diff --git a/src/gui/gui.cpp b/src/gui/gui.cpp
index 8d8ad721b..1f2d48794 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/gui.cpp
@@ -1968,8 +1968,6 @@ void FurnaceGUI::openFileDialog(FurnaceGUIFileDialogs type) {
   //ImGui::GetIO().ConfigFlags|=ImGuiConfigFlags_NavEnableKeyboard;
 }
 
-#define FURNACE_ZLIB_COMPRESS
-
 int FurnaceGUI::save(String path, int dmfVersion) {
   SafeWriter* w;
   logD("saving file...");
@@ -1992,35 +1990,56 @@ int FurnaceGUI::save(String path, int dmfVersion) {
     w->finish();
     return 1;
   }
-#ifdef FURNACE_ZLIB_COMPRESS
-  unsigned char zbuf[131072];
-  int ret;
-  z_stream zl;
-  memset(&zl,0,sizeof(z_stream));
-  ret=deflateInit(&zl,Z_DEFAULT_COMPRESSION);
-  if (ret!=Z_OK) {
-    logE("zlib error!");
-    lastError="compression error";
-    fclose(outFile);
-    w->finish();
-    return 2;
-  }
-  zl.avail_in=w->size();
-  zl.next_in=w->getFinalBuf();
-  while (zl.avail_in>0) {
+  if (settings.compress) {
+    unsigned char zbuf[131072];
+    int ret;
+    z_stream zl;
+    memset(&zl,0,sizeof(z_stream));
+    ret=deflateInit(&zl,Z_DEFAULT_COMPRESSION);
+    if (ret!=Z_OK) {
+      logE("zlib error!");
+      lastError="compression error";
+      fclose(outFile);
+      w->finish();
+      return 2;
+    }
+    zl.avail_in=w->size();
+    zl.next_in=w->getFinalBuf();
+    while (zl.avail_in>0) {
+      zl.avail_out=131072;
+      zl.next_out=zbuf;
+      if ((ret=deflate(&zl,Z_NO_FLUSH))==Z_STREAM_ERROR) {
+        logE("zlib stream error!");
+        lastError="zlib stream error";
+        deflateEnd(&zl);
+        fclose(outFile);
+        w->finish();
+        return 2;
+      }
+      size_t amount=131072-zl.avail_out;
+      if (amount>0) {
+        if (fwrite(zbuf,1,amount,outFile)!=amount) {
+          logE("did not write entirely: %s!",strerror(errno));
+          lastError=strerror(errno);
+          deflateEnd(&zl);
+          fclose(outFile);
+          w->finish();
+          return 1;
+        }
+      }
+    }
     zl.avail_out=131072;
     zl.next_out=zbuf;
-    if ((ret=deflate(&zl,Z_NO_FLUSH))==Z_STREAM_ERROR) {
-      logE("zlib stream error!");
-      lastError="zlib stream error";
+    if ((ret=deflate(&zl,Z_FINISH))==Z_STREAM_ERROR) {
+      logE("zlib finish stream error!");
+      lastError="zlib finish stream error";
       deflateEnd(&zl);
       fclose(outFile);
       w->finish();
       return 2;
     }
-    size_t amount=131072-zl.avail_out;
-    if (amount>0) {
-      if (fwrite(zbuf,1,amount,outFile)!=amount) {
+    if (131072-zl.avail_out>0) {
+      if (fwrite(zbuf,1,131072-zl.avail_out,outFile)!=(131072-zl.avail_out)) {
         logE("did not write entirely: %s!",strerror(errno));
         lastError=strerror(errno);
         deflateEnd(&zl);
@@ -2029,37 +2048,16 @@ int FurnaceGUI::save(String path, int dmfVersion) {
         return 1;
       }
     }
-  }
-  zl.avail_out=131072;
-  zl.next_out=zbuf;
-  if ((ret=deflate(&zl,Z_FINISH))==Z_STREAM_ERROR) {
-    logE("zlib finish stream error!");
-    lastError="zlib finish stream error";
     deflateEnd(&zl);
-    fclose(outFile);
-    w->finish();
-    return 2;
-  }
-  if (131072-zl.avail_out>0) {
-    if (fwrite(zbuf,1,131072-zl.avail_out,outFile)!=(131072-zl.avail_out)) {
+  } else {
+    if (fwrite(w->getFinalBuf(),1,w->size(),outFile)!=w->size()) {
       logE("did not write entirely: %s!",strerror(errno));
       lastError=strerror(errno);
-      deflateEnd(&zl);
       fclose(outFile);
       w->finish();
       return 1;
     }
   }
-  deflateEnd(&zl);
-#else
-  if (fwrite(w->getFinalBuf(),1,w->size(),outFile)!=w->size()) {
-    logE("did not write entirely: %s!",strerror(errno));
-    lastError=strerror(errno);
-    fclose(outFile);
-    w->finish();
-    return 1;
-  }
-#endif
   fclose(outFile);
   w->finish();
   backupLock.lock();
diff --git a/src/gui/gui.h b/src/gui/gui.h
index 5a9ce6cb2..880748645 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui.h
+++ b/src/gui/gui.h
@@ -1424,6 +1424,7 @@ class FurnaceGUI {
     int alwaysPlayIntro;
     int iCannotWait;
     int orderButtonPos;
+    int compress;
     unsigned int maxUndoSteps;
     String mainFontPath;
     String patFontPath;
@@ -1569,6 +1570,7 @@ class FurnaceGUI {
       alwaysPlayIntro(0),
       iCannotWait(0),
       orderButtonPos(2),
+      compress(1),
       maxUndoSteps(100),
       mainFontPath(""),
       patFontPath(""),
diff --git a/src/gui/settings.cpp b/src/gui/settings.cpp
index 678593ea8..85b287662 100644
--- a/src/gui/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/settings.cpp
@@ -654,6 +654,15 @@ void FurnaceGUI::drawSettings() {
             settings.saveUnusedPatterns=saveUnusedPatternsB;
           }
 
