diff --git a/Ghidra/Framework/DB/src/main/java/db/buffers/DataBuffer.java b/Ghidra/Framework/DB/src/main/java/db/buffers/DataBuffer.java
index 1c24959c40..9009fbdeb4 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Framework/DB/src/main/java/db/buffers/DataBuffer.java
+++ b/Ghidra/Framework/DB/src/main/java/db/buffers/DataBuffer.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public class DataBuffer implements Buffer, Externalizable {
 		"db.buffers.DataBuffer.compressedOutput";
 
 	private static boolean enableCompressedSerializationOutput =
-		Boolean.parseBoolean(System.getProperty(COMPRESSED_SERIAL_OUTPUT_PROPERTY, "false"));
+		Boolean.parseBoolean(System.getProperty(COMPRESSED_SERIAL_OUTPUT_PROPERTY, "true"));
 
 	public static void enableCompressedSerializationOutput(boolean enable) {
 		System.setProperty(COMPRESSED_SERIAL_OUTPUT_PROPERTY, Boolean.toString(enable));
diff --git a/Ghidra/Framework/DB/src/test/java/db/buffers/DataBufferTest.java b/Ghidra/Framework/DB/src/test/java/db/buffers/DataBufferTest.java
index 21c4a800d9..901ed1dbbf 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Framework/DB/src/test/java/db/buffers/DataBufferTest.java
+++ b/Ghidra/Framework/DB/src/test/java/db/buffers/DataBufferTest.java
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
  * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- * 
+ *
  *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- * 
+ *
  * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
  * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
  * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
@@ -15,12 +15,13 @@
  */
 package db.buffers;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 import java.io.*;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Random;
 
+import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import generic.test.AbstractGenericTest;
@@ -35,6 +36,12 @@ public class DataBufferTest extends AbstractGenericTest {
 		super();
 	}
 
+	@After
+	public void tearDown() throws Exception {
+		// restore default compression: enabled
+		DataBuffer.enableCompressedSerializationOutput(true);
+	}
+
 	private void transferData(boolean useRandomFill) throws Exception {
 
 		for (int k = 0; k < 20; k++) {
diff --git a/Ghidra/Framework/Project/src/main/java/ghidra/framework/main/FrontEndTool.java b/Ghidra/Framework/Project/src/main/java/ghidra/framework/main/FrontEndTool.java
index 37316477e3..ea8425f5c0 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Framework/Project/src/main/java/ghidra/framework/main/FrontEndTool.java
+++ b/Ghidra/Framework/Project/src/main/java/ghidra/framework/main/FrontEndTool.java
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ public class FrontEndTool extends PluginTool implements OptionsChangeListener {
 	private static final String SHOW_TOOLTIPS_OPTION_NAME = "Show Tooltips";
 	private static final String BLINKING_CURSORS_OPTION_NAME = "Allow Blinking Cursors";
 
-	// TODO: Experimental Option !!
 	private static final String ENABLE_COMPRESSED_DATABUFFER_OUTPUT =
 		"Use DataBuffer Output Compression";
+	private static final Boolean ENABLE_COMPRESSED_DATABUFFER_OUTPUT_DEFAULT = true;
 
 	private static final String RESTORE_PREVIOUS_PROJECT_NAME = "Restore Previous Project";
 	private boolean shouldRestorePreviousProject;
@@ -356,7 +356,8 @@ public class FrontEndTool extends PluginTool implements OptionsChangeListener {
 
 		options.registerOption(SHOW_TOOLTIPS_OPTION_NAME, true, help,
 			"Controls the display of tooltip popup windows.");
-		options.registerOption(ENABLE_COMPRESSED_DATABUFFER_OUTPUT, false, help,
+		options.registerOption(ENABLE_COMPRESSED_DATABUFFER_OUTPUT,
+			ENABLE_COMPRESSED_DATABUFFER_OUTPUT_DEFAULT, help,
 			"When enabled data buffers sent to Ghidra Server are compressed (see server " +
 				"configuration for other direction)");
 
@@ -381,7 +382,8 @@ public class FrontEndTool extends PluginTool implements OptionsChangeListener {
 		DockingUtils.setGlobalTooltipEnabledOption(showToolTips);
 
 		boolean compressDataBuffers =
-			options.getBoolean(ENABLE_COMPRESSED_DATABUFFER_OUTPUT, false);
+			options.getBoolean(ENABLE_COMPRESSED_DATABUFFER_OUTPUT,
+				ENABLE_COMPRESSED_DATABUFFER_OUTPUT_DEFAULT);
 		DataBuffer.enableCompressedSerializationOutput(compressDataBuffers);
 
 		shouldRestorePreviousProject = options.getBoolean(RESTORE_PREVIOUS_PROJECT_NAME, true);