diff --git a/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py b/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py
index 2572d17d8469ba4ae30b08d0e9cd7ea2cb40b69e..e622d7ff63cbd7300436b577f66c94cc752e0764 100644
--- a/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py
+++ b/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ def variable_tag_func_mod1(master, case_id_short=False):
 def launch_dlcs_excel(sim_id, silent=False, verbose=False, pbs_turb=False,
                       runmethod=None, write_htc=True, zipchunks=False,
                       walltime='04:00:00', postpro_node=False,
-                      dlcs_dir='htc/DLCs'):
+                      dlcs_dir='htc/DLCs', compress=False):
     """
     Launch load cases defined in Excel files
     """
@@ -346,10 +346,10 @@ def launch_dlcs_excel(sim_id, silent=False, verbose=False, pbs_turb=False,
         sorts_on = ['[DLC]', '[Windspeed]']
         create_chunks_htc_pbs(cases, sort_by_values=sorts_on, ppn=20,
                               nr_procs_series=3, walltime='20:00:00',
-                              chunks_dir='zip-chunks-jess')
+                              chunks_dir='zip-chunks-jess', compress=compress)
         create_chunks_htc_pbs(cases, sort_by_values=sorts_on, ppn=12,
                               nr_procs_series=3, walltime='20:00:00',
-                              chunks_dir='zip-chunks-gorm')
+                              chunks_dir='zip-chunks-gorm', compress=compress)
 
     df = sim.Cases(cases).cases2df()
     df.to_excel(os.path.join(POST_DIR, sim_id + '.xls'))
@@ -617,6 +617,9 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     parser.add_argument('--zipchunks', default=False, action='store_true',
                         dest='zipchunks', help='Create PBS launch files for'
                         'running in zip-chunk find+xargs mode.')
+    parser.add_argument('--compress', default=False, action='store_true',
+                        dest='compress', help='When running in zip-chunk mode,'
+                        'compress log and results files into chunks.')
     parser.add_argument('--pbs_turb', default=False, action='store_true',
                         dest='pbs_turb', help='Create PBS launch files to '
                         'create the turbulence boxes in stand alone mode '
@@ -694,7 +697,8 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         launch_dlcs_excel(sim_id, silent=False, zipchunks=opt.zipchunks,
                           pbs_turb=opt.pbs_turb, walltime=opt.walltime,
                           postpro_node=opt.postpro_node, runmethod=RUNMETHOD,
-                          dlcs_dir=os.path.join(P_SOURCE, 'htc', 'DLCs'))
+                          dlcs_dir=os.path.join(P_SOURCE, 'htc', 'DLCs'),
+                          compress=opt.compress)
     # post processing: check log files, calculate statistics
     if opt.check_logs or opt.stats or opt.fatigue or opt.envelopeblade \
         or opt.envelopeturbine or opt.AEP:
diff --git a/wetb/prepost/simchunks.py b/wetb/prepost/simchunks.py
index 7c224d4a7d8c91ba4c983d2e105212a25257259e..b06f923c234eb5bfb8745fff78058cdca155b736 100644
--- a/wetb/prepost/simchunks.py
+++ b/wetb/prepost/simchunks.py
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ from wetb.prepost.Simulations import Cases
 
 def create_chunks_htc_pbs(cases, sort_by_values=['[Windspeed]'], ppn=20, i0=0,
                           nr_procs_series=9, queue='workq', pyenv='wetb_py3',
-                          walltime='24:00:00', chunks_dir='zip-chunks-jess'):
+                          walltime='24:00:00', chunks_dir='zip-chunks-jess',
+                          compress=False):
     """Group a large number of simulations htc and pbs launch scripts into
     different zip files so we can run them with find+xargs on various nodes.
     """
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ def create_chunks_htc_pbs(cases, sort_by_values=['[Windspeed]'], ppn=20, i0=0,
 
 """
 
