diff --git a/pkg/noun/jets/e/zlib.c b/pkg/noun/jets/e/zlib.c
index ecdb11a8e3..88b2849771 100644
--- a/pkg/noun/jets/e/zlib.c
+++ b/pkg/noun/jets/e/zlib.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include "noun.h"
 
 static void*
-gzip_malloc(voidpf opaque, uInt items, uInt size)
+zlib_malloc(voidpf opaque, uInt items, uInt size)
 {
   size_t len = items * size;
   void* result = u3a_malloc(len);
@@ -18,131 +18,203 @@ gzip_malloc(voidpf opaque, uInt items, uInt size)
 }
 
 static void
-gzip_free(voidpf opaque, voidpf address)
+zlib_free(voidpf opaque, voidpf address)
 {
   u3a_free(address);
 }
 
 u3_noun
-u3qe_gunzip(u3_noun zipped_octs)
+_decompress(u3_atom pos, u3_noun octs, int window_bits)
 {
-  u3_atom head = u3h(zipped_octs);
-  u3_atom tail = u3t(zipped_octs);
-  c3_w tel_w = u3r_met(3, tail);
-  c3_w hed_w;
-  if ( c3n == u3r_safe_word(head, &hed_w) ) {
-    return u3m_bail(c3__fail);
+  u3_atom p_octs = u3h(octs);
+  u3_atom q_octs = u3t(octs);
+
+  c3_w p_octs_w, pos_w;
+
+  if ( c3n == u3r_safe_word(p_octs, &p_octs_w) ) {
+    return u3_none;
+  }
+  if (c3n == u3r_safe_word(pos, &pos_w)) {
+    return u3_none;
   }
-  c3_c* input;
 
-  if (c3y == u3a_is_cat(tail)) {
-    input = &tail;
+  c3_w len_w = u3r_met(3, q_octs);
+
+  int leading_zeros = 0;
+
+  if (p_octs_w > len_w) {
+    leading_zeros = p_octs_w - len_w;
   }
   else {
-    u3a_atom* vat_u = u3a_to_ptr(tail);
-    input = (c3_y*)vat_u->buf_w;
+    len_w = p_octs_w;
+  }
+
+  // Bytestream exhausted
+  //
+  if (pos_w >= len_w) {
+    return u3_none;
   }
 
-  if ( tel_w > hed_w ) {
-    return u3m_error("subtract-underflow");
+  c3_y* input;
+
+  if (c3y == u3a_is_cat(q_octs)) {
+    input = (c3_y*)&q_octs + pos_w;
+  }
+  else {
+    u3a_atom* vat_u = u3a_to_ptr(q_octs);
+    input = (c3_y*)vat_u->buf_w + pos_w;
   }
 
   int ret;
   z_stream strm;
 
-  int leading_zeros = hed_w - tel_w;
-
-  if (leading_zeros > 0) {
-    strm.avail_in = hed_w - leading_zeros;
+  if (pos_w < len_w) {
+    strm.avail_in = (len_w - pos_w);
   }
   else {
-    strm.avail_in = hed_w;
+    strm.avail_in = 0;
   }
 
-  strm.zalloc = gzip_malloc;
-  strm.zfree = gzip_free;
+  strm.zalloc = zlib_malloc;
+  strm.zfree = zlib_free;
   strm.opaque = Z_NULL;
   strm.next_in = input;
 
-  ret = inflateInit2(&strm, 16);
-  if (ret != 0) {
+  ret = inflateInit2(&strm, window_bits);
+
+  if (ret != Z_OK) {
     u3l_log("%i", ret);
     u3l_log("%s", strm.msg);
     return u3m_bail(c3__exit);
   }
 
-  uint chunk = hed_w / 10;
-  strm.avail_out = 16384;
-  strm.next_out = u3a_malloc(16384);
+  c3_w chunk_w = len_w / 10;
+  u3i_slab sab_u;
+
+#define INIT_SZ 16384
+  strm.avail_out = INIT_SZ;
+  u3i_slab_init(&sab_u, 3, INIT_SZ);
+  strm.next_out = sab_u.buf_y;
 
   void* this_address = strm.next_out;
-  ret = inflate(&strm, Z_FINISH);
-
-  if (strm.total_in + leading_zeros == hed_w) {
-    int zero = 0;
-    strm.next_in = &zero;
-    for (int i=0; i<leading_zeros; i++) {
-      strm.avail_in = 1;
-      ret = inflate(&strm, Z_FINISH);
-    }
-  }
 
