diff --git a/src/Stack/Config.hs b/src/Stack/Config.hs
index 3c30adff7a..8bce95dd54 100644
--- a/src/Stack/Config.hs
+++ b/src/Stack/Config.hs
@@ -584,7 +584,8 @@ loadBuildConfig mproject maresolver mcompiler = do
                            , "outside of a real project.\n" ]
                    return (p, dest)
     let project = project'
-            { projectResolver = fromMaybe (projectResolver project') mresolver
+            { projectCompiler = mcompiler <|> projectCompiler project'
+            , projectResolver = fromMaybe (projectResolver project') mresolver
             }
 
     resolver <- completeSnapshotLocation $ projectResolver project
@@ -642,7 +643,7 @@ loadBuildConfig mproject maresolver mcompiler = do
       throwM $ InvalidGhcOptionsSpecification (Map.keys unusedPkgGhcOptions)
 
     let wanted = SMWanted
-          { smwCompiler = fromMaybe (snapshotCompiler snapshot)  mcompiler
+          { smwCompiler = fromMaybe (snapshotCompiler snapshot) (projectCompiler project)
           , smwProject = packages
           , smwDeps = deps
           , smwSnapshotLocation = projectResolver project
diff --git a/test/integration/tests/override-compiler/Main.hs b/test/integration/tests/override-compiler/Main.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..77e75275a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/tests/override-compiler/Main.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import StackTest
+import Control.Monad (unless)
+
+main :: IO ()
+main = stackCheckStdout ["exec", "--", "ghc", "--numeric-version"] $ \ver ->
+  -- get rid of the newline character
+  unless (concat (lines ver) == "8.2.2") $ error $ "Invalid version: " ++ show ver
diff --git a/test/integration/tests/override-compiler/files/stack.yaml b/test/integration/tests/override-compiler/files/stack.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cbd151a11d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/tests/override-compiler/files/stack.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+resolver: lts-13.10
+compiler: ghc-8.2.2
+packages: []