diff --git a/routes/handleStaticFile.js b/routes/handleStaticFile.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..962cfa9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/routes/handleStaticFile.js
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const fs = require('fs')
+      , events = require('harken')
+      , zlib = require('zlib')
+      , brotli = require('iltorb')
+      , mime = require('mime')
+
+      , getCompression = require('../utils').getCompression
+
+      , not = require('../utils').not
+      , unmodifiedStatus = 304
+      , succesStatus = 200
+
+      , compressionExtension = (type) => {
+        if (type === 'br') {
+          return 'brot';
+        } else if (type === 'deflate') {
+          return 'def';
+        } else {
+          return 'tgz';
+        }
+      }
+
+      , getCompressor = (type) => {
+        if (type === 'br') {
+          return brotli.compressStream();
+        } else if (type === 'deflate') {
+          return zlib.createDeflate();
+        } else {
+          return zlib.createGzip();
+        }
+      }
+
+      , streamFile = (compression, file, connection) => {
+        const extension = compressionExtension(compression)
+              , compressor = getCompressor(compression);
+
+        fs.stat(`${file}.${extension}`, (err, exists) => {
+          if (!err && exists.isFile()) {
+            fs.createReadStream(`${file}.${extension}`).pipe(connection.res);
+          } else {
+            // no compressed file yet...
+            fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(compressor)
+              .pipe(connection.res);
+
+            fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(compressor)
+              .pipe(fs.createWriteStream(`${file}.${extension}`));
+          }
+        });
+      };
+
+module.exports = (file, connection, config) => {
+  const req = connection.req
+        , res = connection.res
+        , pathname = connection.path.pathname
+        , compression = getCompression(req.headers['accept-encoding'], config)
+        , expires = new Date().getTime()
+        , maxAge = config.maxAge;
+
+  fs.stat(file, (err, exists) => {
+    if (!err && exists.isFile()) {
+
+      events.required([ `etag:check:${file}`, `etag:get:${file}` ], (valid) => {
+        if (valid[0]) { // does the etag match? YES
+          res.statusCode = unmodifiedStatus;
+          return res.end();
+        }
+        // No match...
+        res.setHeader('ETag', valid[1]); // the etag is item 2 in the array
+
+        if (req.method.toLowerCase() === 'head') {
+          res.writeHead(succesStatus, {
+            'Content-Type': mime.getType(pathname)
+            , 'Cache-Control': `maxage=${maxAge}`
+            , Expires: new Date(expires + maxAge).toUTCString()
+            , 'Content-Encoding': compression
+          });
+
+          res.end();
+        } else if (not(compression === 'none')) {
+          // we have compression!
+          res.writeHead(succesStatus, {
+            'Content-Type': mime.getType(pathname)
+            , 'Cache-Control': `maxage=${maxAge}`
+            , Expires: new Date(expires + maxAge).toUTCString()
+            , 'Content-Encoding': compression
+          });
+
+          streamFile(compression, file, connection);
+          events.emit('static:served', pathname);
+        } else {
+          // no compression carry on...
+          // return with the correct heders for the file type
+          res.writeHead(succesStatus, {
+            'Content-Type': mime.getType(pathname)
+            , 'Cache-Control': `maxage=${maxAge}`
+            , Expires: new Date(expires + maxAge).toUTCString()
+          });
+          fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(res);
+          events.emit('static:served', pathname);
+        }
+      });
+
+      events.emit('etag:check', { file: file, etag: req.headers['if-none-match'] });
+
+    } else {
+      events.emit('static:missing', pathname);
+      events.emit('error:404', connection);
+    }
+  });
+};
diff --git a/routes/router.js b/routes/router.js
index 742d8c5f..def4524c 100644
--- a/routes/router.js
+++ b/routes/router.js
@@ -1,37 +1,40 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const path = require('path')
-      , fs = require('fs')
-      , zlib = require('zlib')
       , events = require('harken')
       , mime = require('mime')
-      , brotli = require('iltorb')
       , routeStore = require('./routeStore')
       , matchSimpleRoute = require('./matchSimpleRoute')
       , isWildCardRoute = require('./isWildCardRoute')
       , parseWildCardRoute = require('./parseWildCardRoute')
       , setupStaticRoutes = require('./serverSetup')
       , setSecurityHeaders = require('../security')
+      , handleStaticFile = require('./handleStaticFile')
 
-      , not = require('../utils').not
       , send = require('../utils').send
       , setStatus = require('../utils').setStatus
       , parsePath = require('../utils').parsePath
-      , getCompression = require('../utils').getCompression
       , redirect = require('../utils').redirect
       , contains = require('../utils').contains
 
       , statsd = require('../utils/statsd')
 
