diff --git a/weed-fs/src/cmd/weedvolume/weedvolume.go b/weed-fs/src/cmd/weedvolume/weedvolume.go
index 9d07856b8..1bd790946 100644
--- a/weed-fs/src/cmd/weedvolume/weedvolume.go
+++ b/weed-fs/src/cmd/weedvolume/weedvolume.go
@@ -62,7 +62,11 @@ func GetHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 	if ext != "" {
-		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", mime.TypeByExtension(ext))
+    mtype := mime.TypeByExtension(ext)
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", mtype)
+    if storage.IsCompressable(ext, mtype){
+      w.Header().Set("Content-Encoding", "gzip")
+    }
 	}
 	w.Write(n.Data)
 }
diff --git a/weed-fs/src/pkg/storage/compress.go b/weed-fs/src/pkg/storage/compress.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9e63a9fe8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed-fs/src/pkg/storage/compress.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package storage
+
+import (
+  "bytes"
+  "compress/flate"
+  "compress/gzip"
+  "log"
+  "strings"
+)
+
+func IsCompressable(ext, mtype string) bool {
+  if ext == ".zip" {
+    return true
+  }
+  if ext == ".rar" {
+    return true
+  }
+  if strings.Index(mtype,"text/")==0 {
+    return true
+  }
+  if strings.Index(mtype,"application/")==0 {
+    return true
+  }
+  return false
+}
+func GzipData(input []byte) []byte {
+  buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+  w, _ := gzip.NewWriterLevel(buf, flate.BestCompression)
+  if _, err := w.Write(input); err!=nil {
+    log.Printf("error compressing data:%s\n", err)
+  }
+  if err := w.Close(); err!=nil {
+    log.Printf("error closing compressed data:%s\n", err)
+  }
+  return buf.Bytes()
+}
diff --git a/weed-fs/src/pkg/storage/needle.go b/weed-fs/src/pkg/storage/needle.go
index ef3914e05..b0d499c05 100644
--- a/weed-fs/src/pkg/storage/needle.go
+++ b/weed-fs/src/pkg/storage/needle.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
+  "mime"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"pkg/util"
@@ -31,8 +32,17 @@ func NewNeedle(r *http.Request) (n *Needle, e error) {
 		return
 	}
 	part, _ := form.NextPart()
-	//log.Println("uploading file " + part.FileName())
-	data, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(part)
+  fname := part.FileName()
+  data, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(part)
+  //log.Println("uploading file " + part.FileName())
+  dotIndex := strings.LastIndex(fname, ".")
+  if dotIndex > 0 {
+    ext := fname[dotIndex:]
+    mtype := mime.TypeByExtension(ext)
+    if IsCompressable(ext, mtype){
+      data = GzipData(data)
+    }
+  }
 	n.Data = data
 
 	commaSep := strings.LastIndex(r.URL.Path, ",")