diff --git a/src/parallel b/src/parallel
index 33148272..7fc167d7 100755
--- a/src/parallel
+++ b/src/parallel
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env perl
 
-# Copyright (C) 2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 Ole Tange and Free Software
-# Foundation, Inc.
+# Copyright (C) 2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 Ole Tange and
+# Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -518,6 +518,7 @@ sub options_hash {
 	 "tmpdir=s" => \$opt::tmpdir,
 	 "tempdir=s" => \$opt::tmpdir,
 	 "use-compress-program|compress-program=s" => \$opt::compress_program,
+	 "use-decompress-program|decompress-program=s" => \$opt::decompress_program,
 	 "compress" => \$opt::compress,
 	 "tty" => \$opt::tty,
 	 "T" => \$opt::retired,
@@ -729,7 +730,7 @@ sub parse_options {
     }
     if($opt::compress_program) {
 	$opt::compress = 1;
-	$opt::decompress_program = $opt::compress_program." -dc";
+	$opt::decompress_program ||= $opt::compress_program." -dc";
     }
     if($opt::compress) {
 	my ($compress, $decompress) = find_compression_program();
@@ -4065,11 +4066,15 @@ sub cattail {
         $read = sysread(IN,$buf,1_000_000);
         if($read) {
 	    # Blocking print
-	    syswrite(OUT,$buf);
+            while($buf) {
+                my $bytes_written = syswrite(OUT,$buf);
+                # syswrite may be interrupted by SIGHUP
+                substr($buf,0,$bytes_written) = "";
+            }
 	    # Something printed: Wait less next time
 	    $sleep /= 2;
         } else {
-	    if($Global::sighup) {
+	    if(eof(IN) and $Global::sighup) {
                 # SIGHUP received: There will never be more to read => exit
                 exit;
             }
diff --git a/testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local114.sh b/testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local114.sh
index 26e14ff1..a077fd94 100755
--- a/testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local114.sh
+++ b/testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local114.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 cat <<'EOF' | sed -e 's/;$/; /;s/$SERVER1/'$SERVER1'/;s/$SERVER2/'$SERVER2'/' | stdout parallel -j0 -k -L1
+echo "bug #41609: --compress fails"
+  seq 12 | parallel --compress --compress-program bzip2 -k seq {} 1000000 | md5sum
+  seq 12 | parallel --compress -k seq {} 1000000 | md5sum
+
 echo "### Test -I"; 
   seq 1 10 | parallel -k 'seq 1 {} | parallel -k -I :: echo {} ::'
 
diff --git a/testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local8.sh b/testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local8.sh
index a43ec72b..1f1081c6 100644
--- a/testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local8.sh
+++ b/testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local8.sh
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ for i in $(seq 2 10); do
 done
 
 echo "### Test if --load blocks. Bug.";
-seq 1 1000 | parallel -kj2 --load 300% --recend "\n" --spreadstdin gzip -1 | zcat | sort -n | md5sum
-seq 1 1000 | parallel -kj0 --load 300% --recend "\n" --spreadstdin gzip -1 | zcat | sort -n | md5sum
+  seq 1 1000 | parallel -kj2 --load 300% --recend "\n" --spreadstdin gzip -1 | zcat | sort -n | md5sum
+  seq 1 1000 | parallel -kj0 --load 300% --recend "\n" --spreadstdin gzip -1 | zcat | sort -n | md5sum
 
-seq 1 1000000 | parallel -kj0 --recend "\n" --spreadstdin gzip -1 | zcat | sort -n | md5sum
-seq 1 1000000 | parallel -kj20 --recend "\n" --spreadstdin gzip -1 | zcat | sort -n | md5sum
+echo "### Test reading load from PARALLEL"
+  seq 1 1000000 | parallel -kj0 --recend "\n" --spreadstdin gzip -1 | zcat | sort -n | md5sum
+  seq 1 1000000 | parallel -kj20 --recend "\n" --spreadstdin gzip -1 | zcat | sort -n | md5sum
diff --git a/testsuite/wanted-results/parallel-local114 b/testsuite/wanted-results/parallel-local114
index 41aeeb58..3e51f6f5 100644
--- a/testsuite/wanted-results/parallel-local114
+++ b/testsuite/wanted-results/parallel-local114
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+bug #41609: --compress fails
+24812dd0f24a26d08a780f988b9d5ad2  -
+24812dd0f24a26d08a780f988b9d5ad2  -
 ### Test -I
 1 1
 2 1
diff --git a/testsuite/wanted-results/parallel-local8 b/testsuite/wanted-results/parallel-local8
index 710882bd..d1028897 100644
--- a/testsuite/wanted-results/parallel-local8
+++ b/testsuite/wanted-results/parallel-local8
@@ -24,5 +24,6 @@ c88e1757ddc619efd9ee507a7702b53c  -
 ### Test if --load blocks. Bug.
 53d025127ae99ab79e8502aae2d9bea6  -
 53d025127ae99ab79e8502aae2d9bea6  -
+### Test reading load from PARALLEL
 8a7095c1c23bfadc311fe6b16d950582  -
 8a7095c1c23bfadc311fe6b16d950582  -