diff --git a/bin/nvh b/bin/nvh
index b6a36e0..4b791e9 100755
--- a/bin/nvh
+++ b/bin/nvh
@@ -22,6 +22,20 @@ NVH_NODE_DOWNLOAD_MIRROR=${NVH_NODE_DOWNLOAD_MIRROR:-https://nodejs.org/download
 NVH_NODE_DOWNLOAD_MIRROR=${NVH_NODE_DOWNLOAD_MIRROR%/}
 readonly NVH_NODE_DOWNLOAD_MIRROR
 
+# Using xz instead of gzip is enabled by default, if xz compatibility checks pass.
+# User may set NVH_USE_XZ to 0 to disable, or set to anything else to force-enable.
+# May be overridden by command line flags.
+
+g_xz_force_enabled="false"
+if [[ "${NVH_USE_XZ}" = "0" ]]; then
+  NVH_USE_XZ="false"
+elif [[ -n "${NVH_USE_XZ+defined}" ]]; then
+  NVH_USE_XZ="true"
+  g_xz_force_enabled="true"
+else
+  NVH_USE_XZ="true"
+fi
+
 # NVH_PRESERVE_NPM tested with -z -n
 # made readonly after CLI option parsing
 
@@ -294,6 +308,9 @@ Options:
   -h, --help          Display help information
   --insecure          Turn off certificate checking for https requests (may be needed from behind a proxy server)
   -p, --preserve      Preserve npm and npx during install of node
+  --use-xz            Download xz-compressed tarballs, if available and extractable by tar, during install of node (this is the default)
+  --force-use-xz      Download xz-compressed tarballs. May fail if xz tarball is not available and extractable
+  --no-use-xz         Download gzip-compressed tarballs, rather than xz-compressed ones, during install of node
   -V, --version       Output version of nvh
 
 Aliases:
@@ -515,6 +532,18 @@ function is_ok() {
   fi
 }
 
+#
+# Synopsis: can_use_xz
+#
+
+function can_use_xz() {
+  # nvh uses xz on Linux and macOS at this time, if the system supports it
+  if ! ([[ "$(uname -s)" = "Linux" ]] && command -v xz &> /dev/null) \
+  && ! ([[ "$(uname -s)" = "Darwin" ]] && [[ "$(sw_vers -productVersion | cut -d '.' -f 2)" -gt "8" ]]); then
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
 #
 # Synopsis: display_tarball_platform
 #
@@ -568,7 +597,11 @@ function display_compatible_file_field {
 
 function tarball_url() {
   local version="$1"
-  echo "${g_mirror_url}/${version}/node-${version}-$(display_tarball_platform).tar.gz"
+
+  local ext="gz"
+  if [[ "${NVH_USE_XZ}" = "true" ]]; then local ext="xz"; fi
+
+  echo "${g_mirror_url}/${version}/node-${version}-$(display_tarball_platform).tar.${ext}"
 }
 
 #
@@ -658,12 +691,27 @@ function install() {
     fi
   fi
 
+  if [[ "${NVH_USE_XZ}" = true ]] && [[ "S{g_xz_force_enabled}" = "false" ]]; then
+    can_use_xz || NVH_USE_XZ="false"
+  fi
+
   echo
   install_log "installing" "${g_mirror_folder_name}/${resolved_version}"
 
+  if [[ "${NVH_USE_XZ}" = "true" ]] && [[ "${g_xz_force_enabled}" = "false" ]]; then
+    local resolved_major_version
+    resolved_major_version="$(echo ${resolved_version#v} | cut -d '.' -f '1')"
+    if [[ "${resolved_major_version}" -lt 4 ]]; then
+      NVH_USE_XZ="false"
+    fi
+  fi
+
   local url="$(tarball_url "${resolved_version}")"
   is_ok "${url}" || abort "download preflight failed for '$resolved_version' (${url})"
 
+  local tarflags="-zx"
+  if [[ "${NVH_USE_XZ}" = "true" ]]; then local tarflags="-Jx"; fi
+
   install_log "mkdir" "${dir}"
   mkdir -p "${dir}" || abort "sudo required (or change ownership, or define NVH_PREFIX)"
   touch "${dir}/nvh.lock"
@@ -671,7 +719,7 @@ function install() {
   cd "${dir}" || abort "Failed to cd to directory"
 
   install_log "fetch" "${url}"
-  do_get "${url}" | tar -zx --strip-components=1
+  do_get "${url}" | tar "${tarflags}" --strip-components=1
   [[ "${GET_OPTIONS_SHOW_PROGRESS}" = "true" ]] && erase_line
   rm -f "${dir}/nvh.lock"
 
@@ -1152,6 +1200,9 @@ function main() {
       --insecure) set_insecure ;;
       -p|--preserve) NVH_PRESERVE_NPM="true" ;;
       --no-preserve) NVH_PRESERVE_NPM="" ;;
+      --use-xz) NVH_USE_XZ="true"; g_xz_force_enabled="false" ;;
+      --force-use-xz) NVH_USE_XZ="true"; g_xz_force_enabled="true" ;;
+      --no-use-xz) NVH_USE_XZ="false" ;;
       -V|--version) echo "${VERSION}"; exit ;;
       -*) abort "unrecognised option '$1'"; exit 1 ;;
       exec) unprocessed_args=("$@"); break ;;