diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f101acdb48..768faac9bb 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -4403,7 +4403,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "google-cloud-storage"
-version = "1.1.0"
+version = "1.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-trait",
diff --git a/src/integration-tests/src/storage/read_gzip.rs b/src/integration-tests/src/storage/read_gzip.rs
index 294a78e4c4..9ca88799b0 100644
--- a/src/integration-tests/src/storage/read_gzip.rs
+++ b/src/integration-tests/src/storage/read_gzip.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,31 @@ pub async fn test(bucket: &storage::model::Bucket) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let got = super::read_all(response).await?;
     assert_eq!(got, compressed);
 
+    tracing::info!("Reading decompressed object");
+    let response = client
+        .read_object(&object.bucket, &object.name)
+        .set_generation(object.generation)
+        .with_automatic_decompression(true)
+        .send()
+        .await?;
+    let highlights = response.object();
+    tracing::info!("Decompressed object read: {:?}", highlights);
+    assert_eq!(highlights.content_encoding, "gzip", "{highlights:?}");
+    assert_eq!(highlights.content_type, "text/plain", "{highlights:?}");
+    assert_eq!(highlights.size as usize, compressed.len(), "{highlights:?}");
+    assert_eq!(highlights.generation, object.generation, "{highlights:?}");
+    assert_eq!(
+        highlights.metageneration, object.metageneration,
+        "{highlights:?}"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(highlights.checksums, object.checksums, "{highlights:?}");
+    assert_eq!(
+        highlights.storage_class, object.storage_class,
+        "{highlights:?}"
+    );
+    let got = super::read_all(response).await?;
+    assert_eq!(String::from_utf8(got), Ok(CONTENT.to_string()));
+
     tracing::info!("Reading compressed object head");
     let response = client
         .read_object(&object.bucket, &object.name)
diff --git a/src/storage/Cargo.toml b/src/storage/Cargo.toml
index 4430a3bdbf..dd36c152bd 100644
--- a/src/storage/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/storage/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 [package]
 name        = "google-cloud-storage"
-version     = "1.1.0"
+version     = "1.2.0"
 description = "Google Cloud Client Libraries for Rust - Storage"
 # Inherit other attributes from the workspace.
 edition.workspace      = true
diff --git a/src/storage/src/storage/read_object.rs b/src/storage/src/storage/read_object.rs
index 768af388ab..2a9e5f7ae0 100644
--- a/src/storage/src/storage/read_object.rs
+++ b/src/storage/src/storage/read_object.rs
@@ -360,6 +360,33 @@ where
         self
     }
 
+    /// Enables automatic decompression.
+    ///
+    /// The Cloud Storage service [automatically decompresses] objects
+    /// with `content_encoding == "gzip"` during reads. The client library
+    /// disables this behavior by default, as it is not possible to
+    /// perform ranged reads or to resume interrupted downloads if automatic
+    /// decompression is enabled.
+    ///
+    /// Use this option to enable automatic decompression.
+    ///
+    /// # Example
+    /// ```
+    /// # use google_cloud_storage::client::Storage;
+    /// # async fn sample(client: &Storage) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    /// let response = client
+    ///     .read_object("projects/_/buckets/my-bucket", "my-object")
+    ///     .with_automatic_decompression(true)
+    ///     .send()
+    ///     .await?;
+    /// println!("response details={response:?}");
+    /// # Ok(()) }
+    /// ```
+    pub fn with_automatic_decompression(mut self, v: bool) -> Self {
+        self.options.automatic_decompression = v;
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Sends the request.
     pub async fn send(self) -> Result<ReadObjectResponse> {
         self.stub.read_object(self.request, self.options).await
@@ -429,16 +456,21 @@ impl Reader {
             .header(
                 "x-goog-api-client",
                 reqwest::header::HeaderValue::from_static(&self::info::X_GOOG_API_CLIENT_HEADER),
-            )
+            );
+
+        let builder = if self.options.automatic_decompression {
+            builder
+        } else {
             // Disable decompressive transcoding: https://cloud.google.com/storage/docs/transcoding
             //
             // The default is to decompress objects that have `contentEncoding == "gzip"`. This header
             // tells Cloud Storage to disable automatic decompression. It has no effect on objects
             // with a different `contentEncoding` value.
-            .header(
+            builder.header(
                 "accept-encoding",
                 reqwest::header::HeaderValue::from_static("gzip"),
-            );
+            )
+        };
 
         // Add the optional query parameters.
         let builder = if self.request.generation != 0 {
@@ -997,6 +1029,31 @@ mod tests {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn read_object_automatic_decompression_headers() -> Result {
+        // The API takes the unencoded byte array.
+        let inner = test_inner_client(test_builder());
+        let stub = crate::storage::transport::Storage::new(inner.clone());
+        let builder = ReadObject::new(
+            stub,
+            "projects/_/buckets/bucket",
+            "object",
+            inner.options.clone(),
+        )
+        .with_automatic_decompression(true);
+        let request = http_request_builder(inner, builder).await?.build()?;
+
+        assert_eq!(request.method(), reqwest::Method::GET);
+        assert_eq!(
+            request.url().as_str(),
+            "http://private.googleapis.com/storage/v1/b/bucket/o/object?alt=media"
+        );
+
+        let headers = request.headers();
+        assert!(headers.get("accept-encoding").is_none(), "{request:?}");
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn read_object_encryption_headers() -> Result {
         // Make a 32-byte key.
diff --git a/src/storage/src/storage/request_options.rs b/src/storage/src/storage/request_options.rs
index 66bb328f49..cc9473f34d 100644
--- a/src/storage/src/storage/request_options.rs
+++ b/src/storage/src/storage/request_options.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ pub struct RequestOptions {
     pub(crate) resumable_upload_buffer_size: usize,
     pub(crate) idempotency: Option<bool>,
     pub(crate) checksum: Checksum,
+    pub(crate) automatic_decompression: bool,
 }
 
 const MIB: usize = 1024 * 1024_usize;
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ impl RequestOptions {
                 crc32c: Some(Crc32c::default()),
                 md5_hash: None,
             },
+            automatic_decompression: false,
         }
     }
 }