diff --git a/chan.go b/chan.go
index 2b6fb36..6d82ce6 100644
--- a/chan.go
+++ b/chan.go
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ func (re *chanResponseEmitter) SetLength(l uint64) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (re *chanResponseEmitter) SetEncodingType(encType EncodingType) {}
+
 func (re *chanResponseEmitter) CloseWithError(err error) error {
 	re.wl.Lock()
 	defer re.wl.Unlock()
diff --git a/cli/responseemitter.go b/cli/responseemitter.go
index 0e69e7f..0b86d4c 100644
--- a/cli/responseemitter.go
+++ b/cli/responseemitter.go
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ func (re *responseEmitter) SetLength(l uint64) {
 	re.length = l
 }
 
+func (re *responseEmitter) SetEncodingType(encType cmds.EncodingType) {
+	re.encType = encType
+}
+
 func (re *responseEmitter) isClosed() bool {
 	re.l.Lock()
 	defer re.l.Unlock()
diff --git a/command_test.go b/command_test.go
index 5e83412..e97749d 100644
--- a/command_test.go
+++ b/command_test.go
@@ -344,6 +344,8 @@ func (s *testEmitterWithError) Close() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (s *testEmitterWithError) SetEncodingType(EncodingType) {}
+
 func (s *testEmitterWithError) SetLength(_ uint64) {}
 
 func (s *testEmitterWithError) CloseWithError(err error) error {
diff --git a/encoding.go b/encoding.go
index 61209f0..a4b14ba 100644
--- a/encoding.go
+++ b/encoding.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ const (
 	Protobuf    = "protobuf"
 	Text        = "text"
 	TextNewline = "textnl"
+	Gzip        = "gzip"
 
 	// PostRunTypes
 	CLI = "cli"
@@ -56,6 +57,9 @@ var Encoders = EncoderMap{
 	XML: func(req *Request) func(io.Writer) Encoder {
 		return func(w io.Writer) Encoder { return xml.NewEncoder(w) }
 	},
+	Gzip: func(req *Request) func(io.Writer) Encoder {
+		return func(w io.Writer) Encoder { return TextEncoder{w: w} }
+	},
 	JSON: func(req *Request) func(io.Writer) Encoder {
 		return func(w io.Writer) Encoder { return json.NewEncoder(w) }
 	},
diff --git a/helpers_test.go b/helpers_test.go
index 3c976f2..04e7f92 100644
--- a/helpers_test.go
+++ b/helpers_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ func (s *testEmitter) Close() error {
 }
 
 func (s *testEmitter) SetLength(_ uint64) {}
+
+func (s *testEmitter) SetEncodingType(EncodingType) {}
+
 func (s *testEmitter) CloseWithError(err error) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		(*testing.T)(s).Error(err)
diff --git a/http/parse.go b/http/parse.go
index b19c3a5..c23bd88 100644
--- a/http/parse.go
+++ b/http/parse.go
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func parseResponse(httpRes *http.Response, req *cmds.Request) (cmds.Response, er
 		makeDec, ok := cmds.Decoders[encType]
 		if ok {
 			res.dec = makeDec(res.rr)
-		} else if encType != "text" {
+		} else if encType != "text" && encType != "gzip" {
 			log.Errorf("could not find decoder for encoding %q", encType)
 		} // else we have an io.Reader, which is okay
 	} else {
diff --git a/http/response.go b/http/response.go
index e29287f..a739072 100644
--- a/http/response.go
+++ b/http/response.go
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	MIMEEncodings = map[string]cmds.EncodingType{
-		"application/json": cmds.JSON,
-		"application/xml":  cmds.XML,
-		"text/plain":       cmds.Text,
+		"application/json":   cmds.JSON,
+		"application/x-gzip": cmds.Gzip,
+		"application/xml":    cmds.XML,
+		"text/plain":         cmds.Text,
 	}
 )
 
diff --git a/http/responseemitter.go b/http/responseemitter.go
index e5d424e..3f2edab 100644
--- a/http/responseemitter.go
+++ b/http/responseemitter.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ var (
 		cmds.JSON:     "application/json",
 		cmds.XML:      "application/xml",
 		cmds.Text:     "text/plain",
+		cmds.Gzip:     "application/x-gzip; charset=binary",
 	}
 )
 
@@ -143,6 +144,13 @@ func (re *responseEmitter) Emit(value interface{}) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func (re *responseEmitter) SetEncodingType(encType cmds.EncodingType) {
+	re.l.Lock()
+	defer re.l.Unlock()
+
+	re.encType = encType
+}
+
 func (re *responseEmitter) SetLength(l uint64) {
 	re.l.Lock()
 	defer re.l.Unlock()
@@ -252,10 +260,7 @@ func (re *responseEmitter) sendErr(err *cmds.Error) {
 }
 
 func (re *responseEmitter) doPreamble(value interface{}) {
-	var (
-		h    = re.w.Header()
-		mime string
-	)
+	h := re.w.Header()
 
 	// Common Headers
 
@@ -283,6 +288,8 @@ func (re *responseEmitter) doPreamble(value interface{}) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	var mime string
+
 	switch v := value.(type) {
 	case *cmds.Error:
 		re.sendErr(v)
@@ -293,7 +300,10 @@ func (re *responseEmitter) doPreamble(value interface{}) {
 		h.Set(streamHeader, "1")
 		re.streaming = true
 
-		mime = "text/plain"
+		if re.encType == cmds.JSON {
+			mime = "text/plain"
+		}
+
 	case cmds.Single:
 		// don't set stream/channel header
 	default:
@@ -302,7 +312,6 @@ func (re *responseEmitter) doPreamble(value interface{}) {
 
 	if mime == "" {
 		var ok bool
-
 		// lookup mime type from map
 		mime, ok = mimeTypes[re.encType]
 		if !ok {
diff --git a/responseemitter.go b/responseemitter.go
index 97d4438..753e1b1 100644
--- a/responseemitter.go
+++ b/responseemitter.go
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ type ResponseEmitter interface {
 	// SetLength sets the length of the output
 	SetLength(length uint64)
 
+	// SetEncodingType sets the encoding type of the output.
+	SetEncodingType(encType EncodingType)
+
 	// Emit sends a value.
 	// If value is io.Reader we just copy that to the connection
 	// other values are marshalled.
diff --git a/writer.go b/writer.go
index 23b2460..9ead8fe 100644
--- a/writer.go
+++ b/writer.go
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ func (re *writerResponseEmitter) SetLength(length uint64) {
 	re.length = &length
 }
 
+func (re *writerResponseEmitter) SetEncodingType(encType EncodingType) {}
+
 func (re *writerResponseEmitter) Close() error {
 	if re.closed {
 		return ErrClosingClosedEmitter