diff --git a/src/filebuf.c b/src/filebuf.c
index bc1a8dceb..1a98e3f43 100644
--- a/src/filebuf.c
+++ b/src/filebuf.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ static int write_deflate(git_filebuf *file, void *source, size_t len)
 
 int git_filebuf_open(git_filebuf *file, const char *path, int flags)
 {
-	int error;
+	int error, compression;
 	size_t path_len;
 
 	assert(file && path);
@@ -155,11 +155,12 @@ int git_filebuf_open(git_filebuf *file, const char *path, int flags)
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* If we are deflating on-write, */
-	if (flags & GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_CONTENTS) {
+	compression = flags >> GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_SHIFT;
 
+	/* If we are deflating on-write, */
+	if (compression != 0) {
 		/* Initialize the ZLib stream */
-		if (deflateInit(&file->zs, Z_BEST_SPEED) != Z_OK) {
+		if (deflateInit(&file->zs, compression) != Z_OK) {
 			error = git__throw(GIT_EZLIB, "Failed to initialize zlib");
 			goto cleanup;
 		}
diff --git a/src/filebuf.h b/src/filebuf.h
index d20881e9f..525ca3c81 100644
--- a/src/filebuf.h
+++ b/src/filebuf.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #define GIT_FILEBUF_APPEND				(1 << 2)
 #define GIT_FILEBUF_FORCE				(1 << 3)
 #define GIT_FILEBUF_TEMPORARY			(1 << 4)
-#define GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_CONTENTS	(1 << 5)
+#define GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_SHIFT		(5)
 
 #define GIT_FILELOCK_EXTENSION ".lock\0"
 #define GIT_FILELOCK_EXTLENGTH 6
diff --git a/src/odb_loose.c b/src/odb_loose.c
index 4b2216bfd..80f0aa9e7 100644
--- a/src/odb_loose.c
+++ b/src/odb_loose.c
@@ -735,8 +735,8 @@ static int loose_backend__stream(git_odb_stream **stream_out, git_odb_backend *_
 
 	error = git_filebuf_open(&stream->fbuf, tmp_path,
 		GIT_FILEBUF_HASH_CONTENTS |
-		GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_CONTENTS |
-		GIT_FILEBUF_TEMPORARY);
+		GIT_FILEBUF_TEMPORARY |
+		(backend->object_zlib_level << GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_SHIFT));
 
 	if (error < GIT_SUCCESS) {
 		free(stream);
@@ -774,8 +774,8 @@ static int loose_backend__write(git_oid *oid, git_odb_backend *_backend, const v
 
 	error = git_filebuf_open(&fbuf, final_path,
 		GIT_FILEBUF_HASH_CONTENTS |
-		GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_CONTENTS |
-		GIT_FILEBUF_TEMPORARY);
+		GIT_FILEBUF_TEMPORARY |
+		(backend->object_zlib_level << GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_SHIFT));
 
 	if (error < GIT_SUCCESS)
 		return error;