diff --git a/bin/buildiso.in b/bin/buildiso.in
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 7718794..8642598
--- a/bin/buildiso.in
+++ b/bin/buildiso.in
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ display_settings(){
 
     msg "ISO INFO:"
     msg2 "iso_label: %s" "${iso_label}"
-
+    msg2 "iso_compression: %s" "${iso_compression}"
+    
     msg "BUILD QUEUE:"
     run show_profile "${build_list_iso}"
 }
@@ -116,6 +117,8 @@ usage() {
     echo '    -m                 Set SquashFS image mode to persistence'
     echo '    -c                 Disable clean work dir'
     echo '    -f                 Build full ISO (extra=true)'
+    echo '    -d <comp>          Compression used for build ISO: xz, gzip, lzma, lzo, lz4'
+    echo "                       [default: ${iso_compression}]"
     echo '    -x                 Build images only'
     echo '    -z                 Generate iso only'
     echo '                       Requires pre built images (-x)'
@@ -129,7 +132,7 @@ usage() {
 
 orig_argv=("$@")
 
-opts='p:a:b:r:t:k:i:g:cfzxmvqh'
+opts='p:a:b:r:t:k:i:g:d:cfzxmvqh'
 
 while getopts "${opts}" arg; do
     case "${arg}" in
@@ -137,6 +140,7 @@ while getopts "${opts}" arg; do
         b) target_branch="$OPTARG" ;;
         c) clean_first=false ;;
         f) full_iso=true ;;
+        d) iso_compression="$OPTARG" ;;
         g) gpgkey="$OPTARG" ;;
         k) kernel="$OPTARG" ;;
         m) persist=true ;;
diff --git a/data/manjaro-tools.conf b/data/manjaro-tools.conf
index f18fdc3..a020836 100644
--- a/data/manjaro-tools.conf
+++ b/data/manjaro-tools.conf
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@
 # the branding; default: auto
 # dist_branding="MJRO"
 
+# compression used, possible values xz (default, best compression), gzip, lzma, lzo, lz4
+# lz4 is faster but worst compression, may be useful for locally testing isos
+# iso_compression=xz
+
 # unset defaults to given value
 # kernel="linux414"
 
diff --git a/lib/util-iso.sh b/lib/util-iso.sh
index f937e3a..c3e7d2c 100644
--- a/lib/util-iso.sh
+++ b/lib/util-iso.sh
@@ -137,12 +137,14 @@ make_sfs() {
 
     mksfs_args+=(${sfs} -noappend)
 
-    local highcomp="-b 256K -Xbcj x86" comp='xz'
+    local highcomp="-b 256K -Xbcj x86"
+   # local comp='xz'
+    [[ "${iso_compression}" != "xz" ]] && highcomp=""
 
     if [[ "${name}" == "mhwdfs" && ${used_kernel} < "4" ]]; then
         mksfs_args+=(-comp lz4)
     else
-        mksfs_args+=(-comp ${comp} ${highcomp})
+        mksfs_args+=(-comp ${iso_compression} ${highcomp})
     fi
     if ${verbose}; then
         mksquashfs "${mksfs_args[@]}" >/dev/null
diff --git a/lib/util.sh b/lib/util.sh
index 509b505..ae7f103 100644
--- a/lib/util.sh
+++ b/lib/util.sh
@@ -311,6 +311,8 @@ init_buildiso(){
 
     [[ -z ${dist_branding} ]] && dist_branding="MJRO"
 
+    [[ -z ${iso_compression} ]] && iso_compression='xz'
+
     iso_label=$(get_iso_label "${dist_branding}${dist_release//.}")
 
     [[ -z ${kernel} ]] && kernel="linux414"