diff --git a/.changeset/crisp-days-reply.md b/.changeset/crisp-days-reply.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2e54ab674
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/crisp-days-reply.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@solidjs/start": minor
+---
+
+better way to disable compression of ssr html
diff --git a/packages/start/src/config/dev-server.ts b/packages/start/src/config/dev-server.ts
index d88a8cb0d..e59b619ce 100644
--- a/packages/start/src/config/dev-server.ts
+++ b/packages/start/src/config/dev-server.ts
@@ -14,12 +14,15 @@ export function devServer(): Array<PluginOption> {
       configurePreviewServer(server) {
         return () => {
           server.middlewares.use(async (req, res) => {
-            res.setHeader("content-encoding", "identity");
             const webReq = new NodeRequest({ req, res });
             const def: {
               default: { fetch: (req: Request) => Promise<Response> };
             } = await import(process.cwd() + "/dist/server/entry-server.js");
-            sendNodeResponse(res, await def.default.fetch(webReq));
+            const webRes = await def.default.fetch(webReq);
+            if (webRes.headers.get("content-type")?.startsWith("text/html")) {
+              res.setHeader("content-encoding", "identity");
+            }
+            sendNodeResponse(res, webRes);
           });
         };
       },