diff --git a/configuration_flags.go b/configuration_flags.go
index 2573d2e..b45a61f 100644
--- a/configuration_flags.go
+++ b/configuration_flags.go
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ func (c *Configuration) CheckFlags() error {
 	flag.StringVar(&c.ExposeDataFolder, "exposeDataFolder", fc.ExposeDataFolder, "If set the data folder will be exposed on the given host:port. Default value is not exposed at all")
 	flag.IntVar(&c.ErrorMessageTimeout, "errorMessageTimeout", fc.ErrorMessageTimeout, "The number of seconds to wait for an error message to time out")
 	flag.IntVar(&c.ErrorMessageRetries, "errorMessageRetries", fc.ErrorMessageRetries, "The number of if times to retry an error message before we drop it")
-	flag.StringVar(&c.Compression, "compression", fc.Compression, "compression method to use. defaults to no compression, z = zstd. Undefined value will default to no compression")
+	flag.StringVar(&c.Compression, "compression", fc.Compression, "compression method to use. defaults to no compression, z = zstd, g = gzip. Undefined value will default to no compression")
 	flag.StringVar(&c.Serialization, "serialization", fc.Serialization, "Serialization method to use. defaults to gob, other values are = cbor. Undefined value will default to gob")
 	flag.IntVar(&c.SetBlockProfileRate, "setBlockProfileRate", fc.SetBlockProfileRate, "Enable block profiling by setting the value to f.ex. 1. 0 = disabled")
 
diff --git a/process.go b/process.go
index 597c6d3..4a85bd8 100644
--- a/process.go
+++ b/process.go
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ package steward
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"compress/gzip"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/gob"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"sync"
@@ -360,6 +362,7 @@ func (p process) messageSubscriberHandler(natsConn *nats.Conn, thisNode string,
 		// fmt.Printf(" * DEBUG: ok = %v, map = %v, len of val = %v\n", ok, msg.Header, len(val))
 		switch val[0] {
 		case "z":
+			fmt.Println(" ******** READING ZSTD ************")
 			zr, err := zstd.NewReader(nil)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Printf("error: zstd NewReader failed: %v\n", err)
@@ -370,9 +373,30 @@ func (p process) messageSubscriberHandler(natsConn *nats.Conn, thisNode string,
 				er := fmt.Errorf("error: zstd decoding failed: %v", err)
 				log.Printf("%v\n", er)
 				sendErrorLogMessage(p.configuration, p.processes.metrics, p.toRingbufferCh, Node(thisNode), er)
+				zr.Close()
 				return
 			}
 
+			zr.Close()
+
+		case "g":
+			fmt.Println(" ******** READING GZIP ************")
+			r := bytes.NewReader(msgData)
+			gr, err := gzip.NewReader(r)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("error: gzip NewReader failed: %v\n", err)
+				return
+			}
+
+			b, err := io.ReadAll(gr)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("error: gzip ReadAll failed: %v\n", err)
+				return
+			}
+
+			gr.Close()
+
+			msgData = b
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -634,6 +658,19 @@ func (p process) publishMessages(natsConn *nats.Conn) {
 			natsMsgPayloadCompressed = zEnc.EncodeAll(natsMsgPayloadSerialized, nil)
 			natsMsgHeader["cmp"] = []string{p.configuration.Compression}
 
+		case "g": // gzip
+			var buf bytes.Buffer
+			gzipW := gzip.NewWriter(&buf)
+			_, err := gzipW.Write(natsMsgPayloadSerialized)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("error: failed to write gzip: %v\n", err)
+				gzipW.Close()
+				continue
+			}
+			gzipW.Close()
+
+			natsMsgPayloadCompressed = buf.Bytes()
+			natsMsgHeader["cmp"] = []string{p.configuration.Compression}
 		case "": // no compression
 			natsMsgPayloadCompressed = natsMsgPayloadSerialized