diff --git a/src/pkg/http/response_test.go b/src/pkg/http/response_test.go
index 5e76bbb9e1..9e77c20c40 100644
--- a/src/pkg/http/response_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/http/response_test.go
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ package http
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
+	"compress/gzip"
+	"crypto/rand"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"reflect"
-	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -277,64 +279,100 @@ func TestReadResponse(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestReadResponseCloseInMiddle tests that for both chunked and unchunked responses,
-// if we close the Body while only partway through reading, the underlying reader
-// advanced to the end of the request.
+var readResponseCloseInMiddleTests = []struct {
+	chunked, compressed bool
+}{
+	{false, false},
+	{true, false},
+	{true, true},
+}
+
+// TestReadResponseCloseInMiddle tests that closing a body after
+// reading only part of its contents advances the read to the end of
+// the request, right up until the next request.
 func TestReadResponseCloseInMiddle(t *testing.T) {
-	for _, chunked := range []bool{false, true} {
+	for _, test := range readResponseCloseInMiddleTests {
+		fatalf := func(format string, args ...interface{}) {
+			args = append([]interface{}{test.chunked, test.compressed}, args...)
+			t.Fatalf("on test chunked=%v, compressed=%v: "+format, args...)
+		}
+		checkErr := func(err os.Error, msg string) {
+			if err == nil {
+				return
+			}
+			fatalf(msg+": %v", err)
+		}
 		var buf bytes.Buffer
 		buf.WriteString("HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\n")
-		if chunked {
-			buf.WriteString("Transfer-Encoding: chunked\r\n\r\n")
+		if test.chunked {
+			buf.WriteString("Transfer-Encoding: chunked\r\n")
 		} else {
-			buf.WriteString("Content-Length: 1000000\r\n\r\n")
+			buf.WriteString("Content-Length: 1000000\r\n")
 		}
-		chunk := strings.Repeat("x", 1000)
+		var wr io.Writer = &buf
+		if test.chunked {
+			wr = &chunkedWriter{wr}
+		}
+		if test.compressed {
+			buf.WriteString("Content-Encoding: gzip\r\n")
+			var err os.Error
+			wr, err = gzip.NewWriter(wr)
+			checkErr(err, "gzip.NewWriter")
+		}
+		buf.WriteString("\r\n")
+
+		chunk := bytes.Repeat([]byte{'x'}, 1000)
 		for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
-			if chunked {
-				buf.WriteString("03E8\r\n")
-				buf.WriteString(chunk)
-				buf.WriteString("\r\n")
-			} else {
-				buf.WriteString(chunk)
+			if test.compressed {
+				// Otherwise this compresses too well.
+				_, err := io.ReadFull(rand.Reader, chunk)
+				checkErr(err, "rand.Reader ReadFull")
 			}
+			wr.Write(chunk)
 		}
-		if chunked {
+		if test.compressed {
+			err := wr.(*gzip.Compressor).Close()
+			checkErr(err, "compressor close")
+		}
+		if test.chunked {
 			buf.WriteString("0\r\n\r\n")
 		}
 		buf.WriteString("Next Request Here")
+
 		bufr := bufio.NewReader(&buf)
 		resp, err := ReadResponse(bufr, "GET")
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("parse error for chunked=%v: %v", chunked, err)
-		}
-
+		checkErr(err, "ReadResponse")
 		expectedLength := int64(-1)
-		if !chunked {
+		if !test.chunked {
 			expectedLength = 1000000
 		}
 		if resp.ContentLength != expectedLength {
-			t.Fatalf("chunked=%v: expected response length %d, got %d", chunked, expectedLength, resp.ContentLength)
+			fatalf("expected response length %d, got %d", expectedLength, resp.ContentLength)
 		}
+		if resp.Body == nil {
+			fatalf("nil body")
+		}
+		if test.compressed {
+			gzReader, err := gzip.NewReader(resp.Body)
+			checkErr(err, "gzip.NewReader")
+			resp.Body = &readFirstCloseBoth{gzReader, resp.Body}
+		}
+
 		rbuf := make([]byte, 2500)
 		n, err := io.ReadFull(resp.Body, rbuf)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("ReadFull error for chunked=%v: %v", chunked, err)
-		}
+		checkErr(err, "2500 byte ReadFull")
 		if n != 2500 {
-			t.Fatalf("ReadFull only read %n bytes for chunked=%v", n, chunked)
+			fatalf("ReadFull only read %d bytes", n)
 		}
-		if !bytes.Equal(bytes.Repeat([]byte{'x'}, 2500), rbuf) {
-			t.Fatalf("ReadFull didn't read 2500 'x' for chunked=%v; got %q", chunked, string(rbuf))
+		if test.compressed == false && !bytes.Equal(bytes.Repeat([]byte{'x'}, 2500), rbuf) {
+			fatalf("ReadFull didn't read 2500 'x'; got %q", string(rbuf))
 		}
 		resp.Body.Close()
 
