diff --git a/cmd/thanos/query.go b/cmd/thanos/query.go
index 18203810644..64e9e64bcc3 100644
--- a/cmd/thanos/query.go
+++ b/cmd/thanos/query.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/discovery/targetgroup"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/model/labels"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/promql"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 
 	apiv1 "github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pkg/api/query"
 	"github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pkg/compact/downsample"
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pkg/discovery/dns"
 	"github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pkg/exemplars"
 	"github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pkg/extgrpc"
+	"github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pkg/extgrpc/snappy"
 	"github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pkg/extkingpin"
 	"github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pkg/extprom"
 	extpromhttp "github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pkg/extprom/http"
@@ -74,6 +76,8 @@ func registerQuery(app *extkingpin.App) {
 	key := cmd.Flag("grpc-client-tls-key", "TLS Key for the client's certificate").Default("").String()
 	caCert := cmd.Flag("grpc-client-tls-ca", "TLS CA Certificates to use to verify gRPC servers").Default("").String()
 	serverName := cmd.Flag("grpc-client-server-name", "Server name to verify the hostname on the returned gRPC certificates. See https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4366#section-3.1").Default("").String()
+	compressionOptions := strings.Join([]string{snappy.Name, compressionNone}, ", ")
+	grpcCompression := cmd.Flag("grpc-compression", "Compression algorithm to use for gRPC requests to other clients. Must be one of: "+compressionOptions).Default(compressionNone).Enum(snappy.Name, compressionNone)
 
 	webRoutePrefix := cmd.Flag("web.route-prefix", "Prefix for API and UI endpoints. This allows thanos UI to be served on a sub-path. Defaults to the value of --web.external-prefix. This option is analogous to --web.route-prefix of Prometheus.").Default("").String()
 	webExternalPrefix := cmd.Flag("web.external-prefix", "Static prefix for all HTML links and redirect URLs in the UI query web interface. Actual endpoints are still served on / or the web.route-prefix. This allows thanos UI to be served behind a reverse proxy that strips a URL sub-path.").Default("").String()
@@ -239,6 +243,7 @@ func registerQuery(app *extkingpin.App) {
 			*grpcKey,
 			*grpcClientCA,
 			*grpcMaxConnAge,
+			*grpcCompression,
 			*secure,
 			*skipVerify,
 			*cert,
@@ -308,6 +313,7 @@ func runQuery(
 	grpcKey string,
 	grpcClientCA string,
 	grpcMaxConnAge time.Duration,
+	grpcCompression string,
 	secure bool,
 	skipVerify bool,
 	cert string,
@@ -375,6 +381,9 @@ func runQuery(
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "building gRPC client")
 	}
+	if grpcCompression != compressionNone {
+		dialOpts = append(dialOpts, grpc.WithDefaultCallOptions(grpc.UseCompressor(grpcCompression)))
+	}
 
 	fileSDCache := cache.New()
 	dnsStoreProvider := dns.NewProvider(