-  if (((ret > -5 && ret < 0) || ret == 2) || (strm.avail_in == 0 && ret == Z_BUF_ERROR)) {
-    u3l_log("%i", ret);
-    u3l_log("%s", strm.msg);
-    return u3m_bail(c3__exit);
-  }
+#define ZEROS_SZ 256
+  c3_y zeros[ZEROS_SZ];
 
-  while (strm.avail_in > 0) {
-    strm.avail_out = chunk;
+  if (leading_zeros) {
+    memset(zeros, 0, ZEROS_SZ);
+  }
 
-    this_address = u3a_realloc(this_address, (strm.total_out + chunk));
-    strm.next_out = this_address + strm.total_out;
+  while ((ret = inflate(&strm, Z_FINISH)) == Z_BUF_ERROR) {
 
-    ret = inflate(&strm, Z_FINISH);
+    // Output exhausted: reallocate
+    //
+    if (strm.avail_out == 0) {
+      strm.avail_out = chunk_w;
 
-    if ((ret > -5 && ret < 0) || ret == 2) {
-      u3l_log("%i", ret);
-      u3l_log("%s", strm.msg);
-      return u3m_bail(c3__exit);
+      u3i_slab_grow(&sab_u, 3, strm.total_out + chunk_w);
+      strm.next_out = sab_u.buf_y + strm.total_out;
     }
-  }
 
-  if (strm.total_in + leading_zeros == hed_w) {
-    int zero = 0;
-    strm.next_in = &zero;
-    for (int i=0; i<leading_zeros; i++) {
-      strm.avail_in = 1;
-      ret = inflate(&strm, Z_FINISH);
+    // Input exhausted: input leading zeros?
+    //
+    if (strm.avail_in == 0) {
+
+      if (leading_zeros) {
+        // Position in the stream exceeded atom bytes,
+        // but is still below stream length
+        //
+        if (strm.total_in + pos_w >= len_w
+            && strm.total_in + pos_w < p_octs_w) {
+
+          c3_w rem_w = p_octs_w - (strm.total_in + pos_w);
+          strm.next_in = zeros;
+
+          if (rem_w > ZEROS_SZ) {
+            strm.avail_in = ZEROS_SZ;
+          }
+          else {
+            strm.avail_in = rem_w;
+          }
+        }
+        else {
+          u3l_log("%i", ret);
+          u3l_log("%s", strm.msg);
+          inflateEnd(&strm);
+          return u3m_bail(c3__exit);
+        }
+      }
+      else {
+        u3l_log("%i", ret);
+        u3l_log("%s", strm.msg);
+        inflateEnd(&strm);
+        return u3m_bail(c3__exit);
+      }
     }
   }
-
-  if (ret < 0 || ret == 2) {
+  if (ret != Z_STREAM_END) {
     u3l_log("%i", ret);
     u3l_log("%s", strm.msg);
+    inflateEnd(&strm);
     return u3m_bail(c3__exit);
   }
-
-  u3_noun unzipped_octs = u3nc(strm.total_out, u3i_bytes(strm.total_out, this_address));
   ret = inflateEnd(&strm);
 
-  if (ret < 0 || ret == 2) {
+  if (ret != Z_OK) {
     u3l_log("%i", ret);
     u3l_log("%s", strm.msg);
     return u3m_bail(c3__exit);
   }
 
-  return unzipped_octs;
+  u3_noun decompressed_octs = u3nc(strm.total_out, u3i_slab_mint(&sab_u));
+  u3_noun new_pos = pos_w + strm.total_in;
+  u3_noun new_stream = u3nc(u3i_word(new_pos), u3k(octs));
+
+  return u3nc(decompressed_octs, new_stream);
+}
+
+u3_noun
+u3qe_decompress_gzip(u3_atom pos, u3_noun octs)
+{
+  return _decompress(pos, octs, 31);
+}
+u3_noun
+u3qe_decompress_zlib(u3_atom pos, u3_noun octs)
+{
+  return _decompress(pos, octs, 15);
+}
+
+u3_noun
+u3we_decompress_gzip(u3_noun cor)
+{
+  u3_atom pos;
+  u3_noun octs;
+
+  u3_noun a = u3r_at(u3x_sam, cor);
+  u3x_cell(a, &pos, &octs);
+
+  if(_(u3a_is_atom(pos)) && _(u3a_is_cell(octs))) {
+    return u3qe_decompress_gzip(pos, octs);
+  }
+
+  else {
+    return u3m_bail(c3__exit);
+  }
 }
 
 u3_noun
-u3we_gunzip(u3_noun cor)
+u3we_decompress_zlib(u3_noun cor)
 {
+  u3_atom pos;
+  u3_noun octs;
+
   u3_noun a = u3r_at(u3x_sam, cor);
+  u3x_cell(a, &pos, &octs);
 
