diff --git a/paunch/builder/compose1.py b/paunch/builder/compose1.py
index bda8a59..15b757d 100644
--- a/paunch/builder/compose1.py
+++ b/paunch/builder/compose1.py
@@ -27,10 +27,14 @@ class ComposeV1Builder(object):
 
     def apply(self):
 
-        self.delete_missing_and_updated()
-
         stdout = []
         stderr = []
+        pull_returncode = self.pull_missing_images(stdout, stderr)
+        if pull_returncode != 0:
+            return stdout, stderr, pull_returncode
+
+        self.delete_missing_and_updated()
+
         deploy_status_code = 0
         key_fltr = lambda k: self.config[k].get('start_order', 0)
 
@@ -195,6 +199,40 @@ class ComposeV1Builder(object):
                 command[0], self.config_id)
         cmd.extend(command)
 
+    def pull_missing_images(self, stdout, stderr):
+        images = set()
+        for container in self.config:
+            cconfig = self.config[container]
+            image = cconfig.get('image')
+            if image:
+                images.add(image)
+
+        returncode = 0
+
+        for image in sorted(images):
+
+            # only pull if the image does not exist locally
+            if self.runner.inspect(image, format='exists', type='image'):
+                continue
+
+            cmd = [self.runner.docker_cmd, 'pull', image]
+            (cmd_stdout, cmd_stderr, rc) = self.runner.execute(cmd)
+            if cmd_stdout:
+                stdout.append(cmd_stdout)
+            if cmd_stderr:
+                stderr.append(cmd_stderr)
+
+            if rc != 0:
+                returncode = rc
+                LOG.error("Error running %s. [%s]\n" % (cmd, returncode))
+                LOG.error("stdout: %s" % cmd_stdout)
+                LOG.error("stderr: %s" % cmd_stderr)
+            else:
+                LOG.debug('Completed $ %s' % ' '.join(cmd))
+                LOG.info("stdout: %s" % cmd_stdout)
+                LOG.info("stderr: %s" % cmd_stderr)
+        return returncode
+
     @staticmethod
     def command_argument(command):
         if not command:
diff --git a/paunch/runner.py b/paunch/runner.py
index 1b148d7..328e880 100644
--- a/paunch/runner.py
+++ b/paunch/runner.py
@@ -132,12 +132,12 @@ class DockerRunner(object):
             LOG.error('Error renaming container: %s' % container)
             LOG.error(cmd_stderr)
 
-    def inspect(self, container, format=None):
-        cmd = [self.docker_cmd, 'inspect']
+    def inspect(self, name, format=None, type='container'):
+        cmd = [self.docker_cmd, 'inspect', '--type', type]
         if format:
             cmd.append('--format')
             cmd.append(format)
-        cmd.append(container)
+        cmd.append(name)
         (cmd_stdout, cmd_stderr, returncode) = self.execute(cmd)
         if returncode != 0:
             return
diff --git a/paunch/tests/test_builder_compose1.py b/paunch/tests/test_builder_compose1.py
index c05e23a..e8623ba 100644
--- a/paunch/tests/test_builder_compose1.py
+++ b/paunch/tests/test_builder_compose1.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class TestComposeV1Builder(base.TestCase):
             },
             'three': {
                 'start_order': 2,
-                'image': 'centos:7',
+                'image': 'centos:6',
             },
             'four': {
                 'start_order': 10,
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ class TestComposeV1Builder(base.TestCase):
         r = runner.DockerRunner(managed_by='tester', docker_cmd='docker')
         exe = mock.Mock()
         exe.side_effect = [
+            ('exists', '', 0),  # inspect for image centos:6
+            ('', '', 1),  # inspect for missing image centos:7
+            ('Pulled centos:7', '', 0),  # pull centos:6
             ('', '', 0),  # ps for delete_missing_and_updated container_names
             ('', '', 0),  # ps for after delete_missing_and_updated renames
             ('', '', 0),  # ps to only create containers which don't exist
@@ -68,6 +71,7 @@ class TestComposeV1Builder(base.TestCase):
         stdout, stderr, deploy_status_code = builder.apply()
         self.assertEqual(0, deploy_status_code)
         self.assertEqual([
+            'Pulled centos:7',
             'Created one-12345678',
             'Created two-12345678',
             'Created three-12345678',
@@ -77,6 +81,19 @@ class TestComposeV1Builder(base.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual([], stderr)
 
         exe.assert_has_calls([
+            # inspect existing image centos:6
+            mock.call(
+                ['docker', 'inspect', '--type', 'image',
+                 '--format', 'exists', 'centos:6']
+            ),
+            # inspect and pull missing image centos:7
+            mock.call(
+                ['docker', 'inspect', '--type', 'image',
+                 '--format', 'exists', 'centos:7']
+            ),
+            mock.call(
+                ['docker', 'pull', 'centos:7']
+            ),
             # ps for delete_missing_and_updated container_names
             mock.call(
                 ['docker', 'ps', '-a',
@@ -122,7 +139,7 @@ class TestComposeV1Builder(base.TestCase):
                  '--label', 'container_name=three',
                  '--label', 'managed_by=tester',
                  '--label', 'config_data=%s' % json.dumps(config['three']),
-                 '--detach=true', 'centos:7']
+                 '--detach=true', 'centos:6']
             ),
             # run four
             mock.call(
@@ -171,6 +188,8 @@ class TestComposeV1Builder(base.TestCase):
         r = runner.DockerRunner(managed_by='tester', docker_cmd='docker')
         exe = mock.Mock()
         exe.side_effect = [
+            # inspect for image centos:7
+            ('exists', '', 0),
             # ps for delete_missing_and_updated container_names
             ('''five five
 six six
@@ -211,6 +230,11 @@ three-12345678 three''', '', 0),
         self.assertEqual([], stderr)
 
