diff --git a/contrib/gitian/gitian-build.py b/contrib/gitian/gitian-build.py
index b654b15c7..8c3738591 100755
--- a/contrib/gitian/gitian-build.py
+++ b/contrib/gitian/gitian-build.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def build():
         print('\nCompiling ' + args.version + ' Linux')
         subprocess.check_call(['bin/gbuild', '-j', args.jobs, '-m', args.memory, '--commit', 'monero='+args.commit, '--url', 'monero='+args.url, '../monero/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml'])
         subprocess.check_call(['bin/gsign', '-p', args.sign_prog, '--signer', args.signer, '--release', args.version+'-linux', '--destination', '../gitian.sigs/', '../monero/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml'])
-        subprocess.check_call('mv build/out/monero-*.tar.gz ../monero-binaries/'+args.version, shell=True)
+        subprocess.check_call('mv build/out/monero-*.tar.bz2 ../monero-binaries/'+args.version, shell=True)
 
     if args.windows:
         print('\nCompiling ' + args.version + ' Windows')
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def build():
         print('\nCompiling ' + args.version + ' MacOS')
         subprocess.check_call(['bin/gbuild', '-j', args.jobs, '-m', args.memory, '--commit', 'monero='+args.commit, '--url', 'monero'+args.url, '../monero/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml'])
         subprocess.check_call(['bin/gsign', '-p', args.sign_prog, '--signer', args.signer, '--release', args.version+'-osx', '--destination', '../gitian.sigs/', '../monero/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml'])
-        subprocess.check_call('mv build/out/monero*.tar.gz ../monero-binaries/'+args.version, shell=True)
+        subprocess.check_call('mv build/out/monero*.tar.bz2 ../monero-binaries/'+args.version, shell=True)
 
     os.chdir(workdir)
 
diff --git a/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml b/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml
index fd94d43bf..8cbde2acb 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ script: |
     make ${MAKEOPTS}
     DISTNAME=monero-${i}-${version}
     mv bin ${DISTNAME}
-    find ${DISTNAME}/ | sort | tar --no-recursion --mode='u+rw,go+r-w,a+X' --owner=0 --group=0 -c -T - | gzip -9n > ${OUTDIR}/${DISTNAME}.tar.gz
+    find ${DISTNAME}/ | sort | tar --no-recursion --mode='u+rw,go+r-w,a+X' --owner=0 --group=0 -c -T - | bzip2 -9 > ${OUTDIR}/${DISTNAME}.tar.bz2
     cd ..
     rm -rf build
   done
diff --git a/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml b/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml
index 77ea30072..d3141e2c7 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ script: |
     make ${MAKEOPTS}
     DISTNAME=monero-${i}-${version}
     mv bin ${DISTNAME}
-    find ${DISTNAME}/ | sort | tar --no-recursion --mode='u+rw,go+r-w,a+X' --owner=0 --group=0 -c -T - | gzip -9n > ${OUTDIR}/${DISTNAME}.tar.gz
+    find ${DISTNAME}/ | sort | tar --no-recursion --mode='u+rw,go+r-w,a+X' --owner=0 --group=0 -c -T - | bzip2 -9 > ${OUTDIR}/${DISTNAME}.tar.bz2
     cd ..
     rm -rf build
   done