-    def make_pbs_chunks(df, ii, sim_id, run_dir, model_zip):
+    def make_pbs_chunks(df, ii, sim_id, run_dir, model_zip, compress=False):
         """Create a PBS that:
             * copies all required files (zip chunk) to scratch disk
             * copies all required turbulence files to scratch disk
@@ -315,25 +316,25 @@ def create_chunks_htc_pbs(cases, sort_by_values=['[Windspeed]'], ppn=20, i0=0,
         rpl = (os.path.join(pbs_in_base, '*'), os.path.join(htc_base, '*'))
         pbs += 'find \n'
 
-        # compress all result files into an archive, first *.sel files
-        # FIXME: why doesn this work with -name "*.sel" -o -name "*.dat"??
-        pbs += '\necho "move results into compressed archive"\n'
-        pbs += 'find %s -name "*.sel" -print0 ' % res_base
-        fname = os.path.join(res_base, 'resfiles_chnk_%05i' % ii)
-        pbs += '| xargs -0 tar --remove-files -rf %s.tar\n' % fname
-        # now add the *.dat files to the archive
-        pbs += 'find %s -name "*.dat" -print0 ' % res_base
-        fname = os.path.join(res_base, 'resfiles_chnk_%05i' % ii)
-        pbs += '| xargs -0 tar --remove-files -rf %s.tar\n' % fname
-
-        pbs += 'xz -z2 -T %i %s.tar\n' % (ppn, fname)
-
-        # compress all logfiles into an archive
-        pbs += '\necho "move logfiles into compressed archive"\n'
-        pbs += 'find %s -name "*.log" -print0 ' % log_base
-        fname = os.path.join(log_base, 'logfiles_chnk_%05i' % ii)
-        pbs += '| xargs -0 tar --remove-files -rf %s.tar\n' % fname
-        pbs += 'xz -z2 -T %i %s.tar\n' % (ppn, fname)
+        if compress:
+            # compress all result files into an archive, first *.sel files
+            # FIXME: why doesn this work with -name "*.sel" -o -name "*.dat"??
+            pbs += '\necho "move results into compressed archive"\n'
+            pbs += 'find %s -name "*.sel" -print0 ' % res_base
+            fname = os.path.join(res_base, 'resfiles_chnk_%05i' % ii)
+            pbs += '| xargs -0 tar --remove-files -rf %s.tar\n' % fname
+            # now add the *.dat files to the archive
+            pbs += 'find %s -name "*.dat" -print0 ' % res_base
+            fname = os.path.join(res_base, 'resfiles_chnk_%05i' % ii)
+            pbs += '| xargs -0 tar --remove-files -rf %s.tar\n' % fname
+            pbs += 'xz -z2 -T %i %s.tar\n' % (ppn, fname)
+
+            # compress all logfiles into an archive
+            pbs += '\necho "move logfiles into compressed archive"\n'
+            pbs += 'find %s -name "*.log" -print0 ' % log_base
+            fname = os.path.join(log_base, 'logfiles_chnk_%05i' % ii)
+            pbs += '| xargs -0 tar --remove-files -rf %s.tar\n' % fname
+            pbs += 'xz -z2 -T %i %s.tar\n' % (ppn, fname)
 
         # compress all post-processing results (saved as csv's) into an archive
         pbs += '\necho "move statsdel into compressed archive"\n'
@@ -411,7 +412,8 @@ def create_chunks_htc_pbs(cases, sort_by_values=['[Windspeed]'], ppn=20, i0=0,
     df_ind.index.name = '[case_id]'
     for ii, dfi in enumerate(df_iter):
         fname, ind = make_zip_chunks(dfi, i0+ii, sim_id, run_dir, model_zip)
-        make_pbs_chunks(dfi, i0+ii, sim_id, run_dir, model_zip)
+        make_pbs_chunks(dfi, i0+ii, sim_id, run_dir, model_zip,
+                        compress=compress)
         df_ind = df_ind.append(ind)
         print(fname)