+          bool compressB=settings.compress;
+          if (ImGui::Checkbox("Compress when saving",&compressB)) {
+            settings.compress=compressB;
+          }
+          if (ImGui::IsItemHovered()) {
+            ImGui::SetTooltip("use zlib to compress saved songs.");
+          }
+
+
           bool cursorFollowsOrderB=settings.cursorFollowsOrder;
           if (ImGui::Checkbox("Cursor follows current order when moving it",&cursorFollowsOrderB)) {
             settings.cursorFollowsOrder=cursorFollowsOrderB;
@@ -2673,6 +2682,7 @@ void FurnaceGUI::syncSettings() {
   settings.cursorFollowsOrder=e->getConfInt("cursorFollowsOrder",1);
   settings.iCannotWait=e->getConfInt("iCannotWait",0);
   settings.orderButtonPos=e->getConfInt("orderButtonPos",2);
+  settings.compress=e->getConfInt("compress",1);
 
   clampSetting(settings.mainFontSize,2,96);
   clampSetting(settings.patFontSize,2,96);
@@ -2793,6 +2803,7 @@ void FurnaceGUI::syncSettings() {
   clampSetting(settings.cursorFollowsOrder,0,1);
   clampSetting(settings.iCannotWait,0,1);
   clampSetting(settings.orderButtonPos,0,2);
+  clampSetting(settings.compress,0,1);
 
   if (settings.exportLoops<0.0) settings.exportLoops=0.0;
   if (settings.exportFadeOut<0.0) settings.exportFadeOut=0.0;
@@ -3008,6 +3019,7 @@ void FurnaceGUI::commitSettings() {
   e->setConf("cursorFollowsOrder",settings.cursorFollowsOrder);
   e->setConf("iCannotWait",settings.iCannotWait);
   e->setConf("orderButtonPos",settings.orderButtonPos);
+  e->setConf("compress",settings.compress);
 
   // colors
   for (int i=0; i<GUI_COLOR_MAX; i++) {