diff --git a/lib/twitter.js b/lib/twitter.js
index 757ab18..0c784b4 100644
--- a/lib/twitter.js
+++ b/lib/twitter.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ var request = require('request')
   , split = require('split')
   , Writable = require('stream').Writable
   , util = require('util')
+  , zlib = require('zlib')
 
 function backoff (current, max, step, _value) {
   return function () {
@@ -19,9 +20,9 @@ var FILTER_TYPE_TRACKING = 'tracking'
   , FILTER_TYPE_FOLLOW = 'follow'
   , FILTER_TYPE_LANGUAGE = 'language'
 
-var Twitter = function (oauth) {
+var Twitter = function (oauth, options) {
   if(!(this instanceof Twitter)) {
-    return new Twitter(oauth)
+    return new Twitter(oauth, options)
   }
 
   if (!oauth || !oauth.consumer_secret || !oauth.consumer_key || !oauth.token || !oauth.token_secret) {
@@ -29,6 +30,9 @@ var Twitter = function (oauth) {
   }
   this.oauth = oauth
 
+  options.gzip = options.gzip ? options.gzip : false;
+  this.options = options;
+
   this._filters = {
     tracking: {},
     location: {},
@@ -209,6 +213,7 @@ Twitter.prototype.connect = function () {
   this.stream = request.post({
     url: this.twitterUrl,
     oauth: this.oauth,
+	gzip: this.options.gzip,
     form: {
       track: Object.keys(this._filters[FILTER_TYPE_TRACKING]).join(','),
       locations: Object.keys(this._filters[FILTER_TYPE_LOCATION]).join(','),
@@ -252,8 +257,18 @@ Twitter.prototype.connect = function () {
       } catch (e) {}
     })
 
-    this.parser = res.pipe(this.parser, {end: false})
-    this.parser.pipe(this)
+	var encoding = res.headers['content-encoding']
+    if (encoding === 'gzip') {
+		console.log('initializing gunzip');
+		this.parser = res.pipe(zlib.createGunzip()).pipe(this.parser, {end: false})
+		this.parser.pipe(this)
+    } else if (encoding === 'deflate') {
+		this.parser = res.pipe(zlib.createInflate()).pipe(this.parser, {end: false})
+		this.parser.pipe(this)
+    } else {
+		this.parser = res.pipe(this.parser, {end: false})
+		this.parser.pipe(this)
+    }
 
     // Handle this: https://dev.twitter.com/docs/streaming-apis/connecting#Stalls
     // Abort the connection and reconnect if we haven't received an update for 90 seconds