diff --git a/cmd/pebble/db.go b/cmd/pebble/db.go
index 41c6e594d3..21278033ca 100644
--- a/cmd/pebble/db.go
+++ b/cmd/pebble/db.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/bloom"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/bytealloc"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/objstorage/remote"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/sstable"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/vfs"
 )
 
@@ -77,7 +78,8 @@ func newPebbleDB(dir string) DB {
 
 	for i := 0; i < len(opts.Levels); i++ {
 		l := &opts.Levels[i]
-		l.BlockSize = 32 << 10       // 32 KB
+		l.BlockSize = 32 << 10 // 32 KB
+		l.Compression = func() sstable.Compression { return pebble.ZstdCompression }
 		l.IndexBlockSize = 256 << 10 // 256 KB
 		l.FilterPolicy = bloom.FilterPolicy(10)
 		l.FilterType = pebble.TableFilter