diff --git a/docs/docs/api/Interceptors.md b/docs/docs/api/Interceptors.md
index c692442d7f0..34bdd2eca8f 100644
--- a/docs/docs/api/Interceptors.md
+++ b/docs/docs/api/Interceptors.md
@@ -198,7 +198,8 @@ const agent = new Agent().compose(
 ## `interceptors.decompress([opts])`
 
 Automatically decompresses response bodies encoded with `gzip`, `x-gzip`,
-`br` (Brotli), `deflate`, `compress`, `x-compress`, or `zstd`.
+`br` (Brotli), `deflate`, or `zstd`. Any other coding, including `compress`
+and `x-compress`, is left untouched, matching `fetch()`.
 
 > **Experimental:** This interceptor is experimental and subject to change.
 > A one-time `ExperimentalWarning` is emitted on first use.
diff --git a/lib/interceptor/decompress.js b/lib/interceptor/decompress.js
index c675de4197c..88f48f2199d 100644
--- a/lib/interceptor/decompress.js
+++ b/lib/interceptor/decompress.js
@@ -8,14 +8,16 @@ const DecoratorHandler = require('../handler/decorator-handler')
 /** @typedef {import('node:stream').Transform} Controller */
 /** @typedef {Transform&import('node:zlib').Zlib} DecompressorStream */
 
+// `compress` and `x-compress` are deliberately absent. RFC 9110 section
+// 8.4.1.1 defines them as the UNIX compress (LZW) format, which zlib cannot
+// read, so inflating them turns a readable response into a Z_DATA_ERROR.
+// fetch() leaves them alone, and so does this interceptor.
 /** @type {Record<string, () => DecompressorStream>} */
 const supportedEncodings = {
   gzip: createGunzip,
   'x-gzip': createGunzip,
   br: createBrotliDecompress,
   deflate: createInflate,
-  compress: createInflate,
-  'x-compress': createInflate,
   zstd: createZstdDecompress
 }
 
diff --git a/test/interceptors/decompress.js b/test/interceptors/decompress.js
index ea6af870047..05e47a3581f 100644
--- a/test/interceptors/decompress.js
+++ b/test/interceptors/decompress.js
@@ -1206,3 +1206,51 @@ test('should work with global dispatcher for both fetch() and request()', async
 
   await t.completed
 })
+
+test('should pass through a compress-encoded response instead of inflating it', async t => {
+  t = tspl(t, { plan: 3 })
+
+  const net = require('node:net')
+
+  // Content-Encoding: compress is the UNIX compress (LZW) format per RFC 9110
+  // section 8.4.1.1, not zlib, so this body is not inflatable.
+  const payload = Buffer.from('this body is not deflate data')
+
+  const server = net.createServer(socket => {
+    socket.once('data', () => {
+      socket.write(
+        'HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\n' +
+        'Content-Type: text/plain\r\n' +
+        'Content-Encoding: compress\r\n' +
+        `Content-Length: ${payload.length}\r\n` +
+        'Connection: close\r\n' +
+        '\r\n'
+      )
+      socket.end(payload)
+    })
+  })
+
+  server.listen(0)
+  await once(server, 'listening')
+
+  const client = new Client(
+    `http://localhost:${server.address().port}`
+  ).compose(createDecompressInterceptor())
+
+  after(async () => {
+    await client.close()
+    server.close()
+    await once(server, 'close')
+  })
+
+  const response = await client.request({
+    method: 'GET',
+    path: '/'
+  })
+
+  t.equal(response.statusCode, 200)
+  t.equal(response.headers['content-encoding'], 'compress', 'the encoding is left on the response since nothing was decoded')
+  t.equal(await response.body.text(), payload.toString())
+
+  await t.completed
+})