diff --git a/fixtures/test-app/source/images/cfb_tomb-perennial-energy.svgz b/fixtures/test-app/source/images/cfb_tomb-perennial-energy.svgz
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e2eb29ec
Binary files /dev/null and b/fixtures/test-app/source/images/cfb_tomb-perennial-energy.svgz differ
diff --git a/fixtures/test-app/source/index.html.haml b/fixtures/test-app/source/index.html.haml
index e4ac5057..221c0134 100755
--- a/fixtures/test-app/source/index.html.haml
+++ b/fixtures/test-app/source/index.html.haml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 %h1 Welcome
 
 = image_tag "Chrome_Logo.svg"
+= image_tag "cfb_tomb-perennial-energy.svgz"
 
 :markdown
   ## H2
diff --git a/lib/middleman/base.rb b/lib/middleman/base.rb
index 2996e726..57adc78d 100644
--- a/lib/middleman/base.rb
+++ b/lib/middleman/base.rb
@@ -432,13 +432,16 @@ protected
   #
   # @param [String] File to send
   def send_file(path)
-    matched_mime = mime_type(File.extname(path))
+    extension = File.extname(path)
+    matched_mime = mime_type(extension)
     matched_mime = "application/octet-stream" if matched_mime.nil?
     content_type matched_mime
     
     file      = ::Rack::File.new nil
     file.path = path
-    halt file.serving(env)
+    response = file.serving(env)
+    response[1]['Content-Encoding'] = 'gzip' if %w(.svgz).include?(extension)
+    halt response
   end
   
   # Set the content type for the current request