diff --git a/pkg/compose/watch.go b/pkg/compose/watch.go
index 0af3650ede5..07f0813b23e 100644
--- a/pkg/compose/watch.go
+++ b/pkg/compose/watch.go
@@ -138,6 +138,10 @@ func (s *composeService) Watch(ctx context.Context, project *types.Project, opti
 	return wait()
 }
 
+func selectWatchServices(project *types.Project, services []string) (*types.Project, error) {
+	return project.WithSelectedServices(services, types.IgnoreDependencies)
+}
+
 type watchRule struct {
 	types.Trigger
 	include watch.PathMatcher
@@ -188,7 +192,7 @@ func (r watchRule) Matches(event watch.FileEvent) *sync.PathMapping {
 
 func (s *composeService) watch(ctx context.Context, project *types.Project, options api.WatchOptions) (func() error, error) { //nolint: gocyclo
 	var err error
-	if project, err = project.WithSelectedServices(options.Services); err != nil {
+	if project, err = selectWatchServices(project, options.Services); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	syncer, err := s.getSyncImplementation(project)
@@ -636,6 +640,7 @@ func (s *composeService) rebuild(ctx context.Context, project *types.Project, se
 	options.LogTo.Log(api.WatchLogger, fmt.Sprintf("Rebuilding service(s) %q after changes were detected...", services))
 	// restrict the build to ONLY this service, not any of its dependencies
 	options.Build.Services = services
+	options.Build.Deps = false
 	options.Build.Progress = string(progressui.PlainMode)
 	options.Build.Out = cutils.GetWriter(func(line string) {
 		options.LogTo.Log(api.WatchLogger, line)
diff --git a/pkg/compose/watch_test.go b/pkg/compose/watch_test.go
index 0c59b884ba6..18357b93ae2 100644
--- a/pkg/compose/watch_test.go
+++ b/pkg/compose/watch_test.go
@@ -180,6 +180,37 @@ func TestWatch_Sync(t *testing.T) {
 	// TODO: there's not a great way to assert that the rebuild attempt happened
 }
 
+func TestSelectWatchServicesIgnoresDependencies(t *testing.T) {
+	project := &types.Project{
+		Name: "myProjectName",
+		Services: types.Services{
+			"backend": {
+				Name: "backend",
+			},
+			"stats": {
+				Name: "stats",
+				DependsOn: types.DependsOnConfig{
+					"backend": {
+						Condition: types.ServiceConditionStarted,
+						Restart:   true,
+						Required:  true,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	selected, err := selectWatchServices(project, []string{"stats"})
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+
+	_, ok := selected.Services["stats"]
+	assert.Assert(t, ok)
+	_, ok = selected.Services["backend"]
+	assert.Assert(t, !ok)
+	assert.Assert(t, len(selected.Services["stats"].DependsOn) == 0)
+	assert.Assert(t, len(project.Services["stats"].DependsOn) != 0)
+}
+
 type fakeSyncer struct {
 	synced chan []*sync.PathMapping
 }
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/fixtures/watch/rebuild-deps.yaml b/pkg/e2e/fixtures/watch/rebuild-deps.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f32a8e9e72e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/e2e/fixtures/watch/rebuild-deps.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+services:
+  backend:
+    build:
+      dockerfile_inline: |
+        FROM nginx
+        RUN mkdir /data
+        COPY backend /data/backend
+  frontend:
+    build:
+      dockerfile_inline: |
+        FROM nginx
+        RUN mkdir /data
+        COPY frontend /data/frontend
+    depends_on:
+      - backend
+    develop:
+      watch:
+        - path: frontend
+          action: rebuild
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/watch_test.go b/pkg/e2e/watch_test.go
index 1716be05d03..7b55681909d 100644
--- a/pkg/e2e/watch_test.go
+++ b/pkg/e2e/watch_test.go
@@ -368,6 +368,61 @@ func TestWatchMultiServices(t *testing.T) {
 	c.RunDockerComposeCmdNoCheck(t, "-p", projectName, "kill", "-s", "9")
 }
 
+func TestWatchRebuildIgnoresDependencies(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewCLI(t)
+	const projectName = "test_watch_rebuild_deps"
+
+	defer c.cleanupWithDown(t, projectName)
+
+	tmpdir := t.TempDir()
+	composeFilePath := filepath.Join(tmpdir, "compose.yaml")
+	CopyFile(t, filepath.Join("fixtures", "watch", "rebuild-deps.yaml"), composeFilePath)
+
+	for _, svc := range []string{"backend", "frontend"} {
+		assert.NilError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpdir, svc), []byte("v1"), 0o600))
+	}
+
+	cmd := c.NewDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", composeFilePath, "up", "--build", "--watch")
+	buffer := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+	cmd.Stdout = buffer
+	watch := icmd.StartCmd(cmd)
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if watch.Cmd.Process != nil {
+			_ = watch.Cmd.Process.Kill()
+		}
+	})
+
+	poll.WaitOn(t, func(l poll.LogT) poll.Result {
+		if strings.Contains(watch.Stdout(), "Attaching to ") {
+			return poll.Success()
+		}
+		return poll.Continue("%v", watch.Stdout())
+	}, poll.WithTimeout(90*time.Second))
+
+	containerID := func(service string) string {
+		res := c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "ps", "-q", service)
+		return strings.TrimSpace(res.Stdout())
+	}
+	backendID := containerID("backend")
+	assert.Assert(t, backendID != "")
+
+	t.Log("editing frontend code only")
+	assert.NilError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpdir, "frontend"), []byte("v2"), 0o600))
+
+	poll.WaitOn(t, func(l poll.LogT) poll.Result {
+		cat := c.RunDockerComposeCmdNoCheck(t, "-p", projectName, "exec", "frontend", "cat", "/data/frontend")
+		if strings.Contains(cat.Stdout(), "v2") {
+			return poll.Success()
+		}
+		return poll.Continue("%v", cat.Combined())
+	}, poll.WithTimeout(90*time.Second))
+
+	t.Log("backend must not be rebuilt nor recreated")
+	assert.Equal(t, backendID, containerID("backend"))
+
+	c.RunDockerComposeCmdNoCheck(t, "-p", projectName, "kill", "-s", "9")
+}
+
 func TestWatchIncludes(t *testing.T) {
 	c := NewCLI(t)
 	const projectName = "test_watch_includes"