diff --git a/system_test/cluster_test.go b/system_test/cluster_test.go
index 8170b4f7..58384266 100644
--- a/system_test/cluster_test.go
+++ b/system_test/cluster_test.go
@@ -1258,7 +1258,7 @@ func Test_MultiNodeCluster_Backup(t *testing.T) {
 
 	backupFile := mustTempFile()
 	defer os.Remove(backupFile)
-	if err := followers[0].Backup(backupFile); err != nil {
+	if err := followers[0].Backup(backupFile, false); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to get backup from follower: %s", err.Error())
 	}
 
diff --git a/system_test/helpers.go b/system_test/helpers.go
index 4ee1d45b..c07fb21f 100644
--- a/system_test/helpers.go
+++ b/system_test/helpers.go
@@ -198,8 +198,13 @@ func (n *Node) Load(filename string) (string, error) {
 }
 
 // Backup backs up the node's database to the given file.
-func (n *Node) Backup(filename string) error {
+func (n *Node) Backup(filename string, compress bool) error {
 	v, _ := url.Parse("http://" + n.APIAddr + "/db/backup")
+	if compress {
+		q := v.Query()
+		q.Set("compress", "true")
+		v.RawQuery = q.Encode()
+	}
 	resp, err := http.Get(v.String())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/system_test/single_node_test.go b/system_test/single_node_test.go
index 9110176b..6ea486e0 100644
--- a/system_test/single_node_test.go
+++ b/system_test/single_node_test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ Package system runs system-level testing of rqlite. This includes testing of sin
 package system
 
 import (
+	"compress/gzip"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
@@ -981,19 +983,17 @@ func Test_SingleNodeBackup(t *testing.T) {
 
 	backup := mustTempFile()
 	defer os.Remove(backup)
-	if err := node.Backup(backup); err != nil {
+	if err := node.Backup(backup, false); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf(`backup failed: %s`, err.Error())
 	}
 
+	// Create new node, and restore from backup.
 	newNode := mustNewLeaderNode("leader2")
 	defer newNode.Deprovision()
-
 	_, err = newNode.Boot(backup)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf(`boot failed: %s`, err.Error())
 	}
-
-	// check that the row is present in the new node
 	r, err := newNode.Query(`SELECT * FROM foo`)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf(`query failed: %s`, err.Error())
@@ -1001,6 +1001,49 @@ func Test_SingleNodeBackup(t *testing.T) {
 	if r != `{"results":[{"columns":["id","name"],"types":["integer","text"],"values":[[1,"fiona"]]}]}` {
 		t.Fatalf("test received wrong result got %s", r)
 	}
+
+	// Get a compressed backup, test it again.
+	if err := node.Backup(backup, true); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf(`backup failed: %s`, err.Error())
+	}
+
+	// decompress backup and check it.
+	decompressedBackup := mustTempFile()
+	defer os.Remove(decompressedBackup)
+
+	f, err := os.Open(backup)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf(`failed to open backup: %s`, err.Error())
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	gzr, err := gzip.NewReader(f)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf(`failed to create gzip reader: %s`, err.Error())
+	}
+	defer gzr.Close()
+	w, err := os.Create(decompressedBackup)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf(`failed to create decompressed backup: %s`, err.Error())
+	}
+	defer w.Close()
+	if _, err := io.Copy(w, gzr); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf(`failed to decompress backup: %s`, err.Error())
+	}
+
+	// Create new node, and restore from backup.
+	newNode2 := mustNewLeaderNode("leader3")
+	defer newNode2.Deprovision()
+	_, err = newNode2.Boot(decompressedBackup)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf(`boot failed: %s`, err.Error())
+	}
+	r, err = newNode2.Query(`SELECT * FROM foo`)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf(`query failed: %s`, err.Error())
+	}
+	if r != `{"results":[{"columns":["id","name"],"types":["integer","text"],"values":[[1,"fiona"]]}]}` {
+		t.Fatalf("test received wrong result got %s", r)
+	}
 }
 
 func Test_SingleNodeNodes(t *testing.T) {