diff --git a/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py b/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
index 38a6da3..8c57964 100644
--- a/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
+++ b/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
@@ -760,12 +760,18 @@ class CfgYaml:
             if not entries:
                 # no entries in profile dict
                 continue
-            # add "dotfiles:"" entry if not present
-            if self.key_profile_dotfiles not in entries:
-                msg = f'\"{self.key_profile_dotfiles}\" entry is mandatory'
-                msg += f' and was not present in profile \"{pro}\".'
-                self._log.warn(msg)
+
+            # add "dotfiles:" entry if not present in local object
+            if self.key_profile_dotfiles not in entries or \
+                    entries[self.key_profile_dotfiles] is None:
                 entries[self.key_profile_dotfiles] = []
+
+            # add "dotfiles:" entry if not present in yaml dict
+            dict_pro = self._yaml_dict[self.key_profiles][pro]
+            if self.key_profile_dotfiles not in dict_pro or \
+                    dict_pro[self.key_profile_dotfiles] is None:
+                dict_pro[self.key_profile_dotfiles] = []
+
             new[pro] = entries
         return new
 
diff --git a/tests-ng/compare-include.sh b/tests-ng/compare-include.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..43832e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ng/compare-include.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# author: deadc0de6 (https://github.com/deadc0de6)
+# Copyright (c) 2023, deadc0de6
+#
+# test compare in profile which includes another
+#
+
+# exit on first error
+set -e
+
+# all this crap to get current path
+rl="readlink -f"
+if ! ${rl} "${0}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  rl="realpath"
+
+  if ! hash ${rl}; then
+    echo "\"${rl}\" not found !" && exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+cur=$(dirname "$(${rl} "${0}")")
+
+#hash dotdrop >/dev/null 2>&1
+#[ "$?" != "0" ] && echo "install dotdrop to run tests" && exit 1
+
+#echo "called with ${1}"
+
+# dotdrop path can be pass as argument
+ddpath="${cur}/../"
+[ "${1}" != "" ] && ddpath="${1}"
+[ ! -d ${ddpath} ] && echo "ddpath \"${ddpath}\" is not a directory" && exit 1
+
+export PYTHONPATH="${ddpath}:${PYTHONPATH}"
+bin="python3 -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+hash coverage 2>/dev/null && bin="coverage run -a --source=dotdrop -m dotdrop.dotdrop" || true
+
+echo "dotdrop path: ${ddpath}"
+echo "pythonpath: ${PYTHONPATH}"
+
+# get the helpers
+source ${cur}/helpers
+
+echo -e "$(tput setaf 6)==> RUNNING $(basename $BASH_SOURCE) <==$(tput sgr0)"
+
+################################################################
+# this is the test
+################################################################
+
+# the dotfile source
+tmps=`mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d`
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles
+# the dotfile destination
+tmpd=`mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d`
+
+clear_on_exit "${tmps}"
+clear_on_exit "${tmpd}"
+
+# create the dotfiles already imported
+echo "already in" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc
+cp ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc ${tmpd}/abc
+
+# create the config file
+cfg="${tmps}/config.yaml"
+
+cat > ${cfg} << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+dotfiles:
+  f_abc:
+    dst: ${tmpd}/abc
+    src: abc
+profiles:
+  p0:
+    dotfiles:
+    include:
+    - p1
+    - p2
+  p1:
+    dotfiles:
+    variables:
+      somevar: somevalue
+  p2:
+    dotfiles:
+    - f_abc
+_EOF
+cat ${cfg}
+
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} files -c ${cfg} -p p0
+
+cnt=`cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} files -c ${cfg} -p p0 | grep '^f_' | wc -l`
+[ "${cnt}" != "1" ] && echo "this is bad" && exit 1
+
+# compare
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} compare -c ${cfg} -p p0
+
+echo "modifying"
+echo 'modified' > ${tmpd}/abc
+
+# compare
+set +e
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} compare -c ${cfg} -p p0
+ret=$?
+[ "${ret}" = "0" ] && echo "compare should fail (returned ${ret})" && exit 1
+set -e
+
+# count
+cnt=`cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} files -c ${cfg} -p p0 -b | grep '^f_' | wc -l`
+[ "${cnt}" != "2" ] && echo "not enough dotfile" exit 1
+
+## without dotfiles: entry
+# reset dotfile content
+echo "already in" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc
+cp ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc ${tmpd}/abc
+
+cat > ${cfg} << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+dotfiles:
+  f_abc:
+    dst: ${tmpd}/abc
+    src: abc
+profiles:
+  p0:
+    include:
+    - p1
+    - p2
+  p1:
+    variables:
+      somevar: somevalue
+  p2:
+    dotfiles:
+    - f_abc
+_EOF
+cat ${cfg}
+
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} files -c ${cfg} -p p0
+
+cnt=`cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} files -c ${cfg} -p p0 | grep '^f_' | wc -l`
+[ "${cnt}" != "1" ] && echo "this is bad" && exit 1
+
+# compare
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} compare -c ${cfg} -p p0
+
+echo "modifying"
+echo 'modified' > ${tmpd}/abc
+
+# compare
+set +e
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} compare -c ${cfg} -p p0
+ret=$?
+[ "${ret}" = "0" ] && echo "compare should fail (returned ${ret})" && exit 1
+set -e
+
+# count
+cnt=`cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} files -c ${cfg} -p p0 -b | grep '^f_' | wc -l`
+[ "${cnt}" != "2" ] && echo "not enough dotfile" exit 1
+
+echo "OK"
+exit 0
diff --git a/tests-ng/import-include.sh b/tests-ng/import-include.sh
index 9ce8af5..0d0c2c4 100755
--- a/tests-ng/import-include.sh
+++ b/tests-ng/import-include.sh
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ cat ${cfg}
 cnt=`cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} files -c ${cfg} -p p0 | grep '^f_' | wc -l`
 [ "${cnt}" != "1" ] && echo "this is bad" && exit 1
 
-# install
+# import
 cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} import -f -c ${cfg} -p p0 --verbose ${tmpd}/file
 
 [ ! -e ${tmps}/dotfiles/${tmpd}/file ] && echo "file not imported" && exit 1