diff --git a/pywb/utils/bufferedreaders.py b/pywb/utils/bufferedreaders.py
index f434e492..aece175f 100644
--- a/pywb/utils/bufferedreaders.py
+++ b/pywb/utils/bufferedreaders.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class DecompressingBufferedReader(object):
     DECOMPRESSORS = {'gzip': gzip_decompressor}
 
     def __init__(self, stream, block_size=1024,
-                 decomp_type=None,
+                 decomp_type='gzip',
                  starting_data=None):
         self.stream = stream
         self.block_size = block_size
diff --git a/pywb/utils/test/test_bufferedreaders.py b/pywb/utils/test/test_bufferedreaders.py
index 558f8782..d061218c 100644
--- a/pywb/utils/test/test_bufferedreaders.py
+++ b/pywb/utils/test/test_bufferedreaders.py
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ r"""
 >>> DecompressingBufferedReader(open(test_cdx_dir + 'iana.cdx', 'rb'), decomp_type = 'gzip').readline()
 ' CDX N b a m s k r M S V g\n'
 
-# decompress with on the fly compression
->>> DecompressingBufferedReader(BytesIO(compress('ABC\n1234\n')), decomp_type = 'gzip').read()
+# decompress with on the fly compression, default gzip compression
+>>> DecompressingBufferedReader(BytesIO(compress('ABC\n1234\n'))).read()
 'ABC\n1234\n'
 
 # error: invalid compress type
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ Exception: Decompression type not supported: bzip2
 Traceback (most recent call last):
 error: Error -3 while decompressing: incorrect header check
 
+# invalid output when reading compressed data as not compressed
+>>> DecompressingBufferedReader(BytesIO(compress('ABC')), decomp_type = None).read() != 'ABC'
+True
+
+
 # DecompressingBufferedReader readline() with decompression (zipnum file, no header)
 >>> DecompressingBufferedReader(open(test_zip_dir + 'zipnum-sample.cdx.gz', 'rb'), decomp_type = 'gzip').readline()
 'com,example)/ 20140127171200 http://example.com text/html 200 B2LTWWPUOYAH7UIPQ7ZUPQ4VMBSVC36A - - 1046 334 dupes.warc.gz\n'
@@ -60,6 +65,14 @@ Non-chunked data:
 >>> ChunkedDataReader(BytesIO("xyz123!@#")).read()
 'xyz123!@#'
 
+Non-chunked, compressed data
+>>> ChunkedDataReader(BytesIO(compress('ABCDEF'))).read()
+'ABCDEF'
+
+Non-chunked, compressed data
+>>> DecompressingBufferedReader(ChunkedDataReader(BytesIO(compress('\nABCDEF\nGHIJ')))).read()
+'\nABCDEF\nGHIJ'
+
 Starts like chunked data, but isn't:
 >>> c = ChunkedDataReader(BytesIO("1\r\nxyz123!@#"));
 >>> c.read() + c.read()