diff --git a/server/fishtest/api.py b/server/fishtest/api.py
index 9787c45904..25c6c9ec0a 100644
--- a/server/fishtest/api.py
+++ b/server/fishtest/api.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     HTTPUnauthorized,
     exception_response,
 )
-from pyramid.response import Response
+from pyramid.response import FileIter, Response
 from pyramid.view import exception_view_config, view_config, view_defaults
 from vtjson import ValidationError, validate
 
@@ -532,19 +532,18 @@ def download_pgn(self):
 
     @view_config(route_name="api_download_run_pgns")
     def download_run_pgns(self):
-        tar_name = self.request.matchdict["id"]
-        match = re.match(r"^([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\.pgns\.tar$", tar_name)
+        pgns_name = self.request.matchdict["id"]
+        match = re.match(r"^([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\.pgn\.gz$", pgns_name)
         if not match:
             return Response("Invalid filename format", status=400)
         run_id = match.group(1)
-        pgns_zip = self.request.rundb.get_run_pgns(run_id)
-        if pgns_zip is None:
+        pgns_reader = self.request.rundb.get_run_pgns(run_id)
+        if pgns_reader is None:
             return Response("No data found", status=404)
-        zip_buffer = io.BytesIO(pgns_zip)
-        response = Response(content_type="application/x-tar")
-        response.app_iter = zip_buffer
-        response.content_length = zip_buffer.getbuffer().nbytes
-        response.headers["Content-Disposition"] = f'attachment; filename="{tar_name}"'
+        response = Response(content_type="application/gzip")
+        response.app_iter = FileIter(pgns_reader)
+        response.headers["Content-Disposition"] = f'attachment; filename="{pgns_name}"'
+        response.headers["Content-Encoding"] = "gzip"
         return response
 
     @view_config(route_name="api_download_nn")
diff --git a/server/fishtest/rundb.py b/server/fishtest/rundb.py
index b9ed94b506..33a89b78b0 100644
--- a/server/fishtest/rundb.py
+++ b/server/fishtest/rundb.py
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 import configparser
 import copy
-import io
 import math
 import os
 import random
 import re
 import signal
 import sys
-import tarfile
 import textwrap
 import threading
 import time
@@ -22,6 +20,7 @@
 from fishtest.stats.stat_util import SPRT_elo
 from fishtest.userdb import UserDb
 from fishtest.util import (
+    GeneratorAsFileReader,
     crash_or_time,
     estimate_game_duration,
     format_bounds,
@@ -269,18 +268,10 @@ def get_pgn(self, run_id):
 
     def get_run_pgns(self, run_id):
         pgns = self.pgndb.find({"run_id": {"$regex": f"^{run_id}"}})
-        if pgns:
-            with io.BytesIO() as tar_buffer:
-                with tarfile.open(fileobj=tar_buffer, mode="w") as tarf:
-                    for pgn in pgns:
-                        pgn_zip = pgn["pgn_zip"]
-                        tarinfo = tarfile.TarInfo(f"{pgn['run_id']}.pgn.gz")
-                        tarinfo.size = len(pgn_zip)
-                        # Extract and convert the 4 bytes starting at index 4
-                        tarinfo.mtime = int.from_bytes(pgn_zip[4:8], byteorder="little")
-                        tarf.addfile(tarinfo, io.BytesIO(pgn_zip))
-                pgns_tar = tar_buffer.getvalue()
-            return pgns_tar
+        if pgns is not None:
+            # Create a generator that yields each pgn.gz file
+            pgn_generator = (pgn["pgn_zip"] for pgn in pgns)
+            return GeneratorAsFileReader(pgn_generator)
         return None
 
     def write_nn(self, net):
diff --git a/server/fishtest/util.py b/server/fishtest/util.py
index 730316b96e..b7ea591af4 100644
--- a/server/fishtest/util.py
+++ b/server/fishtest/util.py
@@ -15,6 +15,24 @@
 FISH_URL = "https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/"
 
 
+class GeneratorAsFileReader:
+    def __init__(self, generator):
+        self.generator = generator
+        self.buffer = b""
+
+    def read(self, size=-1):
+        while size < 0 or len(self.buffer) < size:
+            try:
+                self.buffer += next(self.generator)
+            except StopIteration:
+                break
+        result, self.buffer = self.buffer[:size], self.buffer[size:]
+        return result
+
+    def close(self):
+        pass  # No cleanup needed, but method is required
+
+
 def hex_print(s):
     return hashlib.md5(str(s).encode("utf-8")).digest().hex()