diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/HttpRequest.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/HttpRequest.java
index 7bd99abc9c..588e4dd111 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/HttpRequest.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/HttpRequest.java
@@ -169,6 +169,19 @@ public class HttpRequest
     return username;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Method description
+   *
+   *
+   * @return
+   * 
+   * @since 1.14
+   */
+  public boolean isDecodeGZip()
+  {
+    return decodeGZip;
+  }
+
   //~--- set methods ----------------------------------------------------------
 
   /**
@@ -188,6 +201,22 @@ public class HttpRequest
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Method description
+   *
+   *
+   * @param decodeGZip
+   *
+   * @return
+   * 
+   * @since 1.14
+   */
+  public HttpRequest setDecodeGZip(boolean decodeGZip)
+  {
+    this.decodeGZip = decodeGZip;
+    return this;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Method description
    *
@@ -247,6 +276,9 @@ public class HttpRequest
 
   //~--- fields ---------------------------------------------------------------
 
+  /** Field description */
+  private boolean decodeGZip = false;
+
   /** Field description */
   private Map<String, List<String>> headers;
 
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/URLHttpClient.java b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/URLHttpClient.java
index 0c91afac1f..3fecc05d91 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/URLHttpClient.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/URLHttpClient.java
@@ -251,7 +251,8 @@ public class URLHttpClient implements HttpClient
   {
     String url = createGetUrl(request.getUrl(), request.getParameters());
 
-    return new URLHttpResponse(openConnection(request, url));
+    return new URLHttpResponse(openConnection(request, url),
+                               request.isDecodeGZip());
   }
 
   //~--- methods --------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/URLHttpResponse.java b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/URLHttpResponse.java
index a661a7b0df..8ecf9527b3 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/URLHttpResponse.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/net/URLHttpResponse.java
@@ -70,8 +70,21 @@ public class URLHttpResponse implements HttpResponse
    * @param connection
    */
   public URLHttpResponse(URLConnection connection)
+  {
+    this(connection, false);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Constructs ...
+   *
+   *
+   * @param connection
+   * @param decodeGZip
+   */
+  public URLHttpResponse(URLConnection connection, boolean decodeGZip)
   {
     this.connection = connection;
+    this.decodeGZip = decodeGZip;
   }
 
   //~--- methods --------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -114,7 +127,7 @@ public class URLHttpResponse implements HttpResponse
     String enc = connection.getContentEncoding();
     InputStream input = null;
 
-    if (Util.isNotEmpty(enc) && enc.contains(ENCODING_GZIP))
+    if (decodeGZip || (Util.isNotEmpty(enc) && enc.contains(ENCODING_GZIP)))
     {
       input = new GZIPInputStream(connection.getInputStream());
     }
@@ -215,8 +228,11 @@ public class URLHttpResponse implements HttpResponse
   //~--- fields ---------------------------------------------------------------
 
   /** Field description */
-  private boolean clientClose = false;
+  private URLConnection connection;
 
   /** Field description */
-  private URLConnection connection;
+  private boolean decodeGZip = false;
+
+  /** Field description */
+  private boolean clientClose = false;
 }