consume/build.gradle
+++ b/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-imperative-produce-consume/build.gradle
@@ -47,4 +47,6 @@ bootRun {
 			"--add-opens", "java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED",
 			"--add-opens", "java.base/sun.net=ALL-UNNAMED"
 	]
+	// when run from command line, path must be set relative to module dir
+	systemProperty 'spring.docker.compose.file', 'compose.yaml'
 }
diff --git a/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-imperative-produce-consume/src/main/resources/application.yml b/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-imperative-produce-consume/src/main/resources/application.yml
index 3be2f167..c47b8e27 100644
--- a/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-imperative-produce-consume/src/main/resources/application.yml
+++ b/spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-imperative-produce-consume/src/main/resources/application.yml
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@ spring:
             schema-type: JSON
   docker:
     compose:
+      # when run from Intellij via "Run" button, path must be set from project root
       file: spring-pulsar-sample-apps/sample-imperative-produce-consume/compose.yaml