diff --git a/newsfragments/split_command_entrypoint_after_interpolation.bugfix b/newsfragments/split_command_entrypoint_after_interpolation.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9befd360
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/split_command_entrypoint_after_interpolation.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Split string command and entrypoint values into argument lists after interpolation, matching Compose semantics.
diff --git a/podman_compose.py b/podman_compose.py
index 307804b9..4b6ca4f3 100755
--- a/podman_compose.py
+++ b/podman_compose.py
@@ -2208,6 +2208,9 @@ def normalize_service_final(service: dict[str, Any], project_dir: str) -> dict[s
         if not isinstance(service["build"], dict):
             service["build"] = {}
         service["build"]["context"] = context
+    for key in ("command", "entrypoint"):
+        if isinstance(service.get(key), str):
+            service[key] = shlex.split(service[key])
     return service
 
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/compose_file_from_env/test_podman_compose_compose_file_from_env.py b/tests/integration/compose_file_from_env/test_podman_compose_compose_file_from_env.py
index f6c99dc3..9de07d74 100644
--- a/tests/integration/compose_file_from_env/test_podman_compose_compose_file_from_env.py
+++ b/tests/integration/compose_file_from_env/test_podman_compose_compose_file_from_env.py
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ def test_compose_file_from_dotenv(self) -> None:
             out.decode("utf-8"),
             'services:\n'
             '  dotenv-service:\n'
-            '    command: echo "from-dotenv"\n'
+            '    command:\n'
+            '    - echo\n'
+            '    - from-dotenv\n'
             '    image: nopush/podman-compose-test\n'
             '\n',
         )
@@ -47,7 +49,9 @@ def test_compose_file_from_explicit_env_file(self) -> None:
             out.decode("utf-8"),
             'services:\n'
             '  explicit-env-service:\n'
-            '    command: echo "from-explicit-env"\n'
+            '    command:\n'
+            '    - echo\n'
+            '    - from-explicit-env\n'
             '    image: nopush/podman-compose-test\n'
             '\n',
         )
@@ -70,7 +74,9 @@ def test_explicit_f_overrides_compose_file_from_dotenv(self) -> None:
             out.decode("utf-8"),
             'services:\n'
             '  explicit-service:\n'
-            '    command: echo "explicit"\n'
+            '    command:\n'
+            '    - echo\n'
+            '    - explicit\n'
             '    image: nopush/podman-compose-test\n'
             '\n',
         )
@@ -88,7 +94,9 @@ def test_env_var_compose_file_takes_precedence_over_dotenv(self) -> None:
             out.decode("utf-8"),
             'services:\n'
             '  var-service:\n'
-            '    command: echo "var"\n'
+            '    command:\n'
+            '    - echo\n'
+            '    - var\n'
             '    image: nopush/podman-compose-test\n'
             '\n',
         )
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_normalize_final_build.py b/tests/unit/test_normalize_final_build.py
index e93a78db..5ad4a902 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_normalize_final_build.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_normalize_final_build.py
@@ -104,6 +104,20 @@ def test_normalize_service_final_returns_absolute_path_in_context(self, input, e
         project_dir = cwd
         self.assertEqual(normalize_service_final(input, project_dir), expected)
 
+    @parameterized.expand([
+        ({"image": "busybox", "command": "sleep infinity"}, ["sleep", "infinity"], None),
+        ({"image": "busybox", "command": ["sleep", "infinity"]}, ["sleep", "infinity"], None),
+        ({"image": "busybox", "entrypoint": "/bin/sh -c"}, None, ["/bin/sh", "-c"]),
+    ])
+    def test_normalize_service_final_splits_string_command(
+        self, input, expected_command, expected_entrypoint
+    ):
+        # Tests that string [service.command] and [service.entrypoint] are split into
+        # lists after variable interpolation
+        actual = normalize_service_final(input, cwd)
+        self.assertEqual(actual.get("command"), expected_command)
+        self.assertEqual(actual.get("entrypoint"), expected_entrypoint)
+
     @parameterized.expand(cases_simple_normalization)
     def test_normalize_returns_absolute_path_in_context(self, input, expected):
         project_dir = cwd