diff --git a/client/albatross_client_bistro.ml b/client/albatross_client_bistro.ml
index 92b5d5a..7b17788 100644
--- a/client/albatross_client_bistro.ml
+++ b/client/albatross_client_bistro.ml
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ let create_cmd =
     [`S "DESCRIPTION";
      `P "Creates a virtual machine."]
   in
-  Term.(term_result (const create $ setup_log $ destination $ ca_cert $ ca_key $ server_ca $ force $ vm_name $ image $ cpu $ vm_mem $ args $ block $ net $ compress_level)),
+  Term.(term_result (const create $ setup_log $ destination $ ca_cert $ ca_key $ server_ca $ force $ vm_name $ image $ cpu $ vm_mem $ args $ block $ net $ compress_level 9)),
   Term.info "create" ~doc ~man
 
 let console_cmd =
diff --git a/client/albatross_client_local.ml b/client/albatross_client_local.ml
index 1593b6e..58fc177 100644
--- a/client/albatross_client_local.ml
+++ b/client/albatross_client_local.ml
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ let create_cmd =
     [`S "DESCRIPTION";
      `P "Creates a virtual machine."]
   in
-  Term.(term_result (const create $ setup_log $ socket $ force $ vm_name $ image $ cpu $ vm_mem $ args $ block $ net $ compress_level)),
+  Term.(term_result (const create $ setup_log $ socket $ force $ vm_name $ image $ cpu $ vm_mem $ args $ block $ net $ compress_level 0)),
   Term.info "create" ~doc ~man
 
 let console_cmd =
diff --git a/command-line/albatross_cli.ml b/command-line/albatross_cli.ml
index d327533..c9d30a6 100644
--- a/command-line/albatross_cli.ml
+++ b/command-line/albatross_cli.ml
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@ let opt_vm_name =
   let doc = "name of virtual machine." in
   Arg.(value & opt vm_c Name.root & info [ "n" ; "name"] ~doc)
 
-let compress_level =
+let compress_level default =
   let doc = "Compression level (0 for no compression, 1-3 fixed with static huffman, 4-9 dynamic with canonic huffman)" in
-  Arg.(value & opt int 9 & info [ "compression-level" ] ~doc)
+  Arg.(value & opt int default & info [ "compression-level" ] ~doc)
 
 let force =
   let doc = "force VM creation." in
diff --git a/provision/albatross_provision_request.ml b/provision/albatross_provision_request.ml
index 2a692e6..192f051 100644
--- a/provision/albatross_provision_request.ml
+++ b/provision/albatross_provision_request.ml
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ let create_cmd =
     [`S "DESCRIPTION";
      `P "Creates a virtual machine."]
   in
-  Term.(term_result (const create $ setup_log $ force $ vm_name $ image $ cpu $ vm_mem $ args $ block $ net $ compress_level)),
+  Term.(term_result (const create $ setup_log $ force $ vm_name $ image $ cpu $ vm_mem $ args $ block $ net $ compress_level 9)),
   Term.info "create" ~doc ~man
 
 let console_cmd =