-      , succesStatus = 200
-      , unmodifiedStatus = 304;
+      , succesStatus = 200;
 
 module.exports = (routesJson, config) => {
   const publicPath = config.publicPath
-        , maxAge = config.maxAge
         , routePath = config.routePath
         , publicFolders = setupStaticRoutes(routePath, publicPath)
-        , statsdClient = config.statsd === false ? false : statsd.create(config.statsd);
+        , statsdClient = config.statsd === false ? false : statsd.create(config.statsd)
+
+        , setupStatsdListeners = (res, sendStatsd, cleanup) => {
+          if (statsdClient) {
+            // Add response listeners
+            res.once('finish', sendStatsd);
+            res.once('error', cleanup);
+            res.once('close', cleanup);
+          }
+        };
 
   routeStore.parse(routesJson);
 
@@ -41,14 +44,13 @@ module.exports = (routesJson, config) => {
           , pathParsed = parsePath(req.url)
           , pathname = pathParsed.pathname
           , simpleRoute = matchSimpleRoute(pathname, method, routeStore.getStandard())
-          , expires = new Date().getTime()
           , connection = {
             req: req
             , res: resIn
             , query: pathParsed.query
             , params: {}
+            , path: pathParsed
           }
-          , compression = getCompression(req.headers['accept-encoding'], config)
           , statsdStartTime = new Date().getTime()
 
           , cleanupStatsd = () => {
@@ -86,17 +88,11 @@ module.exports = (routesJson, config) => {
             cleanupStatsd();
           };
 
-    let file
-        , routeInfo
+    let routeInfo
         , res = resIn;
 
-        // set up the statsd timing listeners
-    if (statsdClient) {
-      // Add response listeners
-      res.once('finish', sendStatsd);
-      res.once('error', cleanupStatsd);
-      res.once('close', cleanupStatsd);
-    }
+    // set up the statsd timing listeners
+    setupStatsdListeners(res, sendStatsd, cleanupStatsd);
 
     // add .setStatus to response
     res.setStatus = setStatus;
@@ -104,7 +100,6 @@ module.exports = (routesJson, config) => {
     // add .send to the response
     res.send = send(req, config);
     res.redirect = redirect(req);
-
     res = setSecurityHeaders(config, req, res);
 
     // match the first part of the url... for public stuff
@@ -115,101 +110,8 @@ module.exports = (routesJson, config) => {
       //  the accept-encoding header. So (gzip/deflate/no compression)
       res.setHeader('Vary', 'Accept-Encoding');
 
-      file = path.join(publicPath, pathname);
       // read in the file and stream it to the client
-      fs.stat(file, (err, exists) => {
-        if (!err && exists.isFile()) {
-
-          events.required([ `etag:check:${file}`, `etag:get:${file}` ], (valid) => {
-            if (valid[0]) { // does the etag match? YES
-              res.statusCode = unmodifiedStatus;
-              return res.end();
-            }
-            // No match...
-            res.setHeader('ETag', valid[1]); // the etag is item 2 in the array
-
-            if (req.method.toLowerCase() === 'head') {
-              res.writeHead(succesStatus, {
-                'Content-Type': mime.getType(pathname)
-                , 'Cache-Control': `maxage=${maxAge}`
-                , Expires: new Date(expires + maxAge).toUTCString()
-                , 'Content-Encoding': compression
-              });
-
-              res.end();
-            } else if (not(compression === 'none')) {
-              // we have compression!
-              res.writeHead(succesStatus, {
-                'Content-Type': mime.getType(pathname)
-                , 'Cache-Control': `maxage=${maxAge}`
-                , Expires: new Date(expires + maxAge).toUTCString()
-                , 'Content-Encoding': compression
-              });
-
-              if (compression === 'deflate') {
-                fs.stat(`${file}.def`, (errDef, existsDef) => {
-                  if (!errDef && existsDef.isFile()) {
-                    fs.createReadStream(`${file}.def`).pipe(res);
-                  } else {
-                    // no compressed file yet...
-                    fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(zlib.createDeflate())
-                      .pipe(res);
-
-                    fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(zlib.createDeflate())
-                      .pipe(fs.createWriteStream(`${file}.def`));
-                  }
-                });
-              } else if (compression === 'br') {
-                // brotli compression handling
-                fs.stat(`${file}.brot`, (errBrotli, existsBrotli) => {
-                  if (!errBrotli && existsBrotli.isFile()) {
-                    fs.createReadStream(`${file}.brot`).pipe(res);
-                  } else {
-                    // no compressed file yet...
-                    fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(brotli.compressStream())
-                      .pipe(res);
-
-                    fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(brotli.compressStream())
-                      .pipe(fs.createWriteStream(`${file}.brot`));
-                  }
-                });
-              } else {
-                fs.stat(`${file}.tgz`, (errTgz, existsTgz) => {
-                  if (!errTgz && existsTgz.isFile()) {
-                    fs.createReadStream(`${file}.tgz`).pipe(res);
-                  } else {
-                    // no compressed file yet...
-                    fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(zlib.createGzip())
-                      .pipe(res);
-
-                    fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(zlib.createGzip())
-                      .pipe(fs.createWriteStream(`${file}.tgz`));
-                  }
-                });
-              }
-
-              events.emit('static:served', pathname);
-
-            } else {
-              // no compression carry on...
-              // return with the correct heders for the file type
-              res.writeHead(succesStatus, {
-                'Content-Type': mime.getType(pathname)
-                , 'Cache-Control': `maxage=${maxAge}`
-                , Expires: new Date(expires + maxAge).toUTCString()
-              });
-              fs.createReadStream(file).pipe(res);
-              events.emit('static:served', pathname);
-            }
-          });
-
-          events.emit('etag:check', { file: file, etag: req.headers['if-none-match'] });
-
-        } else {
-          events.emit('static:missing', pathname);
-          events.emit('error:404', connection);
-        }
-      });
+      handleStaticFile(path.join(publicPath, pathname), connection, config);
 
