diff --git a/crates/httpret/src/api1.rs b/crates/httpret/src/api1.rs
index 0a38618..eb17877 100644
--- a/crates/httpret/src/api1.rs
+++ b/crates/httpret/src/api1.rs
@@ -887,12 +887,7 @@ impl Api1EventsBinaryHandler {
             debug!("request body_data string: {}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&body_data));
         }
         let qu = match serde_json::from_slice::<Api1Query>(&body_data) {
-            Ok(mut qu) => {
-                if node_config.node_config.cluster.is_central_storage {
-                    qu.set_decompress(false);
-                }
-                qu
-            }
+            Ok(x) => x,
             Err(e) => {
                 error!("got body_data: {:?}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&body_data[..]));
                 error!("can not parse: {e}");
@@ -982,7 +977,8 @@ impl Api1EventsBinaryHandler {
                 // TODO carry those settings from the query again
                 settings,
                 DiskIoTune::default(),
-                qu.decompress(),
+                qu.decompress()
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|| ncc.node_config.cluster.decompress_default()),
                 qu.events_max().unwrap_or(u64::MAX),
                 reqctx.clone(),
                 ncc.clone(),
diff --git a/crates/items_2/src/eventfull.rs b/crates/items_2/src/eventfull.rs
index 9341c84..68f39af 100644
--- a/crates/items_2/src/eventfull.rs
+++ b/crates/items_2/src/eventfull.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use serde::Deserialize;
 use serde::Deserializer;
 use serde::Serialize;
 use serde::Serializer;
+use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
 use std::time::Instant;
 
@@ -284,18 +285,19 @@ impl EventFull {
         i: usize,
         _scalar_type: &ScalarType,
         shape: &Shape,
-    ) -> Result<Vec<u8>, DecompError> {
+    ) -> Result<Cow<[u8]>, DecompError> {
         if let Some(comp) = &self.comps[i] {
             match comp {
                 CompressionMethod::BitshuffleLZ4 => {
                     let type_size = self.scalar_types[i].bytes() as u32;
                     let ele_count = self.shapes[i].ele_count();
-                    decompress(&self.blobs[i], type_size, ele_count, shape.ele_count())
+                    let data = decompress(&self.blobs[i], type_size, ele_count, shape.ele_count())?;
+                    Ok(Cow::Owned(data))
                 }
             }
         } else {
-            // TODO use a Cow type.
-            Ok(self.blobs[i].clone())
+            let data = &self.blobs[i];
+            Ok(Cow::Borrowed(data.as_slice()))
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/netpod/src/netpod.rs b/crates/netpod/src/netpod.rs
index eb9672c..abef033 100644
--- a/crates/netpod/src/netpod.rs
+++ b/crates/netpod/src/netpod.rs
@@ -523,6 +523,16 @@ pub struct Cluster {
     pub cache_scylla: Option<ScyllaConfig>,
 }
 
+impl Cluster {
+    pub fn decompress_default(&self) -> bool {
+        if self.is_central_storage {
+            false
+        } else {
+            true
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct NodeConfig {
     pub name: String,
diff --git a/crates/netpod/src/query/api1.rs b/crates/netpod/src/query/api1.rs
index 19e4bec..7ade34c 100644
--- a/crates/netpod/src/query/api1.rs
+++ b/crates/netpod/src/query/api1.rs
@@ -231,8 +231,8 @@ pub struct Api1Query {
     // All following parameters are private and not to be used
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     file_io_buffer_size: Option<FileIoBufferSize>,
-    #[serde(default = "bool_true", skip_serializing_if = "bool_is_true")]
-    decompress: bool,
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    decompress: Option<bool>,
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     events_max: Option<u64>,
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ impl Api1Query {
             range,
             channels,
             timeout: None,
-            decompress: true,
+            decompress: None,
             events_max: None,
             file_io_buffer_size: None,
             io_queue_len: None,
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ impl Api1Query {
         &self.log_level
     }
 
-    pub fn decompress(&self) -> bool {
+    pub fn decompress(&self) -> Option<bool> {
         self.decompress
     }
 
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ impl Api1Query {
         self.events_max
     }
 
-    pub fn set_decompress(&mut self, v: bool) {
+    pub fn set_decompress(&mut self, v: Option<bool>) {
         self.decompress = v;
     }
 }