I have a maven project to build an image that runs fine, it looks like :

         <plugin>
        <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
        <artifactId>docker-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>${docker-maven-plugin.version}</version>
        <configuration>
          <showLogs>true</showLogs>
          <images>
            <image>
              <name>${docker.image.name}</name>
              <alias>${project.artifactId}-${timestamp}</alias>
              <build>
                <dockerFile>${docker.dockerfile}</dockerFile>
              </build>

I want to use docker-compose to run a container from this image so I added right below the former snippet:

              <external>
                <type>compose</type>
                <basedir>src/main/docker</basedir>
                <composeFile>docker-compose.yml</composeFile>
              </external>

Then when I run, the image is not built anymore :

[INFO] --- docker-maven-plugin:0.20.0:build (build-image) @ my-component ---
[INFO] 
[INFO] --- docker-maven-plugin:0.20.0:stop (build-image) @ my-component ---
[INFO] 
[INFO] --- docker-maven-plugin:0.20.0:start (run-image) @ my-component ---
[INFO] DOCKER> Pulling repository toto.com/mu-repo/my-component
[ERROR] DOCKER> Error occurred during container startup, shutting down...
[ERROR] DOCKER> I/O Error

Error being that image does not exist localy.
I read the documentation, the "external" expected behaviour is not so clear to me but I did not saw anything implying a image build deactivation.

Did anyone face same issue, does anyone know about correct setup, or if I am not using the plugin the way it's meant to ?