diff --git a/CTestConfig.cmake b/CTestConfig.cmake
index 8553b4b48..145792b72 100644
--- a/CTestConfig.cmake
+++ b/CTestConfig.cmake
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ set(CTEST_DROP_METHOD "http")
 set(CTEST_DROP_SITE "www.cdash.org")
 set(CTEST_DROP_LOCATION "/CDash/submit.php?project=CMake")
 set(CTEST_DROP_SITE_CDASH TRUE)
+set(CTEST_CDASH_VERSION "1.4")
 
 # use old trigger stuff so that cmake 2.4 and below will not 
 # get errors on trigger
diff --git a/Modules/DartConfiguration.tcl.in b/Modules/DartConfiguration.tcl.in
index 00e8af68f..98d7cd26f 100644
--- a/Modules/DartConfiguration.tcl.in
+++ b/Modules/DartConfiguration.tcl.in
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ BuildName: @BUILDNAME@
 
 # Submission information
 IsCDash: @CTEST_DROP_SITE_CDASH@
+CDashVersion: @CTEST_CDASH_VERSION@
 DropSite: @DROP_SITE@
 DropLocation: @DROP_LOCATION@
 DropSiteUser: @DROP_SITE_USER@
diff --git a/Source/cmCTest.cxx b/Source/cmCTest.cxx
index 25a80ffdf..cf2907e83 100644
--- a/Source/cmCTest.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmCTest.cxx
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ cmCTest::cmCTest()
   this->RunConfigurationScript = false;
   this->UseHTTP10              = false;
   this->CompressTestOutput     = true;
+  this->ComputedCompressOutput = false;
   this->TestModel              = cmCTest::EXPERIMENTAL;
   this->MaxTestNameWidth       = 30;
   this->InteractiveDebugMode   = true;
@@ -299,6 +300,24 @@ void cmCTest::SetParallelLevel(int level)
   this->ParallelLevel = level < 1 ? 1 : level;
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+bool cmCTest::ShouldCompressTestOutput()
+{
+  if(!this->ComputedCompressOutput)
+    {   
+    std::string cdashVersion = 
+      this->GetCTestConfiguration("CDashVersion");
+    //version >= 1.6?
+    bool cdashSupportsGzip = cmSystemTools::VersionCompare(
+      cmSystemTools::OP_GREATER, cdashVersion.c_str(), "1.6") ||
+      cmSystemTools::VersionCompare(cmSystemTools::OP_EQUAL,
+      cdashVersion.c_str(), "1.6");
+    this->CompressTestOutput &= cdashSupportsGzip;
+    this->ComputedCompressOutput = true;
+    }
+  return this->CompressTestOutput;
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 cmCTest::Part cmCTest::GetPartFromName(const char* name)
 {
diff --git a/Source/cmCTest.h b/Source/cmCTest.h
index 6fe1eb36d..120dd2e75 100644
--- a/Source/cmCTest.h
+++ b/Source/cmCTest.h
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ public:
 
   bool ShouldUseHTTP10() { return this->UseHTTP10; }
 
-  bool ShouldCompressTestOutput() { return this->CompressTestOutput; }
+  bool ShouldCompressTestOutput();
 
   //Used for parallel ctest job scheduling
   std::string GetScheduleType() { return this->ScheduleType; }
@@ -396,6 +396,9 @@ private:
 
   bool RunConfigurationScript;
 
+  //flag for lazy getter (optimization)
+  bool ComputedCompressOutput;
+
   int GenerateNotesFile(const char* files);
 
   // these are helper classes
diff --git a/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx b/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx
index f5fba5c26..89a241ded 100644
--- a/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx
@@ -2690,6 +2690,33 @@ bool cmSystemTools::ChangeRPath(std::string const& file,
 #endif
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+bool cmSystemTools::VersionCompare(cmSystemTools::CompareOp op,
+                                   const char* lhss, const char* rhss)
+{
+  unsigned int lhs[4] = {0,0,0,0};
+  unsigned int rhs[4] = {0,0,0,0};
+  sscanf(lhss, "%u.%u.%u.%u", &lhs[0], &lhs[1], &lhs[2], &lhs[3]);
+  sscanf(rhss, "%u.%u.%u.%u", &rhs[0], &rhs[1], &rhs[2], &rhs[3]);
+
+  // Do component-wise comparison.
+  for(unsigned int i=0; i < 4; ++i)
+    {
+    if(lhs[i] < rhs[i])
+      {
+      // lhs < rhs, so true if operation is LESS
+      return op == cmSystemTools::OP_LESS;
+      }
+    else if(lhs[i] > rhs[i])
+      {
+      // lhs > rhs, so true if operation is GREATER
+        return op == cmSystemTools::OP_GREATER;
+      }
+    }
+  // lhs == rhs, so true if operation is EQUAL
+  return op == cmSystemTools::OP_EQUAL;
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool cmSystemTools::RemoveRPath(std::string const& file, std::string* emsg,
                                 bool* removed)
diff --git a/Source/cmSystemTools.h b/Source/cmSystemTools.h
index 6364870d0..e5bb305d7 100644
--- a/Source/cmSystemTools.h
+++ b/Source/cmSystemTools.h
@@ -268,6 +268,17 @@ public:
     UNKNOWN_FILE_FORMAT
   };
 
+  enum CompareOp {
+    OP_LESS,
+    OP_GREATER,
+    OP_EQUAL
+  };
+
+  /**
+   * Compare versions
+   */
+  static bool VersionCompare(CompareOp op, const char* lhs, const char* rhs);
+
   /**
    * Determine the file type based on the extension
    */