diff --git a/.changeset/loud-peas-yawn.md b/.changeset/loud-peas-yawn.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0d3a4285ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/loud-peas-yawn.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@pnpm/fetch": minor
+"@pnpm/fetching-types": minor
+---
+
+New optional option added: compress.
diff --git a/.changeset/strong-coats-occur.md b/.changeset/strong-coats-occur.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9a1c784dd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/strong-coats-occur.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@pnpm/npm-resolver": patch
+---
+
+The metadata file should be requested in compressed state.
+
diff --git a/packages/fetch/src/fetchFromRegistry.ts b/packages/fetch/src/fetchFromRegistry.ts
index 66614cba82..5f61f79f6d 100644
--- a/packages/fetch/src/fetchFromRegistry.ts
+++ b/packages/fetch/src/fetchFromRegistry.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export default function (
       const response = await fetch(urlObject, {
         agent,
         // if verifying integrity, node-fetch must not decompress
-        compress: false,
+        compress: opts?.compress ?? false,
         headers,
         redirect: 'manual',
         retry: opts?.retry,
diff --git a/packages/fetching-types/src/index.ts b/packages/fetching-types/src/index.ts
index 6ad89e6b87..be6e469bb9 100644
--- a/packages/fetching-types/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/fetching-types/src/index.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ export type FetchFromRegistry = (
   url: string,
   opts?: {
     authHeaderValue?: string
+    compress?: boolean
     retry?: RetryTimeoutOptions
     timeout?: number
   }
diff --git a/packages/npm-resolver/src/fetch.ts b/packages/npm-resolver/src/fetch.ts
index b7e85f3f90..66f9dbba0f 100644
--- a/packages/npm-resolver/src/fetch.ts
+++ b/packages/npm-resolver/src/fetch.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export default async function fromRegistry (
       try {
         response = await fetch(uri, {
           authHeaderValue,
+          compress: true,
           retry: fetchOpts.retry,
           timeout: fetchOpts.timeout,
         }) as RegistryResponse