 		rest, err := ioutil.ReadAll(bufr)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("ReadAll error on remainder for chunked=%v: %v", chunked, err)
-		}
+		checkErr(err, "ReadAll on remainder")
 		if e, g := "Next Request Here", string(rest); e != g {
-			t.Fatalf("for chunked=%v remainder = %q, expected %q", chunked, g, e)
+			fatalf("for chunked=%v remainder = %q, expected %q", g, e)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/pkg/http/transport.go b/src/pkg/http/transport.go
index 98ac203b72..73a2c2191e 100644
--- a/src/pkg/http/transport.go
+++ b/src/pkg/http/transport.go
@@ -532,12 +532,13 @@ func (pc *persistConn) roundTrip(req *Request) (resp *Response, err os.Error) {
 		re.res.Header.Del("Content-Encoding")
 		re.res.Header.Del("Content-Length")
 		re.res.ContentLength = -1
-		gzReader, err := gzip.NewReader(re.res.Body)
+		esb := re.res.Body.(*bodyEOFSignal)
+		gzReader, err := gzip.NewReader(esb.body)
 		if err != nil {
 			pc.close()
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		re.res.Body = &readFirstCloseBoth{gzReader, re.res.Body}
+		esb.body = &readFirstCloseBoth{gzReader, esb.body}
 	}
 
 	return re.res, re.err
@@ -619,6 +620,7 @@ type readFirstCloseBoth struct {
 
 func (r *readFirstCloseBoth) Close() os.Error {
 	if err := r.ReadCloser.Close(); err != nil {
+		r.Closer.Close()
 		return err
 	}
 	if err := r.Closer.Close(); err != nil {
diff --git a/src/pkg/http/transport_test.go b/src/pkg/http/transport_test.go
index de3a351530..a32ac4c4f0 100644
--- a/src/pkg/http/transport_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/http/transport_test.go
@@ -9,11 +9,14 @@ package http_test
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"compress/gzip"
+	"crypto/rand"
 	"fmt"
 	. "http"
 	"http/httptest"
+	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -367,32 +370,80 @@ func TestTransportNilURL(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestTransportGzip(t *testing.T) {
 	const testString = "The test string aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
-	ts := httptest.NewServer(HandlerFunc(func(w ResponseWriter, r *Request) {
-		if g, e := r.Header.Get("Accept-Encoding"), "gzip"; g != e {
+	const nRandBytes = 1024 * 1024
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(HandlerFunc(func(rw ResponseWriter, req *Request) {
+		if g, e := req.Header.Get("Accept-Encoding"), "gzip"; g != e {
 			t.Errorf("Accept-Encoding = %q, want %q", g, e)
 		}
-		w.Header().Set("Content-Encoding", "gzip")
-		gz, _ := gzip.NewWriter(w)
-		defer gz.Close()
-		gz.Write([]byte(testString))
+		rw.Header().Set("Content-Encoding", "gzip")
 
+		var w io.Writer = rw
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		if req.FormValue("chunked") == "0" {
+			w = &buf
+			defer io.Copy(rw, &buf)
+			defer func() {
+				rw.Header().Set("Content-Length", strconv.Itoa(buf.Len()))
+			}()
+		}
+		gz, _ := gzip.NewWriter(w)
+		gz.Write([]byte(testString))
+		if req.FormValue("body") == "large" {
+			io.Copyn(gz, rand.Reader, nRandBytes)
+		}
+		gz.Close()
 	}))
 	defer ts.Close()
 
-	c := &Client{Transport: &Transport{}}
-	res, _, err := c.Get(ts.URL)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	if g, e := string(body), testString; g != e {
-		t.Fatalf("body = %q; want %q", g, e)
-	}
-	if g, e := res.Header.Get("Content-Encoding"), ""; g != e {
-		t.Fatalf("Content-Encoding = %q; want %q", g, e)
+	for _, chunked := range []string{"1", "0"} {
+		c := &Client{Transport: &Transport{}}
+
+		// First fetch something large, but only read some of it.
+		res, _, err := c.Get(ts.URL + "?body=large&chunked=" + chunked)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("large get: %v", err)
+		}
+		buf := make([]byte, len(testString))
+		n, err := io.ReadFull(res.Body, buf)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("partial read of large response: size=%d, %v", n, err)
+		}
+		if e, g := testString, string(buf); e != g {
+			t.Errorf("partial read got %q, expected %q", g, e)
+		}
+		res.Body.Close()
+		// Read on the body, even though it's closed
+		n, err = res.Body.Read(buf)
+		if n != 0 || err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("expected error post-closed large Read; got = %d, %v", n, err)
+		}
+
+		// Then something small.
+		res, _, err = c.Get(ts.URL + "?chunked=" + chunked)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(res.Body)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if g, e := string(body), testString; g != e {
+			t.Fatalf("body = %q; want %q", g, e)
+		}
+		if g, e := res.Header.Get("Content-Encoding"), ""; g != e {
+			t.Fatalf("Content-Encoding = %q; want %q", g, e)
+		}
+
+		// Read on the body after it's been fully read:
+		n, err = res.Body.Read(buf)
+		if n != 0 || err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("expected Read error after exhausted reads; got %d, %v", n, err)
+		}
+		res.Body.Close()
+		n, err = res.Body.Read(buf)
+		if n != 0 || err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("expected Read error after Close; got %d, %v", n, err)
+		}
 	}
 }