diff --git a/storage/google/cloud/storage/blob.py b/storage/google/cloud/storage/blob.py
index 21d92acd955a..a02afea14a6b 100644
--- a/storage/google/cloud/storage/blob.py
+++ b/storage/google/cloud/storage/blob.py
@@ -482,8 +482,9 @@ def download_to_file(self, file_obj, client=None):
         """
         download_url = self._get_download_url()
         headers = _get_encryption_headers(self._encryption_key)
-        transport = self._get_transport(client)
+        headers['accept-encoding'] = 'gzip'
 
+        transport = self._get_transport(client)
         try:
             self._do_download(transport, file_obj, download_url, headers)
         except resumable_media.InvalidResponse as exc:
diff --git a/storage/tests/unit/test_blob.py b/storage/tests/unit/test_blob.py
index 9ce326d818c4..b1ee48a158e1 100644
--- a/storage/tests/unit/test_blob.py
+++ b/storage/tests/unit/test_blob.py
@@ -472,6 +472,7 @@ def _check_session_mocks(self, client, transport,
         #       **MUTABLE** headers and it was mutated before the
         #       second request.
         headers['range'] = 'bytes=3-5'
+        headers['accept-encoding'] = 'gzip'
         call = mock.call(
             'GET', expected_url, data=None, headers=headers)
         self.assertEqual(transport.request.mock_calls, [call, call])
@@ -557,7 +558,8 @@ def test_download_to_file_with_failure(self):
         self.assertEqual(file_obj.tell(), 0)
         # Check that the transport was called once.
         transport.request.assert_called_once_with(
-            'GET', blob.media_link, data=None, headers={}, stream=True)
+            'GET', blob.media_link, data=None,
+            headers={'accept-encoding': 'gzip'}, stream=True)
 
     def test_download_to_file_wo_media_link(self):
         blob_name = 'blob-name'
@@ -612,7 +614,8 @@ def _download_to_file_helper(self, use_chunks=False):
             self._check_session_mocks(client, transport, media_link)
         else:
             transport.request.assert_called_once_with(
-                'GET', media_link, data=None, headers={}, stream=True)
+                'GET', media_link, data=None,
+                headers={'accept-encoding': 'gzip'}, stream=True)
 
     def test_download_to_file_default(self):
         self._download_to_file_helper()
@@ -677,7 +680,8 @@ def test_download_to_filename_w_key(self):
                       'updated': '2014-12-06T13:13:50.690Z'}
         key = b'aa426195405adee2c8081bb9e7e74b19'
         blob = self._make_one(
-            blob_name, bucket=bucket, properties=properties, encryption_key=key)
+            blob_name, bucket=bucket, properties=properties,
+            encryption_key=key)
         # Modify the blob so there there will be 2 chunks of size 3.
         blob._CHUNK_SIZE_MULTIPLE = 1
         blob.chunk_size = 3
@@ -698,6 +702,7 @@ def test_download_to_filename_w_key(self):
             'X-Goog-Encryption-Key-Sha256': header_key_hash_value,
             'X-Goog-Encryption-Algorithm': 'AES256',
             'X-Goog-Encryption-Key': header_key_value,
+            'accept-encoding': 'gzip',
         }
         self._check_session_mocks(
             client, transport, media_link, headers=key_headers)
@@ -1522,8 +1527,8 @@ def test_set_iam_policy(self):
         self.assertEqual(len(sent['bindings']), len(BINDINGS))
         key = operator.itemgetter('role')
         for found, expected in zip(
-            sorted(sent['bindings'], key=key),
-            sorted(BINDINGS, key=key)):
+                sorted(sent['bindings'], key=key),
+                sorted(BINDINGS, key=key)):
             self.assertEqual(found['role'], expected['role'])
             self.assertEqual(
                 sorted(found['members']), sorted(expected['members']))