diff --git a/stages/org.osbuild.qemu b/stages/org.osbuild.qemu
index 98a04f00..642b5146 100755
--- a/stages/org.osbuild.qemu
+++ b/stages/org.osbuild.qemu
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ SCHEMA_2 = r"""
         "type": "string",
         "enum": ["qcow2"]
       },
+      "compression": {
+        "description": "Enable/disable compression of the qcow2 image",
+        "type": "boolean",
+        "default": true
+      },
       "compat": {
         "description": "The qcow2-compatibility-version to use",
         "type": "string"
@@ -61,6 +66,11 @@ SCHEMA_2 = r"""
         "type": "string",
         "enum": ["vmdk"]
       },
+      "compression": {
+        "description": "Enable/disable compression of the vmdk image",
+        "type": "boolean",
+        "default": true
+      },
       "subformat": {
         "description": "VMDK flat extent format",
         "type": "string",
@@ -140,17 +150,26 @@ SCHEMA_2 = r"""
 
 
 def qcow2_arguments(options):
-    argv = ["-c"]
+    argv = []
+    compression = options.get("compression", True)
     compat = options.get("compat")
 
+    if compression:
+        argv += ["-c"]
+
     if compat:
         argv += ["-o", f"compat={compat}"]
     return argv
 
 
 def vmdk_arguments(options):
-    argv = ["-c"]
+    argv = []
+    compression = options.get("compression", True)
     subformat = options.get("subformat")
+
+    if compression:
+        argv += ["-c"]
+
     if subformat:
         argv += ["-o", f"subformat={subformat}"]
     return argv
diff --git a/test/data/manifests/fedora-coreos-container.json b/test/data/manifests/fedora-coreos-container.json
index 18cf87da..551c3e22 100644
--- a/test/data/manifests/fedora-coreos-container.json
+++ b/test/data/manifests/fedora-coreos-container.json
@@ -1267,6 +1267,7 @@
             "filename": "qemu.qcow2",
             "format": {
               "type": "qcow2",
+              "compression": false,
               "compat": "1.1"
             }
           }
diff --git a/test/data/manifests/fedora-coreos-container.mpp.yaml b/test/data/manifests/fedora-coreos-container.mpp.yaml
index 60ebe72f..a83bcd64 100644
--- a/test/data/manifests/fedora-coreos-container.mpp.yaml
+++ b/test/data/manifests/fedora-coreos-container.mpp.yaml
@@ -604,4 +604,5 @@ pipelines:
           filename: qemu.qcow2
           format:
             type: qcow2
+            compression: false
             compat: '1.1'