diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 77ad6e6..fa9b06b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ jobs:
           PLATFORMIO_BUILD_FLAGS: -D SPECIFIC_MACRO -I/extra/inc
           VERSION: ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version-without-v }}
 
-      - name: Archive production artifacts
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+      - name: Release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
         with:
-          name: firmware
-          path: .pio/build/**/firmware_*.bin
+          files: |
+            .pio/build/*/firmware_*.bin
+            .pio/build/*/firmware_*.bin.gz
diff --git a/DEVELOPMENT.md b/DEVELOPMENT.md
index ef36ab6..70008b2 100644
--- a/DEVELOPMENT.md
+++ b/DEVELOPMENT.md
@@ -29,3 +29,5 @@ the safe UART baudrate to 38400 bps.
 To test the release workflow execute:
 
     $ act --container-architecture linux/amd64 --artifact-server-path $PWD/act-cache -e act/release.json -W .github/workflows/release.yaml
+
+Note that the `Release` step will fail.
diff --git a/platformio.ini b/platformio.ini
index 9817984..d9ee7fc 100644
--- a/platformio.ini
+++ b/platformio.ini
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ build_flags =
 extra_scripts =
     ${env.extra_scripts}
 	pre:scripts/get_build_time.py
+    scripts/make_gz.py
 upload_port = 
 upload_resetmethod = nodemcu
 upload_speed = 115200
diff --git a/scripts/make_gz.py b/scripts/make_gz.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c12280b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/make_gz.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import gzip
+import shutil
+import os
+Import("env")
+
+
+def compress_firmware(source, target, env):
+    """ Compress ESP8266 firmware using gzip for 'compressed OTA upload' """
+    SOURCE_FILE = env.subst("$BUILD_DIR") + os.sep + env.subst("$PROGNAME") + ".bin"
+    if not os.path.exists(SOURCE_FILE+'.bak'):
+        print("Compressing firmware for upload...")
+        shutil.move(SOURCE_FILE, SOURCE_FILE + '.bak')
+        with open(SOURCE_FILE + '.bak', 'rb') as f_in:
+            with gzip.open(SOURCE_FILE +  '.gz', 'wb') as f_out:
+                shutil.copyfileobj(f_in, f_out)
+        shutil.move(SOURCE_FILE + '.bak', SOURCE_FILE)
+
+        ORG_FIRMWARE_SIZE = os.stat(SOURCE_FILE).st_size
+        GZ_FIRMWARE_SIZE = os.stat(SOURCE_FILE + '.gz').st_size
+
+        print("Compression reduced firmware size to {:.0f}% of original (was {} bytes, now {} bytes)".format((GZ_FIRMWARE_SIZE / ORG_FIRMWARE_SIZE) * 100, ORG_FIRMWARE_SIZE, GZ_FIRMWARE_SIZE))
+
+env.AddPostAction("$BUILD_DIR/${PROGNAME}.bin", [compress_firmware])