diff --git a/docker-compose-distributed-test-with-kafka.yaml b/docker-compose-distributed-test-with-kafka.yaml
index 1e22cf39c..721ac825b 100644
--- a/docker-compose-distributed-test-with-kafka.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose-distributed-test-with-kafka.yaml
@@ -194,8 +194,9 @@ services:
 
   quest:
     platform: linux/amd64
-    image: ${QUEST_IMAGE:-quay.io/parseablehq/quest:main}
-    pull_policy: ${QUEST_PULL_POLICY:-always}
+    extends:
+      file: docker-compose-quest.yaml
+      service: quest-source${QUEST_IMAGE:+-image}
     command:
       [
         "load",
diff --git a/docker-compose-distributed-test.yaml b/docker-compose-distributed-test.yaml
index c3bcdfc4a..4864fde17 100644
--- a/docker-compose-distributed-test.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose-distributed-test.yaml
@@ -109,8 +109,9 @@ services:
   
   quest:
     platform: linux/amd64
-    image: ${QUEST_IMAGE:-quay.io/parseablehq/quest:main}
-    pull_policy: ${QUEST_PULL_POLICY:-always}
+    extends:
+      file: docker-compose-quest.yaml
+      service: quest-source${QUEST_IMAGE:+-image}
     environment:
       - QUEST_EDITION=oss
     command:
diff --git a/docker-compose-gcs-distributed-test.yaml b/docker-compose-gcs-distributed-test.yaml
index 66bf18f69..44cf989d2 100644
--- a/docker-compose-gcs-distributed-test.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose-gcs-distributed-test.yaml
@@ -79,8 +79,9 @@ services:
 
   quest:
     platform: linux/amd64
-    image: ${QUEST_IMAGE:-quay.io/parseablehq/quest:main}
-    pull_policy: ${QUEST_PULL_POLICY:-always}
+    extends:
+      file: docker-compose-quest.yaml
+      service: quest-source${QUEST_IMAGE:+-image}
     command:
       [
         "load",
diff --git a/docker-compose-quest.yaml b/docker-compose-quest.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af3f6e2d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose-quest.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Pin Quest until stream DELETE returns 202 (issue #151).
+# Find pin references: grep -rnE 'issue #151|f4a026e' .
+# Remove the pin in quest-source here and QUEST_SOURCE_REF in
+# .github/workflows/integration-test.yaml; the five extends callers can stay.
+services:
+  quest-source:
+    build:
+      context: https://github.com/parseablehq/quest.git#${QUEST_SOURCE_REF:-f4a026eecde1badde8776ff366a743f9bbca2e67}
+    # Rebuild by default so changing QUEST_SOURCE_REF cannot reuse stale source.
+    # The <project>-quest tag does not encode the ref: after changing
+    # QUEST_SOURCE_REF, rebuild before using up --no-build.
+    # BuildKit caches layers, but the git context still needs network access.
+    # For offline/repeat runs: docker compose build quest once, then up --no-build.
+    pull_policy: ${QUEST_PULL_POLICY:-build}
+
+  # Selected by the calling file whenever QUEST_IMAGE is nonempty. No build
+  # context: an explicit image can never be overwritten by a source build.
+  # QUEST_IMAGE must be valid when set; whitespace selects image mode and fails.
+  quest-source-image:
+    image: ${QUEST_IMAGE:-}
+    pull_policy: ${QUEST_PULL_POLICY:-missing}
diff --git a/docker-compose-test-with-kafka.yaml b/docker-compose-test-with-kafka.yaml
index 79d337e59..352f24ae5 100644
--- a/docker-compose-test-with-kafka.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose-test-with-kafka.yaml
@@ -68,9 +68,10 @@ services:
         max_attempts: 3
 
   quest:
-    image: ${QUEST_IMAGE:-quay.io/parseablehq/quest:main}
+    extends:
+      file: docker-compose-quest.yaml
+      service: quest-source${QUEST_IMAGE:+-image}
     platform: linux/amd64
-    pull_policy: ${QUEST_PULL_POLICY:-always}
     command: [
       "load",
       "http://parseable:8000",
diff --git a/docker-compose-test.yaml b/docker-compose-test.yaml
index 5fc46d7aa..acb37057c 100644
--- a/docker-compose-test.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose-test.yaml
@@ -64,9 +64,10 @@ services:
         max_attempts: 3
 
   quest:
-    image: ${QUEST_IMAGE:-quay.io/parseablehq/quest:main}
+    extends:
+      file: docker-compose-quest.yaml
+      service: quest-source${QUEST_IMAGE:+-image}
     platform: linux/amd64
-    pull_policy: ${QUEST_PULL_POLICY:-always}
     environment:
       - QUEST_EDITION=oss
     command: [