diff --git a/base/recordio.cc b/base/recordio.cc
index 611403b971..1f39c00485 100644
--- a/base/recordio.cc
+++ b/base/recordio.cc
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
+#include <string>
+#include <zlib.h>
+#include "base/logging.h"
 #include "base/recordio.h"
 
 namespace operations_research {
@@ -22,9 +25,40 @@ bool RecordWriter::Close() {
   return file_->Close();
 }
 
+std::string RecordWriter::Compress(std::string const& s) const {
+  const unsigned long source_size = s.size();
+  const char * source = s.c_str();
+
+  unsigned long dsize = source_size + (source_size * 0.1f) + 16;
+  char * const destination = new char[dsize];
+
+  const int result = compress((unsigned char *)destination,
+                              &dsize,
+                              (const unsigned char *)source,
+                              source_size);
+
+  if (result != Z_OK) {
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Compress error occured! Error code: " << result;
+  }
+  return std::string(destination, dsize);
+}
+
 RecordReader::RecordReader(File* const file) : file_(file) {}
 
 bool RecordReader::Close() {
   return file_->Close();
 }
+
+void RecordReader::Uncompress(const char* const source,
+                             unsigned long source_size,
+                             char* const output_buffer,
+                             unsigned long output_size) const {
+  const int result = uncompress((unsigned char *)output_buffer,
+                                &output_size,
+                                (const unsigned char *)source,
+                                source_size);
+  if(result != Z_OK) {
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Uncompress error occured! Error code: " << result;
+  }
+}
 }  // namespace operations_research
diff --git a/base/recordio.h b/base/recordio.h
index e796bc1edd..feede17697 100644
--- a/base/recordio.h
+++ b/base/recordio.h
@@ -28,18 +28,27 @@ class RecordWriter {
   static const int kMagicNumber;
 
   explicit RecordWriter(File* const file);
+
   template <class P> bool WriteProtocolMessage(const P& proto) {
-    std::string compressed_buffer;
-    proto.SerializeToString(&compressed_buffer);
-    const int size = compressed_buffer.length();
+    std::string uncompressed_buffer;
+    proto.SerializeToString(&uncompressed_buffer);
+    const unsigned long uncompressed_size = uncompressed_buffer.size();
+    const std::string compressed_buffer = Compress(uncompressed_buffer);
+    const unsigned long compressed_size = compressed_buffer.size();
     if (file_->Write(&kMagicNumber, sizeof(kMagicNumber)) !=
         sizeof(kMagicNumber)) {
       return false;
     }
-    if (file_->Write(&size, sizeof(size)) != sizeof(size)) {
+    if (file_->Write(&uncompressed_size, sizeof(uncompressed_size)) !=
+        sizeof(uncompressed_size)) {
       return false;
     }
-    if (file_->Write(compressed_buffer.c_str(), size) != size) {
+    if (file_->Write(&compressed_size, sizeof(compressed_size)) !=
+        sizeof(compressed_size)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (file_->Write(compressed_buffer.c_str(), compressed_size) !=
+        compressed_size) {
       return false;
     }
     return true;
@@ -48,6 +57,7 @@ class RecordWriter {
   bool Close();
 
  private:
+  std::string Compress(const std::string& input) const;
   File* const file_;
 };
 
@@ -55,8 +65,10 @@ class RecordWriter {
 class RecordReader {
  public:
   explicit RecordReader(File* const file);
+
   template <class P> bool ReadProtocolMessage(P* const proto) {
-    int size = 0;
+    unsigned long usize = 0;
+    unsigned long csize = 0;
     int magic_number = 0;
     if (file_->Read(&magic_number, sizeof(magic_number)) !=
         sizeof(magic_number)) {
@@ -65,21 +77,32 @@ class RecordReader {
     if (magic_number != RecordWriter::kMagicNumber) {
       return false;
     }
-    if (file_->Read(&size, sizeof(size)) != sizeof(size)) {
+    if (file_->Read(&usize, sizeof(usize)) != sizeof(usize)) {
       return false;
     }
-    scoped_array<char> buffer(new char[size + 1]);
-    if (file_->Read(buffer.get(), size) != size) {
+    if (file_->Read(&csize, sizeof(csize)) != sizeof(csize)) {
       return false;
     }
-    buffer[size] = 0;
-    proto->ParseFromArray(buffer.get(), size);
+    scoped_array<char> compressed_buffer(new char[csize + 1]);
+    if (file_->Read(compressed_buffer.get(), csize) != csize) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    compressed_buffer[csize] = '\0';
+    scoped_array<char> buffer(new char[usize + 1]);
+    Uncompress(compressed_buffer.get(), usize, buffer.get(), usize);
+    proto->ParseFromArray(buffer.get(), usize);
     return true;
   }
+
   // Closes the underlying file.
   bool Close();
 
  private:
+  void Uncompress(const char* const source,
+                  unsigned long source_size,
+                  char* const output_buffer,
+                  unsigned long output_size) const;
+
   File* const file_;
 };
 }  // namespace operations_research