diff --git a/aiohttp/client_reqrep.py b/aiohttp/client_reqrep.py
index 3dacbecf3dc..5100c394ce7 100644
--- a/aiohttp/client_reqrep.py
+++ b/aiohttp/client_reqrep.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def __init__(self, method, url, *,
         self.update_headers(headers)
         self.update_auto_headers(skip_auto_headers)
         self.update_cookies(cookies)
-        self.update_content_encoding()
+        self.update_content_encoding(data)
         self.update_auth(auth)
 
         self.update_body_from_data(data, skip_auto_headers)
@@ -230,8 +230,11 @@ def update_cookies(self, cookies):
 
         self.headers[hdrs.COOKIE] = c.output(header='', sep=';').strip()
 
-    def update_content_encoding(self):
+    def update_content_encoding(self, data):
         """Set request content encoding."""
+        if not data:
+            return
+
         enc = self.headers.get(hdrs.CONTENT_ENCODING, '').lower()
         if enc:
             if self.compress is not False:
diff --git a/tests/test_client_request.py b/tests/test_client_request.py
index a4f41a66f55..c0782537d26 100644
--- a/tests/test_client_request.py
+++ b/tests/test_client_request.py
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ def test_bytes_data(self):
 
     @unittest.mock.patch('aiohttp.client_reqrep.aiohttp')
     def test_content_encoding(self, m_http):
-        req = ClientRequest('get', 'http://python.org/',
+        req = ClientRequest('get', 'http://python.org/', data='foo',
                             compress='deflate', loop=self.loop)
         resp = req.send(self.transport, self.protocol)
         self.assertEqual(req.headers['TRANSFER-ENCODING'], 'chunked')
@@ -538,10 +538,20 @@ def test_content_encoding(self, m_http):
         self.loop.run_until_complete(req.close())
         resp.close()
 
+    @unittest.mock.patch('aiohttp.client_reqrep.aiohttp')
+    def test_content_encoding_dont_set_headers_if_no_body(self, m_http):
+        req = ClientRequest('get', 'http://python.org/',
+                            compress='deflate', loop=self.loop)
+        resp = req.send(self.transport, self.protocol)
+        self.assertNotIn('TRANSFER-ENCODING', req.headers)
+        self.assertNotIn('CONTENT-ENCODING', req.headers)
+        self.loop.run_until_complete(req.close())
+        resp.close()
+
     @unittest.mock.patch('aiohttp.client_reqrep.aiohttp')
     def test_content_encoding_header(self, m_http):
         req = ClientRequest(
-            'get', 'http://python.org/',
+            'get', 'http://python.org/', data='foo',
             headers={'Content-Encoding': 'deflate'}, loop=self.loop)
         resp = req.send(self.transport, self.protocol)
         self.assertEqual(req.headers['TRANSFER-ENCODING'], 'chunked')