diff --git a/nexus/src/external_api/console_api.rs b/nexus/src/external_api/console_api.rs
index 818271c8cae..00ef172d1e7 100644
--- a/nexus/src/external_api/console_api.rs
+++ b/nexus/src/external_api/console_api.rs
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ fn with_gz_ext(path: Vec<String>) -> Vec<String> {
         return path;
     }
 
-    let mut new_path = path.clone();
+    let mut new_path = path;
     let last = new_path.pop().unwrap(); // we know there's one there
     new_path.push(format!("{last}.gz"));
     new_path
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ pub async fn asset(
     let path = path_params.into_inner().path;
 
     // bail unless the extension is allowed
-    let filename = path.last().ok_or(not_found("no path"))?;
+    let filename = path.last().ok_or_else(|| not_found("no path"))?;
     let ext = PathBuf::from(filename)
         .extension()
         .map(|ext| ext.to_os_string())
@@ -659,14 +659,21 @@ pub async fn asset(
         .console_config
         .static_dir
         .as_ref()
-        .ok_or(not_found("static_dir undefined"))?
+        .ok_or_else(|| not_found("static_dir undefined"))?
         .join("assets");
 
+    let request = &rqctx.request.lock().await;
+    let accept_encoding = request.headers().get(http::header::ACCEPT_ENCODING);
+
+    let accept_gz = accept_encoding.map_or(false, |val| {
+        val.to_str().map_or(false, |s| s.contains("gzip"))
+    });
+
     let path_gz = with_gz_ext(path.clone());
 
-    // try to find the gzipped version, fall back to non-gz
-    let (file, gzipped) = match find_file(path_gz, &assets_dir) {
-        Ok(file) => (file, true),
+    // try to find the gzipped version (if accepted), fall back to non-gz
+    let (file, gzipped) = match (accept_gz, find_file(path_gz, &assets_dir)) {
+        (true, Ok(gzipped_file)) => (gzipped_file, true),
         _ => (find_file(path, &assets_dir)?, false),
     };
 
diff --git a/nexus/tests/integration_tests/console_api.rs b/nexus/tests/integration_tests/console_api.rs
index a8fb90415fe..fdcf7e3fdf0 100644
--- a/nexus/tests/integration_tests/console_api.rs
+++ b/nexus/tests/integration_tests/console_api.rs
@@ -195,10 +195,32 @@ async fn test_assets(cptestctx: &ControlPlaneTestContext) {
         .expect("failed to get existing file");
 
     assert_eq!(resp.body, "hello there".as_bytes());
+    // make sure we're not including the gzip header on non-gzipped files
+    assert_eq!(resp.headers.get(http::header::CONTENT_ENCODING), None);
 
-    // file with existing gzipped version is returned
+    // file with only gzipped version 404s if request doesn't have accept-encoding: gzip
+    let _ = RequestBuilder::new(&testctx, Method::GET, "/assets/gzip-only.txt")
+        .expect_status(Some(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND))
+        .execute()
+        .await
+        .expect("failed to 404 on gzip file without accept-encoding: gzip");
+
+    // file with only gzipped version is returned if request accepts gzip
     let resp =
-        RequestBuilder::new(&testctx, Method::GET, "/assets/gzipped.txt")
+        RequestBuilder::new(&testctx, Method::GET, "/assets/gzip-only.txt")
+            .header(http::header::ACCEPT_ENCODING, "gzip")
+            .expect_status(Some(StatusCode::OK))
+            .expect_response_header(http::header::CONTENT_ENCODING, "gzip")
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .expect("failed to get existing file");
+
+    assert_eq!(resp.body, "nothing but gzip".as_bytes());
+
+    // file with both gzip and not returns gzipped if request accepts gzip
+    let resp =
+        RequestBuilder::new(&testctx, Method::GET, "/assets/gzip-and-not.txt")
+            .header(http::header::ACCEPT_ENCODING, "gzip")
             .expect_status(Some(StatusCode::OK))
             .expect_response_header(http::header::CONTENT_ENCODING, "gzip")
             .execute()
@@ -206,6 +228,18 @@ async fn test_assets(cptestctx: &ControlPlaneTestContext) {
             .expect("failed to get existing file");
 
     assert_eq!(resp.body, "pretend this is gzipped beep boop".as_bytes());
+
+    // returns non-gzipped if request doesn't accept gzip
+    let resp =
+        RequestBuilder::new(&testctx, Method::GET, "/assets/gzip-and-not.txt")
+            .expect_status(Some(StatusCode::OK))
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .expect("failed to get existing file");
+
+    assert_eq!(resp.body, "not gzipped but I know a guy".as_bytes());
+    // make sure we're not including the gzip header on non-gzipped files
+    assert_eq!(resp.headers.get(http::header::CONTENT_ENCODING), None);
 }
 
 #[tokio::test]
diff --git a/nexus/tests/static/assets/gzip-and-not.txt b/nexus/tests/static/assets/gzip-and-not.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d95fa1e9038
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nexus/tests/static/assets/gzip-and-not.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+not gzipped but I know a guy
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/nexus/tests/static/assets/gzipped.txt.gz b/nexus/tests/static/assets/gzip-and-not.txt.gz
similarity index 100%
rename from nexus/tests/static/assets/gzipped.txt.gz
rename to nexus/tests/static/assets/gzip-and-not.txt.gz
diff --git a/nexus/tests/static/assets/gzip-only.txt.gz b/nexus/tests/static/assets/gzip-only.txt.gz
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f3909518533
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nexus/tests/static/assets/gzip-only.txt.gz
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+nothing but gzip
\ No newline at end of file