diff --git a/src/installtransaction.cpp b/src/installtransaction.cpp
index 3bcec26..849931a 100644
--- a/src/installtransaction.cpp
+++ b/src/installtransaction.cpp
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ InstallTransaction::installPackage( const Package* package,
             args +=
                 package->name()    + "#" +
                 package->version() + "-" +
-                package->release() + ".pkg.tar.gz";
+                package->release() + ".pkg.tar." + getPkgmkCompressionMode();
 
 
             // - inform the user about what's happening
@@ -655,3 +655,8 @@ string InstallTransaction::getPkgmkPackageDir()
 {
     return getPkgmkSetting("PKGMK_PACKAGE_DIR");
 }
+
+string InstallTransaction::getPkgmkCompressionMode()
+{
+    return getPkgmkSetting("PKGMK_COMPRESSION_MODE");
+}
diff --git a/src/installtransaction.h b/src/installtransaction.h
index 248df8e..113abf2 100644
--- a/src/installtransaction.h
+++ b/src/installtransaction.h
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ public:
     const list< pair<string, InstallInfo> >& installError() const;
 
     static string getPkgmkPackageDir();
+    static string getPkgmkCompressionMode();
 
 private:
     bool calculateDependencies();