diff --git a/src/common/networking/networking.h b/src/common/networking/networking.h
index ca856e2e0..0a86d6c68 100644
--- a/src/common/networking/networking.h
+++ b/src/common/networking/networking.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ typedef struct FFNetworkingState {
 
     uint32_t timeout;
     bool ipv6;
-    bool compression;
+    bool compression; // if true, HTTP content compression will be enabled if supported
 } FFNetworkingState;
 
 const char* ffNetworkingSendHttpRequest(FFNetworkingState* state, const char* host, const char* path, const char* headers);
diff --git a/src/common/networking/networking_linux.c b/src/common/networking/networking_linux.c
index 1f3881ae4..1f9dc6fb3 100644
--- a/src/common/networking/networking_linux.c
+++ b/src/common/networking/networking_linux.c
@@ -283,22 +283,29 @@ const char* ffNetworkingSendHttpRequest(FFNetworkingState* state, const char* ho
 {
     FF_DEBUG("Preparing to send HTTP request: host=%s, path=%s", host, path);
 
-    // Initialize with compression disabled by default
-    state->compression = false;
-
-    #ifdef FF_HAVE_ZLIB
-    const char* zlibError = ffNetworkingLoadZlibLibrary();
-    // Only enable compression if zlib library is successfully loaded
-    if (zlibError == NULL)
+    if (state->compression)
     {
-        state->compression = true;
-        FF_DEBUG("Successfully loaded zlib library, compression enabled");
-    } else {
-        FF_DEBUG("Failed to load zlib library, compression disabled: %s", zlibError);
+        FF_DEBUG("Compression enabled, checking if zlib is available");
+
+        #ifdef FF_HAVE_ZLIB
+        const char* zlibError = ffNetworkingLoadZlibLibrary();
+        // Only enable compression if zlib library is successfully loaded
+        if (zlibError == NULL)
+        {
+            FF_DEBUG("Successfully loaded zlib library, compression enabled");
+        } else {
+            FF_DEBUG("Failed to load zlib library, compression disabled: %s", zlibError);
+            state->compression = false;
+        }
+        #else
+        FF_DEBUG("zlib not supported at build time, compression disabled");
+        state->compression = false;
+        #endif
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        FF_DEBUG("Compression disabled");
     }
-    #else
-    FF_DEBUG("zlib not supported at build time, compression disabled");
-    #endif
 
     const char* initResult = initNetworkingState(state, host, path, headers);
     if (initResult != NULL) {
diff --git a/src/common/networking/networking_windows.c b/src/common/networking/networking_windows.c
index 9a61b7353..3e353167d 100644
--- a/src/common/networking/networking_windows.c
+++ b/src/common/networking/networking_windows.c
@@ -49,22 +49,27 @@ const char* ffNetworkingSendHttpRequest(FFNetworkingState* state, const char* ho
 {
     FF_DEBUG("Preparing to send HTTP request: host=%s, path=%s", host, path);
 
-    // Initialize with compression disabled by default
-    state->compression = false;
-
-    #ifdef FF_HAVE_ZLIB
-    const char* zlibError = ffNetworkingLoadZlibLibrary();
-    // Only enable compression if zlib library is successfully loaded
-    if (zlibError == NULL)
+    if (state->compression)
     {
-        state->compression = true;
-        FF_DEBUG("Successfully loaded zlib library, compression enabled");
-    } else {
-        FF_DEBUG("Failed to load zlib library, compression disabled: %s", zlibError);
+        #ifdef FF_HAVE_ZLIB
+        const char* zlibError = ffNetworkingLoadZlibLibrary();
+        // Only enable compression if zlib library is successfully loaded
+        if (zlibError == NULL)
+        {
+            FF_DEBUG("Successfully loaded zlib library, compression enabled");
+        } else {
+            FF_DEBUG("Failed to load zlib library, compression disabled: %s", zlibError);
+            state->compression = false;
+        }
+        #else
+        FF_DEBUG("zlib not supported at build time, compression disabled");
+        state->compression = false;
+        #endif
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        FF_DEBUG("Compression disabled");
     }
-    #else
-    FF_DEBUG("zlib not supported at build time, compression disabled");
-    #endif
 
     static WSADATA wsaData;
     if (wsaData.wVersion == 0)
diff --git a/src/detection/publicip/publicip.c b/src/detection/publicip/publicip.c
index fd5bed232..1c952415b 100644
--- a/src/detection/publicip/publicip.c
+++ b/src/detection/publicip/publicip.c
@@ -19,7 +19,10 @@ void ffPreparePublicIp(FFPublicIpOptions* options)
     state->ipv6 = options->ipv6;
 
     if (options->url.length == 0)
+    {
+        state->compression = true;
         *status = ffNetworkingSendHttpRequest(state, options->ipv6 ? "v6.ipinfo.io" : "ipinfo.io", "/json", NULL);
+    }
     else
     {
         FF_STRBUF_AUTO_DESTROY host = ffStrbufCreateCopy(&options->url);