diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 23c3ac15558..19d3687ecd3 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/philhofer/fwd v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/pires/go-proxyproto v0.0.0-20191211124218-517ecdf5bb2b
 	github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1
+	github.com/planetscale/pargzip v0.0.0-20201116224723-90c7fc03ea8a
 	github.com/prometheus/client_golang v1.4.1
 	github.com/prometheus/common v0.9.1
 	github.com/rcrowley/go-metrics v0.0.0-20200313005456-10cdbea86bc0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 8060aa7b6c0..02e7d15d91f 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -524,6 +524,8 @@ github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.1 h1:iURUrRGxPUNPdy5/HRSm+Yj6okJ6UtLINN0Q9M4+h3I=
 github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.1/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=
 github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1 h1:FEBLx1zS214owpjy7qsBeixbURkuhQAwrK5UwLGTwt4=
 github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=
+github.com/planetscale/pargzip v0.0.0-20201116224723-90c7fc03ea8a h1:y0OpQ4+5tKxeh9+H+2cVgASl9yMZYV9CILinKOiKafA=
+github.com/planetscale/pargzip v0.0.0-20201116224723-90c7fc03ea8a/go.mod h1:GJFUzQuXIoB2Kjn1ZfDhJr/42D5nWOqRcIQVgCxTuIE=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v0.0.0-20151028094244-d8ed2627bdf0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
diff --git a/go/vt/mysqlctl/builtinbackupengine.go b/go/vt/mysqlctl/builtinbackupengine.go
index a1db9af5107..b6ef3395441 100644
--- a/go/vt/mysqlctl/builtinbackupengine.go
+++ b/go/vt/mysqlctl/builtinbackupengine.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/klauspost/pgzip"
+	"github.com/planetscale/pargzip"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/mysql"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/sync2"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/concurrency"
@@ -407,13 +408,12 @@ func (be *BuiltinBackupEngine) backupFile(ctx context.Context, params BackupPara
 	}
 
 	// Create the gzip compression pipe, if necessary.
-	var gzip *pgzip.Writer
+	var gzip *pargzip.Writer
 	if *backupStorageCompress {
-		gzip, err = pgzip.NewWriterLevel(writer, pgzip.BestSpeed)
-		if err != nil {
-			return vterrors.Wrap(err, "cannot create gziper")
-		}
-		gzip.SetConcurrency(*backupCompressBlockSize, *backupCompressBlocks)
+		gzip = pargzip.NewWriter(writer)
+		gzip.ChunkSize = *backupCompressBlockSize
+		gzip.Parallel = *backupCompressBlocks
+		gzip.CompressionLevel = pargzip.BestSpeed
 		writer = gzip
 	}
 
diff --git a/go/vt/mysqlctl/xtrabackupengine.go b/go/vt/mysqlctl/xtrabackupengine.go
index 9da4d74369c..79b73163987 100644
--- a/go/vt/mysqlctl/xtrabackupengine.go
+++ b/go/vt/mysqlctl/xtrabackupengine.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/klauspost/pgzip"
+	"github.com/planetscale/pargzip"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/mysql"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/logutil"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/mysqlctl/backupstorage"
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@ func (be *XtrabackupEngine) backupFiles(ctx context.Context, params BackupParams
 
 	destWriters := []io.Writer{}
 	destBuffers := []*bufio.Writer{}
-	destCompressors := []*pgzip.Writer{}
+	destCompressors := []io.WriteCloser{}
 	for _, file := range destFiles {
 		buffer := bufio.NewWriterSize(file, writerBufferSize)
 		destBuffers = append(destBuffers, buffer)
@@ -277,11 +278,10 @@ func (be *XtrabackupEngine) backupFiles(ctx context.Context, params BackupParams
 
 		// Create the gzip compression pipe, if necessary.
 		if *backupStorageCompress {
-			compressor, err := pgzip.NewWriterLevel(writer, pgzip.BestSpeed)
-			if err != nil {
-				return replicationPosition, vterrors.Wrap(err, "cannot create gzip compressor")
-			}
-			compressor.SetConcurrency(*backupCompressBlockSize, *backupCompressBlocks)
+			compressor := pargzip.NewWriter(writer)
+			compressor.ChunkSize = *backupCompressBlockSize
+			compressor.Parallel = *backupCompressBlocks
+			compressor.CompressionLevel = pargzip.BestSpeed
 			writer = compressor
 			destCompressors = append(destCompressors, compressor)
 		}
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ func (be *XtrabackupEngine) extractFiles(ctx context.Context, logger logutil.Log
 	}()
 
 	srcReaders := []io.Reader{}
-	srcDecompressors := []*pgzip.Reader{}
+	srcDecompressors := []io.ReadCloser{}
 	for _, file := range srcFiles {
 		reader := io.Reader(file)
 
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ func copyToStripes(writers []io.Writer, reader io.Reader, blockSize int64) (writ
 	}
 
 	// Read blocks from source and round-robin them to destination writers.
-	// Since we put a buffer in front of the destination file, and pgzip has its
+	// Since we put a buffer in front of the destination file, and pargzip has its
 	// own buffer as well, we are writing into a buffer either way (whether a
 	// compressor is in the chain or not). That means these writes should not
 	// block often, so we shouldn't need separate goroutines here.