diff --git a/loader/loader.go b/loader/loader.go
index d8ff2ef0f..93b3c93c2 100644
--- a/loader/loader.go
+++ b/loader/loader.go
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func Load(configDetails types.ConfigDetails, options ...func(*Options)) (*types.
 	}
 
 	if !opts.SkipNormalization {
-		err = normalize(project, opts.ResolvePaths)
+		err = Normalize(project, opts.ResolvePaths)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/loader/normalize.go b/loader/normalize.go
index 86d3f4e50..9153b56f4 100644
--- a/loader/normalize.go
+++ b/loader/normalize.go
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
-// normalize compose project by moving deprecated attributes to their canonical position and injecting implicit defaults
-func normalize(project *types.Project, resolvePaths bool) error {
+// Normalize compose project by moving deprecated attributes to their canonical position and injecting implicit defaults
+func Normalize(project *types.Project, resolvePaths bool) error {
 	absWorkingDir, err := filepath.Abs(project.WorkingDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/loader/normalize_test.go b/loader/normalize_test.go
index 5837858b3..93e8e7129 100644
--- a/loader/normalize_test.go
+++ b/loader/normalize_test.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ networks:
   mynet:
     name: myProject_mynet
 `
-	err := normalize(&project, false)
+	err := Normalize(&project, false)
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 	marshal, err := yaml.Marshal(project)
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ networks:
   default:
     name: myProject_default
 `, filepath.Join(wd, "testdata"))
-	err := normalize(&project, true)
+	err := Normalize(&project, true)
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 	marshal, err := yaml.Marshal(project)
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func TestNormalizeAbsolutePaths(t *testing.T) {
 		WorkingDir:   absWorkingDir,
 		ComposeFiles: []string{absComposeFile, absOverrideFile},
 	}
-	err := normalize(&project, false)
+	err := Normalize(&project, false)
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 	assert.DeepEqual(t, expected, project)
 }
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func TestNormalizeVolumes(t *testing.T) {
 		WorkingDir:   absCwd,
 		ComposeFiles: []string{},
 	}
-	err := normalize(&project, false)
+	err := Normalize(&project, false)
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 	assert.DeepEqual(t, expected, project)
 }
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ networks:
   default:
     name: myProject_default
 `
-	err := normalize(&project, true)
+	err := Normalize(&project, true)
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 	marshal, err := yaml.Marshal(project)
 	assert.NilError(t, err)