diff --git a/internal/repository/prune_test.go b/internal/repository/prune_test.go
index 78d039b4e..d67234a42 100644
--- a/internal/repository/prune_test.go
+++ b/internal/repository/prune_test.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func TestPruneSmall(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Logf("rand initialized with seed %d", seed)
 
 	be := repository.TestBackend(t)
-	repo, _ := repository.TestRepositoryWithBackend(t, be, 0, repository.Options{PackSize: repository.MinPackSize})
+	repo, _ := repository.TestRepositoryWithBackend(t, be, 0, repository.Options{PackSize: repository.MinPackSize, Compression: repository.CompressionOff})
 
 	const blobSize = 1000 * 1000
 	const numBlobsCreated = 55
diff --git a/internal/repository/testing.go b/internal/repository/testing.go
index 944512a54..27dd98f2f 100644
--- a/internal/repository/testing.go
+++ b/internal/repository/testing.go
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ func TestRepositoryWithBackend(t testing.TB, be backend.Backend, version uint, o
 	if be == nil {
 		be = TestBackend(t)
 	}
+	// Speed up tests by default
+	if opts.Compression == CompressionAuto {
+		opts.Compression = CompressionFastest
+	}
 
 	repo, err := New(be, opts)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -126,7 +130,7 @@ func TestOpenLocal(t testing.TB, dir string) (*Repository, backend.Backend) {
 }
 
 func TestOpenBackend(t testing.TB, be backend.Backend) *Repository {
-	repo, err := New(be, Options{})
+	repo, err := New(be, Options{Compression: CompressionFastest})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}