diff --git a/src/etc/rc.php_ini_setup b/src/etc/rc.php_ini_setup
index 998ae5433..616111ca4 100755
--- a/src/etc/rc.php_ini_setup
+++ b/src/etc/rc.php_ini_setup
@@ -30,10 +30,21 @@ chmod 644 ${PHP_INI}
 
 # Fetch the timezone from the XML and set it here
 TIMEZONE=Etc/UTC
+ZLIB_COMPRESSION_LEVEL=""
 if [ -f /conf/config.xml ]; then
 	TIMEZONE=`cat /conf/config.xml | egrep -E '<timezone>(.*?)</timezone>' | awk -F'>' '{print $2}'|awk -F'<' '{print $1}'`
+	ZLIB_COMPRESSION_LEVEL=`cat /conf/config.xml | egrep -E '<webuicompression>(.*?)</webuicompression>' | awk -F'>' '{print $2}'|awk -F'<' '{print $1}'`
 fi
 
+# enable zlib compression on output processing when selected
+if [ -z "$ZLIB_COMPRESSION_LEVEL" ]; then
+    ZLIB_COMPRESSION_LEVEL=1
+    ZLIB_COMPRESSION="Off"
+else
+    ZLIB_COMPRESSION="On"
+fi
+
+
 # Get a loaded module list in the stock php
 # Populate a dummy php.ini to avoid
 # the file being clobbered and the firewall
@@ -56,8 +67,8 @@ upload_tmp_dir = /tmp
 upload_max_filesize = 200M
 post_max_size = 200M
 html_errors = Off
-zlib.output_compression = Off
-zlib.output_compression_level = 1
+zlib.output_compression = $ZLIB_COMPRESSION
+zlib.output_compression_level = $ZLIB_COMPRESSION_LEVEL
 include_path = ".:/usr/local/etc/inc:/usr/local/www:/usr/local/opnsense/mvc:/usr/local/share/pear:/usr/local/opnsense/contrib"
 ignore_repeated_errors = on
 error_reporting = E_ALL ^ (E_NOTICE | E_DEPRECATED | E_STRICT)
diff --git a/src/www/system_advanced_admin.php b/src/www/system_advanced_admin.php
index 6a92e424e..48480e5fa 100644
--- a/src/www/system_advanced_admin.php
+++ b/src/www/system_advanced_admin.php
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'GET') {
     $pconfig['webguiproto'] = $config['system']['webgui']['protocol'];
     $pconfig['webguiport'] = $config['system']['webgui']['port'];
     $pconfig['ssl-certref'] = $config['system']['webgui']['ssl-certref'];
+    $pconfig['webuicompression'] = isset($config['system']['webgui']['webuicompression']) ? $config['system']['webgui']['webuicompression'] : null;
     if (!empty($config['system']['webgui']['ssl-ciphers'])) {
         $pconfig['ssl-ciphers'] = explode(':', $config['system']['webgui']['ssl-ciphers']);
     } else {
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'GET') {
         if ($config['system']['webgui']['protocol'] != $pconfig['webguiproto'] ||
             $config['system']['webgui']['port'] != $pconfig['webguiport'] ||
             $config['system']['webgui']['ssl-certref'] != $pconfig['ssl-certref'] ||
+            $config['system']['webgui']['webuicompression'] != $pconfig['webuicompression'] ||
             $config['system']['webgui']['ssl-ciphers'] != $newciphers ||
             ($pconfig['disablehttpredirect'] == "yes") != !empty($config['system']['webgui']['disablehttpredirect'])
             ) {
@@ -110,6 +112,7 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'GET') {
         $config['system']['webgui']['port'] = $pconfig['webguiport'];
         $config['system']['webgui']['ssl-certref'] = $pconfig['ssl-certref'];
         $config['system']['webgui']['ssl-ciphers'] = $newciphers;
+        $config['system']['webgui']['webuicompression'] = $pconfig['webuicompression'];
 
         if ($pconfig['disablehttpredirect'] == "yes") {
             $config['system']['webgui']['disablehttpredirect'] = true;
@@ -485,6 +488,28 @@ include("head.inc");
                     </div>
                   </td>
                 </tr>
+                <tr>
+                  <td><a id="help_for_webuicompression" href="#" class="showhelp"><i class="fa fa-info-circle"></i></a> <?=gettext("WebGui Compression")?></td>
+                  <td width="78%">
+                    <select name="webuicompression" class="formselect selectpicker">
+                        <option value="" <?=empty($pconfig['webuicompression'])? 'selected="selected"' : '';?>>
+                          <?=gettext("Off");?>
+                        </option>
+                        <option value="1" <?=$pconfig['webuicompression'] == "1" ? 'selected="selected"' : '';?>>
+                          <?=gettext("Low");?>
+                        </option>
+                        <option value="5" <?=$pconfig['webuicompression'] == "5" ? 'selected="selected"' : '';?>>
+                          <?=gettext("Medium");?>
+                        </option>
+                        <option value="9" <?=$pconfig['webuicompression'] == "9" ? 'selected="selected"' : '';?>>
+                          <?=gettext("High");?>
+                        </option>
+                    </select>
+                    <div class="hidden" for="help_for_webuicompression">
+                      <?=gettext("Enable compression of webgui pages and dynamic content (transfer less data to the client for an additional cost in processing power).") ?>
+                    </div>
+                  </td>
+                </tr>
                 <tr>
                   <td><a id="help_for_nohttpreferercheck" href="#" class="showhelp"><i class="fa fa-info-circle"></i></a> <?=gettext("HTTP_REFERER enforcement"); ?></td>
                   <td>