diff --git a/graylog.js b/graylog.js
index e98ae98..250b2bf 100644
--- a/graylog.js
+++ b/graylog.js
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ var zlib         = require('zlib'),
     crypto       = require('crypto'),
     dgram        = require('dgram'),
     util         = require('util'),
-    EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
+    EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter,
+    assert       = require('assert');
 
 /**
  * Graylog instances emit errors. That means you really really should listen for them,
@@ -18,6 +19,10 @@ var graylog = function graylog(config) {
     this.client       = null;
     this.hostname     = config.hostname || require('os').hostname();
     this.facility     = config.facility || 'Node.js';
+    this.deflate      = config.deflate || 'optimal';
+    assert(
+      this.deflate === 'optimal' || this.deflate === 'always' || this.deflate === 'never',
+      'deflate must be one of "optimal", "always", or "never". was "' + this.deflate + '"');
 
     this._unsentMessages = 0;
     this._unsentChunks = 0;
@@ -164,7 +169,7 @@ graylog.prototype._log = function log(short_message, full_message, additionalFie
     // Compression
     payload = new Buffer(JSON.stringify(message));
 
-    zlib.deflate(payload, function (err, buffer) {
+    function sendPayload(err, buffer) {
         if (err) {
             that._unsentMessages -= 1;
             return that.emitError(err);
@@ -235,7 +240,13 @@ graylog.prototype._log = function log(short_message, full_message, additionalFie
 
             send();
         });
-    });
+    }
+
+    if (this.deflate === 'never' || (this.deflate === 'optimal' && payload.length <= this._bufferSize)) {
+      sendPayload(null, payload);
+    } else {
+      zlib.deflate(payload, sendPayload);
+    }
 };
 
 graylog.prototype.send = function (chunk, server, cb) {
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index f8cad06..373810e 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 var graylog = require('./graylog'),
     fs      = require('fs'),
+    assert  = require('assert'),
     file,
     data,
     servers = [
@@ -49,7 +50,36 @@ client.log('ParametersTest - Short message and full message', 'Full message');
 client.log('ParametersTest - Short Message with full message and json', 'Full message', {cool: 'beans'});
 console.log('');
 
+console.log('---------------------------------------------');
+console.log('Sending without deflate');
+console.log('---------------------------------------------');
+client.deflate = 'never';
+for (var i = 4; i <= 64; i *= 2) {
+    file = './data/' + i + '.dat';
+    data = fs.readFileSync(file);
+    console.log('sending', file);
+    client.critical('Test 4 ' + file, data.toString(), {datafile: i + '.dat'});
+}
+client.deflate = 'optimal';
+console.log('');
+
 client.close(function () {
     console.log('Insertion complete. Please check', 'http://' + servers[0].host + ':3000', 'and verify that insertion was successfull');
     console.log('');
 });
+
+console.log('---------------------------------------------');
+console.log('Checking deflate assertion');
+console.log('---------------------------------------------');
+try {
+  new graylog.graylog({
+      servers: servers,
+      facility: 'Test logger / Node.JS Test Script',
+      deflate: 'not an option'
+  });
+  throw new Error('should not get here')
+} catch (err) {
+  assert(
+    err.message === 'deflate must be one of "optimal", "always", or "never". was "not an option"',
+    'assertion msg was wrong: ' + err.message);
+}