diff --git a/pywb/rewrite/rewrite_content.py b/pywb/rewrite/rewrite_content.py
index 105134ea..6bb300c4 100644
--- a/pywb/rewrite/rewrite_content.py
+++ b/pywb/rewrite/rewrite_content.py
@@ -73,6 +73,21 @@ class RewriteContent:
 
         return (rewritten_headers, stream)
 
+
+    def _check_encoding(self, rewritten_headers, stream, enc):
+        if (rewritten_headers.
+             contains_removed_header('content-encoding', enc)):
+
+            #optimize: if already a ChunkedDataReader, add the encoding
+            if isinstance(stream, ChunkedDataReader):
+                stream.set_decomp(enc)
+            else:
+                stream = DecompressingBufferedReader(stream, decomp_type=enc)
+
+        return stream
+
+
+
     def rewrite_content(self, urlrewriter, headers, stream,
                         head_insert_func=None, urlkey='',
                         cdx=None):
@@ -114,14 +129,8 @@ class RewriteContent:
         encoding = None
         first_buff = ''
 
-        if (rewritten_headers.
-             contains_removed_header('content-encoding', 'gzip')):
-
-            #optimize: if already a ChunkedDataReader, add gzip
-            if isinstance(stream, ChunkedDataReader):
-                stream.set_decomp('gzip')
-            else:
-                stream = DecompressingBufferedReader(stream)
+        stream = self._check_encoding(rewritten_headers, stream, 'gzip')
+        stream = self._check_encoding(rewritten_headers, stream, 'deflate')
 
         if mod == 'js_':
             text_type, stream = self._resolve_text_type('js',
diff --git a/pywb/utils/bufferedreaders.py b/pywb/utils/bufferedreaders.py
index 54457f94..a895b490 100644
--- a/pywb/utils/bufferedreaders.py
+++ b/pywb/utils/bufferedreaders.py
@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ def gzip_decompressor():
     return zlib.decompressobj(16 + zlib.MAX_WBITS)
 
 
+def deflate_decompressor():
+    return zlib.decompressobj()
+
+
+def deflate_decompressor_alt():
+    return zlib.decompressobj(-zlib.MAX_WBITS)
+
+
 #=================================================================
 class BufferedReader(object):
     """
@@ -30,7 +38,9 @@ class BufferedReader(object):
 
     """
 
-    DECOMPRESSORS = {'gzip': gzip_decompressor}
+    DECOMPRESSORS = {'gzip': gzip_decompressor,
+                     'deflate': deflate_decompressor,
+                     'deflate_alt': deflate_decompressor_alt}
 
     def __init__(self, stream, block_size=1024,
                  decomp_type=None,
@@ -91,7 +101,11 @@ class BufferedReader(object):
             except Exception:
                 # if first read attempt, assume non-gzipped stream
                 if self.num_read == 0:
-                    self.decompressor = None
+                    if self.decomp_type == 'deflate':
+                        self._init_decomp('deflate_alt')
+                        data = self._decompress(data)
+                    else:
+                        self.decompressor = None
                 # otherwise (partly decompressed), something is wrong
                 else:
                     raise
diff --git a/tests/test_live_rewriter.py b/tests/test_live_rewriter.py
index 87c17aab..e77ab1ae 100644
--- a/tests/test_live_rewriter.py
+++ b/tests/test_live_rewriter.py
@@ -42,3 +42,7 @@ class TestLiveRewriter:
         resp = self.testapp.get('/live/vi_/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjFZyFWSt1M')
         assert resp.status_int == 200
         assert resp.content_type == RewriteHandler.YT_DL_TYPE, resp.content_type
+
+    def test_deflate(self):
+        resp = self.testapp.get('/live/mp_/http://httpbin.org/deflate')
+        assert '"deflated": true' in resp.body