diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2f25087..8c23598 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ test/huge.zip
 test/centralEntryHeader.bin
 test/data/generated/
 test/deflatertest.bin
+test/compressiontest_*.bin
 test/dummy.txt
 test/localEntryHeader.bin
 test/okToDeleteMoved.txt
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 36efea2..b659c7a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -164,6 +164,14 @@ If you want to store non english names and want to open properly file on Windows
 Zip.unicode_names = true
 ```
 
+You can set the default compression level like so:
+
+```ruby
+Zip.default_compression = Zlib::DEFAULT_COMPRESSION
+```
+
+It defaults to `Zlib::DEFAULT_COMPRESSION`. Possible values are `Zlib::BEST_COMPRESSION`, `Zlib::DEFAULT_COMPRESSION` and `Zlib::NO_COMPRESSION`
+
 All settings in same time
 
 ```ruby
@@ -171,6 +179,7 @@ All settings in same time
     c.on_exists_proc = true
     c.continue_on_exists_proc = true
     c.unicode_names = true
+    c.default_compression = Zlib::BEST_COMPRESSION
   end
 ```
 
diff --git a/lib/zip.rb b/lib/zip.rb
index f78a9fe..55f78f2 100644
--- a/lib/zip.rb
+++ b/lib/zip.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ end
 
 module Zip
   extend self
-  attr_accessor :unicode_names, :on_exists_proc, :continue_on_exists_proc, :sort_entries
+  attr_accessor :unicode_names, :on_exists_proc, :continue_on_exists_proc, :sort_entries, :default_compression
 
   def reset!
     @_ran_once = false
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ module Zip
     @on_exists_proc = false
     @continue_on_exists_proc = false
     @sort_entries = false
+    @default_compression = ::Zlib::DEFAULT_COMPRESSION
   end
 
   def setup
diff --git a/lib/zip/deflater.rb b/lib/zip/deflater.rb
index 01e923b..84a8c0b 100755
--- a/lib/zip/deflater.rb
+++ b/lib/zip/deflater.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module Zip
   class Deflater < Compressor #:nodoc:all
 
-    def initialize(output_stream, level = ::Zlib::DEFAULT_COMPRESSION)
+    def initialize(output_stream, level = Zip.default_compression)
       super()
       @output_stream = output_stream
       @zlib_deflater = ::Zlib::Deflate.new(level, -::Zlib::MAX_WBITS)
diff --git a/lib/zip/output_stream.rb b/lib/zip/output_stream.rb
index efdd813..b89f9b6 100755
--- a/lib/zip/output_stream.rb
+++ b/lib/zip/output_stream.rb
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ module Zip
 
     # Closes the current entry and opens a new for writing.
     # +entry+ can be a ZipEntry object or a string.
-    def put_next_entry(entryname, comment = nil, extra = nil, compression_method = Entry::DEFLATED, level = Zlib::DEFAULT_COMPRESSION)
+    def put_next_entry(entryname, comment = nil, extra = nil, compression_method = Entry::DEFLATED, level = Zip.default_compression)
       raise ZipError, "zip stream is closed" if @closed
       if entryname.kind_of?(Entry)
         new_entry = entryname
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ module Zip
       @compressor = NullCompressor.instance
     end
 
-    def init_next_entry(entry, level = Zlib::DEFAULT_COMPRESSION)
+    def init_next_entry(entry, level = Zip.default_compression)
       finalize_current_entry
       @entry_set << entry
       entry.write_local_entry(@output_stream)
diff --git a/test/ziptest.rb b/test/ziptest.rb
index 3e36a10..99af5ed 100755
--- a/test/ziptest.rb
+++ b/test/ziptest.rb
@@ -669,6 +669,25 @@ class DeflaterTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal(txt, inflatedTxt)
   end
 
+  def test_default_compression
+    txt = load_file("data/file2.txt")
+
+    Zip.default_compression = ::Zlib::BEST_COMPRESSION
+    deflate(txt, "compressiontest_best_compression.bin")
+    Zip.default_compression = ::Zlib::DEFAULT_COMPRESSION
+    deflate(txt, "compressiontest_default_compression.bin")
+    Zip.default_compression = ::Zlib::NO_COMPRESSION
+    deflate(txt, "compressiontest_no_compression.bin")
+
+    best    = File.size("compressiontest_best_compression.bin")
+    default = File.size("compressiontest_default_compression.bin")
+    no      = File.size("compressiontest_no_compression.bin")
+
+    assert(best < default)
+    assert(best < no)
+    assert(default < no)
+  end
+
   private
   def load_file(fileName)
     txt = nil