diff --git a/generator/chart.go b/generator/chart.go
index d8bc0bf..325a67a 100644
--- a/generator/chart.go
+++ b/generator/chart.go
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ func (chart *HelmChart) setEnvironmentValuesFrom(service types.ServiceConfig, de
 		if dep == nil || target == nil {
 			log.Fatalf("deployment %s or %s not found", depName[0], service.Name)
 		}
-		container, index := utils.GetContainerByName(target.service.Name, target.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
+		container, index := utils.GetContainerByName(target.service.ContainerName, target.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
 		if container == nil {
 			log.Fatalf("Container %s not found", target.GetName())
 		}
diff --git a/generator/deployment.go b/generator/deployment.go
index 6421f66..16c6ebd 100644
--- a/generator/deployment.go
+++ b/generator/deployment.go
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func (d *Deployment) AddContainer(service types.ServiceConfig) {
 		Image: utils.TplValue(service.Name, "repository.image") + ":" +
 			utils.TplValue(service.Name, "repository.tag", d.defaultTag),
 		Ports:           ports,
-		Name:            service.Name,
+		Name:            service.ContainerName,
 		ImagePullPolicy: corev1.PullIfNotPresent,
 		Resources: corev1.ResourceRequirements{
 			Requests: corev1.ResourceList{},
@@ -253,8 +253,8 @@ func (d *Deployment) BindFrom(service types.ServiceConfig, binded *Deployment) {
 			// get the container
 		}
 		// add volume mount to the container
-		targetContainer, ti := utils.GetContainerByName(service.Name, d.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
-		sourceContainer, _ := utils.GetContainerByName(service.Name, binded.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
+		targetContainer, ti := utils.GetContainerByName(service.ContainerName, d.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
+		sourceContainer, _ := utils.GetContainerByName(service.ContainerName, binded.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
 		for _, bindedMount := range sourceContainer.VolumeMounts {
 			if bindedMount.Name == bindedVolume.Name {
 				targetContainer.VolumeMounts = append(targetContainer.VolumeMounts, bindedMount)
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ func (d *Deployment) BindMapFilesToContainer(service types.ServiceConfig, secret
 		})
 	}
 
-	container, index := utils.GetContainerByName(service.Name, d.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
+	container, index := utils.GetContainerByName(service.ContainerName, d.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
 	if container == nil {
 		utils.Warn("Container not found for service " + service.Name)
 		return nil, -1
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ func (d *Deployment) appendFileToConfigMap(service types.ServiceConfig, appName
 }
 
 func (d *Deployment) bindVolumes(volume types.ServiceVolumeConfig, isSamePod bool, tobind map[string]bool, service types.ServiceConfig, appName string) {
-	container, index := utils.GetContainerByName(service.Name, d.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
+	container, index := utils.GetContainerByName(service.ContainerName, d.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
 
 	defer func(d *Deployment, container *corev1.Container, index int) {
 		d.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[index] = *container
diff --git a/generator/deployment_test.go b/generator/deployment_test.go
index aa058ef..d9e3f97 100644
--- a/generator/deployment_test.go
+++ b/generator/deployment_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"katenary/generator/labels"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	yaml3 "gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
@@ -343,6 +344,38 @@ services:
 	}
 }
 
+func TestWithUnderscoreInContainerName(t *testing.T) {
+	composeFile := `
+services:
+    web-app:
+        image: nginx:1.29
+        container_name: web_app_container
+        environment:
+            FOO: BAR
+        labels:
+            %s/values: |
+                - FOO
+`
+	composeFile = fmt.Sprintf(composeFile, labels.Prefix())
+	tmpDir := setup(composeFile)
+	defer teardown(tmpDir)
+
+	currentDir, _ := os.Getwd()
+	os.Chdir(tmpDir)
+	defer os.Chdir(currentDir)
+
+	output := internalCompileTest(t, "-s", "templates/web_app/deployment.yaml")
+	dt := v1.Deployment{}
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(output), &dt); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf(unmarshalError, err)
+	}
+	// find container.name
+	containerName := dt.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Name
+	if strings.Contains(containerName, "_") {
+		t.Errorf("Expected container name to not contain underscores, got %s", containerName)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestWithDashes(t *testing.T) {
 	composeFile := `
 services:
diff --git a/generator/generator.go b/generator/generator.go
index d3a5113..f15da4c 100644
--- a/generator/generator.go
+++ b/generator/generator.go
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ func Generate(project *types.Project) (*HelmChart, error) {
 	// drop all services with the "ignore" label
 	dropIngoredServices(project)
 
+	fixContainerNames(project)
+
 	// rename all services name to remove dashes
 	if err := fixResourceNames(project); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -265,7 +267,7 @@ func addStaticVolumes(deployments map[string]*Deployment, service types.ServiceC
 		return
 	}
 
-	container, index := utils.GetContainerByName(service.Name, d.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
+	container, index := utils.GetContainerByName(service.ContainerName, d.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)
 	if container == nil { // may append for the same-pod services
 		return
 	}
@@ -416,3 +418,15 @@ func samePodVolume(service types.ServiceConfig, v types.ServiceVolumeConfig, dep
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+func fixContainerNames(project *types.Project) {
+	// fix container names to be unique
+	for i, service := range project.Services {
+		if service.ContainerName == "" {
+			service.ContainerName = utils.FixedResourceName(service.Name)
+		} else {
+			service.ContainerName = utils.FixedResourceName(service.ContainerName)
+		}
+		project.Services[i] = service
+	}
+}