diff --git a/actions/pack_action.go b/actions/pack_action.go
index 0e869c63..fbe9a10b 100644
--- a/actions/pack_action.go
+++ b/actions/pack_action.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
+	"os/exec"
 
 	"github.com/go-debos/debos"
 )
@@ -68,11 +69,29 @@ func (pf *PackAction) Verify(context *debos.DebosContext) error {
 
 func (pf *PackAction) Run(context *debos.DebosContext) error {
 	pf.LogStart()
+	usePigz := false
+	if pf.Compression == "gz" {
+		if _,err := exec.LookPath("pigz"); err == nil {
+			usePigz = true
+		}
+	}
 	outfile := path.Join(context.Artifactdir, pf.File)
 
-	var tarOpt = "cf" + tarOpts[pf.Compression]
+	command := []string{"tar"}
+	if usePigz == true {
+		command = append(command, "cf")
+	} else {
+		command = append(command, "cf" + tarOpts[pf.Compression])
+	}
+	command = append(command, outfile)
+	command = append(command, "--xattrs")
+	command = append(command, "--xattrs-include=*.*")
+	if usePigz == true {
+		command = append(command, "--use-compress-program=pigz")
+	}
+	command = append(command, "-C", context.Rootdir)
+	command = append(command, ".")
+
 	log.Printf("Compressing to %s\n", outfile)
-	return debos.Command{}.Run("Packing", "tar", tarOpt, outfile,
-		"--xattrs", "--xattrs-include=*.*",
-		"-C", context.Rootdir, ".")
+	return debos.Command{}.Run("Packing", command...)
 }
diff --git a/archiver.go b/archiver.go
index c54f89c0..5844df5d 100644
--- a/archiver.go
+++ b/archiver.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"os/exec"
 )
 
 type ArchiveType int
@@ -92,6 +93,12 @@ func tarOptions(compression string) string {
 
 func (tar *ArchiveTar) Unpack(destination string) error {
 	command := []string{"tar"}
+	usePigz := false
+	if compression, ok := tar.options["tarcompression"]; ok && compression == "gz" {
+		if _, err := exec.LookPath("pigz"); err == nil {
+			usePigz = true
+		}
+	}
 	if options, ok := tar.options["taroptions"].([]string); ok {
 		for _, option := range options {
 			command = append(command, option)
@@ -104,7 +111,11 @@ func (tar *ArchiveTar) Unpack(destination string) error {
 
 	if compression, ok := tar.options["tarcompression"]; ok {
 		if unpackTarOpt := tarOptions(compression.(string)); len(unpackTarOpt) > 0 {
-			command = append(command, unpackTarOpt)
+			if usePigz == true {
+				command = append(command, "--use-compress-program=pigz")
+			} else {
+				command = append(command, unpackTarOpt)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	command = append(command, "-f", tar.file)