     } else if (simpleRoute !== null) {
       // matches a route in the routes.json
@@ -225,7 +127,6 @@ module.exports = (routesJson, config) => {
     } else if (isWildCardRoute(pathname, method, routeStore.getWildcard())) {
       // matches a route in the routes.json file that has params
       routeInfo = parseWildCardRoute(pathname, routeStore.getWildcard());
-
       connection.params = routeInfo.values;
 
       // emit the event for the url minus params and include the params
diff --git a/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.brot b/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.brot
index 7e5298ec..7a2159b0 100644
Binary files a/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.brot and b/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.brot differ
diff --git a/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.def b/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.def
index 828ee954..a00676c5 100644
--- a/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.def
+++ b/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.def
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-xœ
Â1
-€0Ð=§ø[JçžFJ‹‰Ð¤“xw}¼´¼Ãcj‹T)gÄ¡ŽÿŽÓ1ôêD<–µÐÛÀ‚‡€ÙcMCÁ†Ré–JG.
\ No newline at end of file
+xœ­Ì1
+À Ð=§ø›†âìiŠ(�&™JïÞ¢ðæ\Ô–T…R‚¢øìŠ.g#ŠÝg5¹&"ã&`5ó5‘±!z8r¡ðWô�ý*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.tgz b/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.tgz
index 02270527..530f6573 100644
Binary files a/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.tgz and b/test_stubs/deletes/static/main.js.tgz differ
diff --git a/utils/getCompression.js b/utils/getCompression.js
index 25e5f0ca..d44f5418 100644
--- a/utils/getCompression.js
+++ b/utils/getCompression.js
@@ -6,29 +6,37 @@ const isDefined = require('./tools').isDefined
         return isDefined(config.compress) && !config.compress;
       }
 
-      , supportsBrotli = (header) => {
+      , supportsBrotli = (header = '') => {
         return header.match(/\bbr\b/) || header.match(/\bbrotli\b/);
       }
 
-      , supportsGzip = (header) => {
+      , supportsGzip = (header = '') => {
         return header.match(/\bgzip\b/);
       }
 
-      , supportsDeflate = (header) => {
+      , supportsDeflate = (header = '') => {
         return header.match(/\bdeflate\b/);
       }
 
-      , getCompression = (header, config) => {
-        if (isUndefined(header) || dontCompress(config)) {
-          return 'none';
-        } else if (supportsBrotli(header)) {
+      , supportsCompression = (header = '') => {
+        if (supportsBrotli(header)) {
           return 'br';
         } else if (supportsGzip(header)) {
           return 'gzip';
         } else if (supportsDeflate(header)) {
           return 'deflate';
-        } else {
+        }
+
+        return 'none';
+      }
+
+      , getCompression = (header, config) => {
+        const supported = header ? supportsCompression(header) : 'none';
+
+        if (isUndefined(header) || dontCompress(config) || supported === 'none') {
           return 'none';
+        } else {
+          return supported;
         }
       };
 
diff --git a/utils/parser.js b/utils/parser.js
index ed7d2e3e..0cda7ef7 100644
--- a/utils/parser.js
+++ b/utils/parser.js
@@ -42,16 +42,15 @@ const getRawBody = require('raw-body')
         connection.req.pipe(busboy);
       }
 
+      , getCharset = (contentType) => {
+        return typer.parse(contentType).parameters.charset || 'UTF-8';
+      }
+
       , parser = (connection, callback, scopeIn) => { // parse out the body
         const contentType = connection.req.headers['content-type'] ?
                 connection.req.headers['content-type'].split(';')[0] : 'application/json'
-              , scope = scopeIn;
-
-        let encoding = 'UTF-8';
-
-        if (isDefined(contentType)) {
-          encoding = typer.parse(contentType).parameters.charset || 'UTF-8';
-        }
+              , scope = scopeIn
+              , encoding = isDefined(contentType) ? getCharset(contentType) : 'UTF-8';
 
         if (contentType === 'multipart/form-data') {
           try {