-  if ( _(u3du(a)) ) {
-    return u3qe_gunzip(a);
+  if(_(u3a_is_atom(pos)) && _(u3a_is_cell(octs))) {
+    return u3qe_decompress_zlib(pos, octs);
   }
+
   else {
     return u3m_bail(c3__exit);
   }
diff --git a/pkg/noun/jets/q.h b/pkg/noun/jets/q.h
index bfbde8a0f0..4dabd4b2c1 100644
--- a/pkg/noun/jets/q.h
+++ b/pkg/noun/jets/q.h
@@ -211,7 +211,9 @@
     u3_noun u3qes_equ(u3_atom, u3_atom);
     u3_noun u3qes_gte(u3_atom, u3_atom);
     u3_noun u3qes_gth(u3_atom, u3_atom);
-    u3_noun u3qe_gunzip(u3_noun);
+
+    u3_noun  u3qe_decompress_zlib(u3_atom, u3_noun);
+    u3_noun  u3qe_decompress_gzip(u3_atom, u3_noun);
 
   /** Tier 6.
   **/
diff --git a/pkg/noun/jets/tree.c b/pkg/noun/jets/tree.c
index 2e0c3d1896..270a357cca 100644
--- a/pkg/noun/jets/tree.c
+++ b/pkg/noun/jets/tree.c
@@ -271,8 +271,12 @@ static c3_c* _140_hex_lune_ha[] = {
 };
 static u3j_harm _137_hex__crc32_a[] = {{".2", u3we_crc32}, {}};
 static u3j_core _137_hex__crc_d[] = {{"crc32", 7, _137_hex__crc32_a, 0, no_hashes }, {}};
-static u3j_harm _139_hex__gunzip_a[] = {{".2", u3we_gunzip}, {}};
-static u3j_core _139_hex__unzip_d[] = {{"gunzip", 7, _139_hex__gunzip_a, 0, no_hashes }, {}};
+static u3j_harm _139_hex__decompress_zlib_a[] = {{".2", u3we_decompress_zlib}, {}};
+static u3j_harm _139_hex__decompress_gzip_a[] = {{".2", u3we_decompress_gzip}, {}};
+static u3j_core _139_hex__zlib_d[] = {
+  {"decompress-zlib", 7, _139_hex__decompress_zlib_a, 0, no_hashes },
+  {"decompress-gzip", 7, _139_hex__decompress_gzip_a, 0, no_hashes },
+  {}};
 static u3j_harm _140_hex_coed__ed_puck_a[] = {{".2", u3wee_puck}, {}};
 static c3_c* _140_hex_coed__ed_puck_ha[] = {
   "1bc694675842345c50b0e20a2193bb5bcbb42f163fc832431a3d1822a81e4c98",
@@ -2349,9 +2353,9 @@ static u3j_core _138_hex_d[] =
   { "leer",  63, _140_hex_leer_a, 0, no_hashes },
   { "loss",  63, _140_hex_loss_a, 0, no_hashes },
   { "lune", 127, _140_hex_lune_a, 0, no_hashes },
-// XX move me to 137 when it exists
+  // XX move me to 137 when it exists
   { "crc", 31, 0, _137_hex__crc_d, no_hashes },
-  { "gzip", 31, 0, _139_hex__unzip_d, no_hashes },
+  { "zlib", 31, 0, _139_hex__zlib_d, no_hashes },
 
   { "coed", 63, 0, _140_hex_coed_d, no_hashes },
   { "aes",  31, 0, _140_hex_aes_d,  no_hashes },
diff --git a/pkg/noun/jets/w.h b/pkg/noun/jets/w.h
index 146074037f..de3c81b791 100644
--- a/pkg/noun/jets/w.h
+++ b/pkg/noun/jets/w.h
@@ -290,8 +290,10 @@
     u3_noun u3wes_equ(u3_noun);
     u3_noun u3wes_gte(u3_noun);
     u3_noun u3wes_gth(u3_noun);
+
     u3_noun u3we_crc32(u3_noun);
-    u3_noun u3we_gunzip(u3_noun);
+    u3_noun u3we_decompress_zlib(u3_noun);
+    u3_noun u3we_decompress_gzip(u3_noun);
 
   /** Tier 6.
   **/