diff --git a/cli/command/stack/deploy.go b/cli/command/stack/deploy.go
index 00a7634a0a..8a18cff43a 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/deploy.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/deploy.go
@@ -348,6 +348,12 @@ func convertVolumeToMount(
 	// TODO: split Windows path mappings properly
 	parts := strings.SplitN(volumeSpec, ":", 3)
 
+	for _, part := range parts {
+		if strings.TrimSpace(part) == "" {
+			return mount.Mount{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid volume: %s", volumeSpec)
+		}
+	}
+
 	switch len(parts) {
 	case 3:
 		source = parts[0]
@@ -358,8 +364,14 @@ func convertVolumeToMount(
 		target = parts[1]
 	case 1:
 		target = parts[0]
-	default:
-		return mount.Mount{}, fmt.Errorf("invald volume: %s", volumeSpec)
+	}
+
+	if source == "" {
+		// Anonymous volume
+		return mount.Mount{
+			Type:   mount.TypeVolume,
+			Target: target,
+		}, nil
 	}
 
 	// TODO: catch Windows paths here
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/deploy_test.go b/cli/command/stack/deploy_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86ecf151d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/command/stack/deploy_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package stack
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	composetypes "github.com/aanand/compose-file/types"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/mount"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/testutil/assert"
+)
+
+func TestConvertVolumeToMountAnonymousVolume(t *testing.T) {
+	stackVolumes := map[string]composetypes.VolumeConfig{}
+	namespace := namespace{name: "foo"}
+	expected := mount.Mount{
+		Type:   mount.TypeVolume,
+		Target: "/foo/bar",
+	}
+	mnt, err := convertVolumeToMount("/foo/bar", stackVolumes, namespace)
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	assert.DeepEqual(t, mnt, expected)
+}
+
+func TestConvertVolumeToMountInvalidFormat(t *testing.T) {
+	namespace := namespace{name: "foo"}
+	invalids := []string{"::", "::cc", ":bb:", "aa::", "aa::cc", "aa:bb:", " : : ", " : :cc", " :bb: ", "aa: : ", "aa: :cc", "aa:bb: "}
+	for _, vol := range invalids {
+		_, err := convertVolumeToMount(vol, map[string]composetypes.VolumeConfig{}, namespace)
+		assert.Error(t, err, "invalid volume: "+vol)
+	}
+}