diff --git a/src/configfile.c b/src/configfile.c
index 2ab3a51e..4153d773 100644
--- a/src/configfile.c
+++ b/src/configfile.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <time.h>
+#include <zlib.h>
 
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
@@ -387,6 +388,15 @@ int config_read(char *file) {
 	}
     }
 
+    /* must have zlib 1.2 or better for gzip encoding support */
+    if(!strncmp(ZLIB_VERSION,"0.",2) ||
+       !strncmp(ZLIB_VERSION,"1.0",3) ||
+       !strncmp(ZLIB_VERSION,"1.1",3)) {
+	config.compress=0;
+	DPRINTF(E_LOG,L_CONF,"Must have zlib > 1.2.0 to use gzip content encoding.  You have %s.  Sucks, huh?\n",ZLIB_VERSION);
+    }
+
+
     return err;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/daap-proto.c b/src/daap-proto.c
index d15683b9..c87aa057 100644
--- a/src/daap-proto.c
+++ b/src/daap-proto.c
@@ -41,11 +41,16 @@ DAAP_BLOCK *daap_add_formatted(DAAP_BLOCK *parent, char *tag,
 
 GZIP_STREAM *gzip_alloc(void) {
     GZIP_STREAM *gz = malloc(sizeof(GZIP_STREAM));
-    gz->in_size = GZIP_CHUNK;
-    gz->in = malloc(gz->in_size);
-    gz->bytes_in = 0;
-    gz->out = NULL;
-    gz->bytes_out = 0;
+
+    if(gz) {
+	memset(gz,0x00,sizeof(GZIP_STREAM));
+
+	gz->in_size = GZIP_CHUNK;
+	gz->in = malloc(gz->in_size);
+	gz->bytes_in = 0;
+	gz->out = NULL;
+	gz->bytes_out = 0;
+    }
     return gz;
 }
 
@@ -94,6 +99,8 @@ int gzip_compress(GZIP_STREAM *gz) {
 	return -1;
     }
 
+    memset((void*)&strm,0x00,sizeof(strm));
+
     strm.zalloc = Z_NULL;
     strm.zfree = Z_NULL;
     strm.opaque = Z_NULL;
@@ -101,7 +108,7 @@ int gzip_compress(GZIP_STREAM *gz) {
     strm.avail_in = gz->bytes_in;
     strm.next_out = gz->out;
     strm.avail_out = out_size;
-    deflateInit2(&strm,GZIP_COMPRESSION_LEVEL,Z_DEFLATED,31,8,Z_DEFAULT_STRATEGY);
+    deflateInit2(&strm,GZIP_COMPRESSION_LEVEL,Z_DEFLATED,24,8,Z_DEFAULT_STRATEGY);
     while ((status = deflate(&strm,Z_FINISH)) == Z_OK)
 	;
     if (status != Z_STREAM_END) {