         exe.assert_has_calls([
+            # inspect image centos:7
+            mock.call(
+                ['docker', 'inspect', '--type', 'image',
+                 '--format', 'exists', 'centos:7']
+            ),
             # ps for delete_missing_and_updated container_names
             mock.call(
                 ['docker', 'ps', '-a',
@@ -222,13 +246,13 @@ three-12345678 three''', '', 0),
             mock.call(['docker', 'rm', '-f', 'five']),
             mock.call(['docker', 'rm', '-f', 'six']),
             # rm two, changed config
-            mock.call(['docker', 'inspect', '--format',
-                       '{{index .Config.Labels "config_data"}}',
+            mock.call(['docker', 'inspect', '--type', 'container',
+                       '--format', '{{index .Config.Labels "config_data"}}',
                        'two-12345678']),
             mock.call(['docker', 'rm', '-f', 'two-12345678']),
             # check three, config hasn't changed
-            mock.call(['docker', 'inspect', '--format',
-                       '{{index .Config.Labels "config_data"}}',
+            mock.call(['docker', 'inspect', '--type', 'container',
+                       '--format', '{{index .Config.Labels "config_data"}}',
                        'three-12345678']),
             # ps for after delete_missing_and_updated renames
             mock.call(
@@ -277,6 +301,62 @@ three-12345678 three''', '', 0),
             ),
         ])
 
+    def test_apply_failed_pull(self):
+        config = {
+            'one': {
+                'start_order': 0,
+                'image': 'centos:7',
+            },
+            'two': {
+                'start_order': 1,
+                'image': 'centos:7',
+            },
+            'three': {
+                'start_order': 2,
+                'image': 'centos:6',
+            },
+            'four': {
+                'start_order': 10,
+                'image': 'centos:7',
+            },
+            'four_ls': {
+                'action': 'exec',
+                'start_order': 20,
+                'command': ['four', 'ls', '-l', '/']
+            }
+        }
+
+        r = runner.DockerRunner(managed_by='tester', docker_cmd='docker')
+        exe = mock.Mock()
+        exe.side_effect = [
+            ('exists', '', 0),  # inspect for image centos:6
+            ('', '', 1),  # inspect for missing image centos:7
+            ('Pulling centos:7', 'ouch', 1),  # pull centos:7 failure
+        ]
+        r.execute = exe
+
+        builder = compose1.ComposeV1Builder('foo', config, r)
+        stdout, stderr, deploy_status_code = builder.apply()
+        self.assertEqual(1, deploy_status_code)
+        self.assertEqual(['Pulling centos:7'], stdout)
+        self.assertEqual(['ouch'], stderr)
+
+        exe.assert_has_calls([
+            # inspect existing image centos:6
+            mock.call(
+                ['docker', 'inspect', '--type', 'image',
+                 '--format', 'exists', 'centos:6']
+            ),
+            # inspect and pull missing image centos:7
+            mock.call(
+                ['docker', 'inspect', '--type', 'image',
+                 '--format', 'exists', 'centos:7']
+            ),
+            mock.call(
+                ['docker', 'pull', 'centos:7']
+            ),
+        ])
+
     @mock.patch('paunch.runner.DockerRunner', autospec=True)
     def test_label_arguments(self, runner):
         r = runner.return_value
diff --git a/paunch/tests/test_runner.py b/paunch/tests/test_runner.py
index 2017f66..a54d85e 100644
--- a/paunch/tests/test_runner.py
+++ b/paunch/tests/test_runner.py
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ four-12345678 four
             self.runner.inspect('one')
         )
         self.assert_execute(
-            popen, ['docker', 'inspect', 'one']
+            popen, ['docker', 'inspect', '--type', 'container', 'one']
         )
 
     @mock.patch('subprocess.Popen')
@@ -191,7 +191,8 @@ four-12345678 four
             self.runner.inspect('one', format='{{foo}}')
         )
         self.assert_execute(
-            popen, ['docker', 'inspect', '--format', '{{foo}}', 'one']
+            popen, ['docker', 'inspect', '--type', 'container',
+                    '--format', '{{foo}}', 'one']
         )
 
     def test_unique_container_name(self):
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/pre-pull-aa780b6a3a519adc.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/pre-pull-aa780b6a3a519adc.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c1934d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/pre-pull-aa780b6a3a519adc.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+features:
+- All referenced images are now pulled as the first step of applying a
+  config. Any pull failures will result in failing with an error before any of
+  the config is applied. This is especially helpful for detached containers,
+  where pull failures will not be captured during the apply.