diff --git a/include/ircd/db/descriptor.h b/include/ircd/db/descriptor.h
index a99cc23a7..b2003a2a2 100644
--- a/include/ircd/db/descriptor.h
+++ b/include/ircd/db/descriptor.h
@@ -84,8 +84,9 @@ struct ircd::db::descriptor
 
 	/// Compression algorithm for this column. Empty string is equal to
 	/// kNoCompression. List is semicolon separated to allow fallbacks in
-	/// case the first algorithms are not supported.
-	std::string compression {"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"};
+	/// case the first algorithms are not supported. "default" will be
+	// replaced by the string in the ircd.db.compression.default conf item.
+	std::string compression {"default"};
 
 	/// User given compaction callback surface.
 	db::compactor compactor {};
diff --git a/ircd/db.cc b/ircd/db.cc
index d8c960a84..2eadce449 100644
--- a/ircd/db.cc
+++ b/ircd/db.cc
@@ -8947,14 +8947,33 @@ catch(const not_found &)
 // Misc
 //
 
+namespace ircd::db
+{
+	extern conf::item<std::string> compression_default;
+}
+
+decltype(ircd::db::compression_default)
+ircd::db::compression_default
+{
+	{ "name",     "ircd.db.compression.default"        },
+	{ "default",  "kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression" },
+};
+
 rocksdb::CompressionType
-ircd::db::find_supported_compression(const std::string &list)
+ircd::db::find_supported_compression(const std::string &input)
 {
 	rocksdb::CompressionType ret
 	{
 		rocksdb::kNoCompression
 	};
 
+	const auto &list
+	{
+		input == "default"?
+			string_view{compression_default}:
+			string_view{input}
+	};
+
 	tokens(list, ';', [&ret]
 	(const string_view &requested)
 	{
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_event_horizon.cc b/matrix/dbs_event_horizon.cc
index 5eb3580ee..c9da7f0ec 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_event_horizon.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_event_horizon.cc
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::event_horizon
 	size_t(event_horizon__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_event_idx.cc b/matrix/dbs_event_idx.cc
index 55867a817..44596ff3a 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_event_idx.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_event_idx.cc
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::event_idx
 	size_t(event_idx__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_event_json.cc b/matrix/dbs_event_json.cc
index 28b82664f..6ce3b8be7 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_event_json.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_event_json.cc
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::event_json
 	size_t(event_json__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_event_sender.cc b/matrix/dbs_event_sender.cc
index 845c50762..3a0a3eaac 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_event_sender.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_event_sender.cc
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::event_sender
 	size_t(event_sender__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_event_state.cc b/matrix/dbs_event_state.cc
index 465813bd3..df0abd45d 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_event_state.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_event_state.cc
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::event_state
 	size_t(event_state__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_event_type.cc b/matrix/dbs_event_type.cc
index 0535dbe25..0eb64606f 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_event_type.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_event_type.cc
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::event_type
 	size_t(event_type__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_room_joined.cc b/matrix/dbs_room_joined.cc
index 56bbbc50b..ed3d62d68 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_room_joined.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_room_joined.cc
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::room_joined
 	size_t(room_joined__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_room_state.cc b/matrix/dbs_room_state.cc
index 0be6023f7..b95110e46 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_room_state.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_room_state.cc
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::room_state
 	size_t(room_state__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_room_state_space.cc b/matrix/dbs_room_state_space.cc
index 44539893d..f46c22aef 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_room_state_space.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_room_state_space.cc
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::room_state_space
 	size_t(room_state_space__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},
diff --git a/matrix/dbs_room_type.cc b/matrix/dbs_room_type.cc
index 2c5f83566..8603e9034 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs_room_type.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs_room_type.cc
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::desc::room_type
 	size_t(room_type__meta_block__size),
 
 	// compression
-	"kLZ4Compression;kSnappyCompression"s,
+	"default"s,
 
 	// compactor
 	{},