diff --git a/gzip.go b/gzip.go
index d2f616f..0bd54b0 100644
--- a/gzip.go
+++ b/gzip.go
@@ -335,8 +335,14 @@ func (h *handler) pool() *sync.Pool {
 }
 
 func (h *handler) shouldGzip(r *http.Request) bool {
-	if h.forceGzip {
-		return true
+	if h.config.shouldGzip != nil {
+		switch h.config.shouldGzip(r) {
+		case NegotiateGzip:
+		case SkipGzip:
+			return false
+		case ForceGzip:
+			return true
+		}
 	}
 
 	match := httputils.Negotiate(r.Header, "Accept-Encoding", "gzip")
@@ -419,7 +425,7 @@ type config struct {
 	level        int
 	minSize      int
 	contentTypes []string
-	forceGzip    bool
+	shouldGzip   func(*http.Request) ShouldGzipType
 }
 
 // Option customizes the behaviour of the gzip handler.
@@ -482,21 +488,40 @@ func ContentTypes(types []string) Option {
 	}
 }
 
-// ForceGzip makes the handler always return a gzipped
-// response and not consult the request's Accept-Encoding
+// ShouldGzip provides control over when the handler should
+// return a gzipped response. It allows handlers to implement
+// logic that doesn't consult the request's Accept-Encoding
 // header.
 //
 // By default, responses are only gzipped if the request's
 // Accept-Encoding header indicates gzip support.
 //
-// Note: ForceGzip does not affect MinSize or ContentTypes,
-// it simply ignores the Accept-Encoding header.
-var ForceGzip Option = forceGzip
-
-func forceGzip(c *config) {
-	c.forceGzip = true
+// Note: ShouldGzip does not affect MinSize or ContentTypes,
+// it simply provides control over negotiating gzip support.
+func ShouldGzip(fn func(*http.Request) ShouldGzipType) Option {
+	return func(c *config) {
+		c.shouldGzip = fn
+	}
 }
 
+// ShouldGzipType controls how the handler determines gzip
+// support.
+type ShouldGzipType int
+
+const (
+	// NegotiateGzip defers gzip negotiation to the
+	// request's Accept-Encoding header.
+	NegotiateGzip ShouldGzipType = iota
+
+	// SkipGzip skips gzipping the response.
+	SkipGzip
+
+	// ForceGzip ignores the request's Accept-Encoding
+	// header and always gzips the response.
+	// (See ShouldGzip note).
+	ForceGzip
+)
+
 type (
 	// Each of these structs is intentionally small (1 pointer wide) so
 	// as to fit inside an interface{} without causing an allocaction.
diff --git a/gzip_test.go b/gzip_test.go
index 8a712c2..1895383 100644
--- a/gzip_test.go
+++ b/gzip_test.go
@@ -681,18 +681,43 @@ func TestWrapper(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, Gzip(handler, MinSize(42)), Wrapper(MinSize(42))(handler))
 }
 
-func TestForceGzip(t *testing.T) {
-	handler := newTestHandler(testBody, ForceGzip)
+func TestShouldGzip(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		shouldGzip ShouldGzipType
+		advertise  bool
+		expect     bool
+	}{
+		{NegotiateGzip, false, false},
+		{NegotiateGzip, true, true},
+		{SkipGzip, false, false},
+		{SkipGzip, true, false},
+		{ForceGzip, false, true},
+		{ForceGzip, true, true},
+	} {
+		handler := newTestHandler(testBody, ShouldGzip(func(*http.Request) ShouldGzipType {
+			return tc.shouldGzip
+		}))
 
-	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/whatever", nil)
-	resp := httptest.NewRecorder()
-	handler.ServeHTTP(resp, req)
+		req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/whatever", nil)
+		if tc.advertise {
+			req.Header.Set("Accept-Encoding", "gzip")
+		}
 
-	res := resp.Result()
-	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, res.StatusCode)
-	assert.Equal(t, "gzip", res.Header.Get("Content-Encoding"))
-	assert.Equal(t, "Accept-Encoding", res.Header.Get("Vary"))
-	assert.Equal(t, gzipStrLevel(testBody, DefaultCompression), resp.Body.Bytes())
+		resp := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		handler.ServeHTTP(resp, req)
+
+		res := resp.Result()
+		assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, res.StatusCode, "%+v", tc)
+		assert.Equal(t, "Accept-Encoding", res.Header.Get("Vary"), "%+v", tc)
+
+		if tc.expect {
+			assert.Equal(t, "gzip", res.Header.Get("Content-Encoding"), "%+v", tc)
+			assert.Equal(t, gzipStrLevel(testBody, DefaultCompression), resp.Body.Bytes(), "%+v", tc)
+		} else {
+			assert.Equal(t, "", res.Header.Get("Content-Encoding"), "%+v", tc)
+			assert.Equal(t, testBody, resp.Body.String(), "%+v", tc)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------