diff --git a/pio-tools/gzip-firmware.py b/pio-tools/gzip-firmware.py
index 38876e63e..8de4f1c0f 100644
--- a/pio-tools/gzip-firmware.py
+++ b/pio-tools/gzip-firmware.py
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ if not tasmotapiolib.is_env_set(tasmotapiolib.DISABLE_MAP_GZ, env):
     env.AddPostAction("$BUILD_DIR/${PROGNAME}.bin", [map_gzip])
 
 if tasmotapiolib.is_env_set(tasmotapiolib.ENABLE_ESP32_GZ, env) or env["PIOPLATFORM"] != "espressif32":
-    try:
-        from zopfli.gzip import compress
-    except:
-        from gzip import compress
+    import time
+
+    gzip_level = int(env['ENV'].get('GZIP_LEVEL', 10))
+
     def bin_gzip(source, target, env):
         # create string with location and file names based on variant
         bin_file = tasmotapiolib.get_final_bin_path(env)
@@ -47,8 +47,10 @@ if tasmotapiolib.is_env_set(tasmotapiolib.ENABLE_ESP32_GZ, env) or env["PIOPLATF
         # write gzip firmware file
         with open(bin_file, "rb") as fp:
             with open(gzip_file, "wb") as f:
-                zopfli_gz = compress(fp.read())
-                f.write(zopfli_gz)
+                time_start = time.time()
+                gz = tasmotapiolib.compress(fp.read(), gzip_level)
+                time_delta = time.time() - time_start
+                f.write(gz)
 
         ORG_FIRMWARE_SIZE = bin_file.stat().st_size
         GZ_FIRMWARE_SIZE = gzip_file.stat().st_size
@@ -59,10 +61,11 @@ if tasmotapiolib.is_env_set(tasmotapiolib.ENABLE_ESP32_GZ, env) or env["PIOPLATF
                 )
             )
         else:
-            print(Fore.GREEN + "Compression reduced firmware size to {:.0f}% (was {} bytes, now {} bytes)".format(
+            print(Fore.GREEN + "Compression reduced firmware size to {:.0f}% (was {} bytes, now {} bytes, took {:.3f} seconds)".format(
                     (GZ_FIRMWARE_SIZE / ORG_FIRMWARE_SIZE) * 100,
                     ORG_FIRMWARE_SIZE,
                     GZ_FIRMWARE_SIZE,
+                    time_delta,
                 )
             )
 
diff --git a/pio-tools/tasmotapiolib.py b/pio-tools/tasmotapiolib.py
index 3105739c1..c63dc83c0 100644
--- a/pio-tools/tasmotapiolib.py
+++ b/pio-tools/tasmotapiolib.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ map_dir = /tmp/map_files/
 Values in .ini files override environment variables
 
 """
+import zlib
 import pathlib
 import os
 
@@ -42,7 +43,6 @@ MAP_DIR = "map_dir"
 # This is the default output directory
 OUTPUT_DIR = pathlib.Path("build_output")
 
-
 def get_variant(env) -> str:
     """Get the current build variant."""
     return env["PIOENV"]
@@ -125,3 +125,75 @@ def is_env_set(name: str, env):
         val = val.strip()
         return val == "1"
     return False
+
+def _compress_with_gzip(data, level=9):
+    import zlib
+    if   level < 0: level = 0
+    elif level > 9: level = 9
+    # gzip header without timestamp
+    zobj = zlib.compressobj(level=level, wbits=16 + zlib.MAX_WBITS)
+    return zobj.compress(data) + zobj.flush()
+
+try:
+    import zopfli
+
+    # two python modules call themselves `zopfli`, which one is this?
+    if hasattr(zopfli, 'ZopfliCompressor'):
+        # we seem to have zopflipy
+        from zopfli import ZopfliCompressor, ZOPFLI_FORMAT_GZIP
+        def _compress_with_zopfli(data, iterations=15, maxsplit=15, **kw):
+            zobj = ZopfliCompressor(
+                ZOPFLI_FORMAT_GZIP,
+                iterations=iterations,
+                block_splitting_max=maxsplit,
+                **kw,
+            )
+            return zobj.compress(data) + zobj.flush()
+
+    else:
+        # we seem to have pyzopfli
+        import zopfli.gzip
+        def _compress_with_zopfli(data, iterations=15, maxsplit=15, **kw):
+            return zopfli.gzip.compress(
+                data,
+                numiterations=iterations,
+                blocksplittingmax=maxsplit,
+                **kw,
+            )
+
+    # values based on limited manual testing
+    def _level_to_params(level):
+        if   level == 10: return (15, 15)
+        elif level == 11: return (15, 20)
+        elif level == 12: return (15, 25)
+        elif level == 13: return (15, 30)
+        elif level == 14: return (15, 35)
+        elif level == 15: return (33, 40)
+        elif level == 16: return (67, 45)
+        elif level == 17: return (100, 50)
+        elif level == 18: return (500, 100)
+        elif level >= 19: return (2500, 250)
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f'Invalid level: {repr(level)}')
+
+    def compress(data, level=None, *, iterations=None, maxsplit=None, **kw):
+        if level is not None and (iterations is not None or maxsplit is not None):
+            raise ValueError("The `level` argument can't be used with `iterations` and/or `maxsplit`!")
+
+        # set parameters based on level or to defaults
+        if iterations is None and maxsplit is None:
+            if level is None: level = 10
+            elif level < 10: return _compress_with_gzip(data, level)
+            iterations, maxsplit = _level_to_params(level)
+
+        if maxsplit is not None:
+            kw['maxsplit'] = maxsplit
+
+        if iterations is not None:
+            kw['iterations'] = iterations
+
+        return _compress_with_zopfli(data, **kw)
+
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    def compress(data, level=9, **kw):
+        return _compress_with_gzip(data, level)