diff --git a/influxdb.go b/influxdb.go
index fd05cf5afd..4827e0ce25 100644
--- a/influxdb.go
+++ b/influxdb.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package influxdb
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"compress/gzip"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -11,12 +12,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Client struct {
-	host       string
-	username   string
-	password   string
-	database   string
-	httpClient *http.Client
-	schema     string
+	host        string
+	username    string
+	password    string
+	database    string
+	httpClient  *http.Client
+	schema      string
+	compression bool
 }
 
 type ClientConfig struct {
@@ -60,7 +62,11 @@ func NewClient(config *ClientConfig) (*Client, error) {
 	if config.IsSecure {
 		schema = "https"
 	}
-	return &Client{host, username, password, database, config.HttpClient, schema}, nil
+	return &Client{host, username, password, database, config.HttpClient, schema, true}, nil
+}
+
+func (self *Client) DisableCompression() {
+	self.compression = false
 }
 
 func (self *Client) getUrl(path string) string {
@@ -330,7 +336,26 @@ func (self *Client) writeSeriesCommon(series []*Series, options map[string]strin
 	for name, value := range options {
 		url += fmt.Sprintf("&%s=%s", name, value)
 	}
-	resp, err := self.httpClient.Post(url, "application/json", bytes.NewBuffer(data))
+	var b *bytes.Buffer
+	if self.compression {
+		b = bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+		w := gzip.NewWriter(b)
+		if _, err := w.Write(data); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		w.Flush()
+		w.Close()
+	} else {
+		b = bytes.NewBuffer(data)
+	}
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", url, b)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if self.compression {
+		req.Header.Set("Content-Encoding", "gzip")
+	}
+	resp, err := self.httpClient.Do(req)
 	return responseToError(resp, err, true)
 }
 
@@ -341,7 +366,14 @@ func (self *Client) Query(query string, precision ...TimePrecision) ([]*Series,
 		url += "&time_precision=" + string(precision[0])
 	}
 	url += "&q=" + escapedQuery
-	resp, err := self.httpClient.Get(url)
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", url, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if !self.compression {
+		req.Header.Set("Accept-Encoding", "identity")
+	}
+	resp, err := self.httpClient.Do(req)
 	err = responseToError(resp, err, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/influxdb_test.go b/influxdb_test.go
index 84c1723b01..99134bcc35 100644
--- a/influxdb_test.go
+++ b/influxdb_test.go
@@ -5,29 +5,51 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestClient(t *testing.T) {
+	internalTest(t, true)
+}
+
+func TestClientWithoutCompression(t *testing.T) {
+	internalTest(t, false)
+}
+
+func internalTest(t *testing.T, compression bool) {
 	client, err := NewClient(&ClientConfig{})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	if err := client.CreateClusterAdmin("admin", "password"); err != nil {
-		t.Error(err)
-	}
-
 	admins, err := client.GetClusterAdminList()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
+	if len(admins) == 1 {
+		if err := client.CreateClusterAdmin("admin", "password"); err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	admins, err = client.GetClusterAdminList()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
 	if len(admins) != 2 {
 		t.Error("more than two admins returned")
 	}
 
-	if err := client.CreateDatabase("foobar"); err != nil {
+	dbs, err := client.GetDatabaseList()
+	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	dbs, err := client.GetDatabaseList()
+	if len(dbs) == 0 {
+		if err := client.CreateDatabase("foobar"); err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	dbs, err = client.GetDatabaseList()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -36,19 +58,26 @@ func TestClient(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("List of databases don't match")
 	}
 
-	if err := client.CreateDatabaseUser("foobar", "dbuser", "pass"); err != nil {
-		t.Error(err)
-	}
-
-	if err := client.AlterDatabasePrivilege("foobar", "dbuser", true); err != nil {
-		t.Error(err)
-	}
-
 	users, err := client.GetDatabaseUserList("foobar")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
+	if len(users) == 0 {
+		if err := client.CreateDatabaseUser("foobar", "dbuser", "pass"); err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
+
+		if err := client.AlterDatabasePrivilege("foobar", "dbuser", true); err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	users, err = client.GetDatabaseUserList("foobar")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
 	if len(users) != 1 {
 		t.Error("more than one user returned")
 	}
@@ -59,12 +88,21 @@ func TestClient(t *testing.T) {
 		Database: "foobar",
 	})
 
+	if !compression {
+		client.DisableCompression()
+	}
+
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
+	name := "ts9"
+	if !compression {
+		name = "ts9_uncompressed"
+	}
+
 	series := &Series{
-		Name:    "ts9",
+		Name:    name,
 		Columns: []string{"value"},
 		Points: [][]interface{}{
 			[]interface{}{1.0},
@@ -74,7 +112,7 @@ func TestClient(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	result, err := client.Query("select * from ts9")
+	result, err := client.Query("select * from " + name)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}