diff --git a/mysql-test/lib/mtr_misc.pl b/mysql-test/lib/mtr_misc.pl
index a7b5afd9fd7..e50e8cc77df 100644
--- a/mysql-test/lib/mtr_misc.pl
+++ b/mysql-test/lib/mtr_misc.pl
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ sub mtr_script_exists(@);
 sub mtr_file_exists(@);
 sub mtr_exe_exists(@);
 sub mtr_exe_maybe_exists(@);
+sub mtr_compress_file($);
 sub mtr_milli_sleep($);
 sub start_timer($);
 sub has_expired($);
@@ -199,6 +200,40 @@ sub mtr_exe_exists (@) {
   }
 }
 
+#
+# Try to compress file using tools that might be available.
+# If zip/gzip is not available, just silently ignore.
+#
+
+sub mtr_compress_file ($) {
+  my ($filename)= @_;
+
+  mtr_error ("File to compress not found: $filename") unless -f $filename;
+
+  my $did_compress= 0;
+
+  if (IS_WINDOWS)
+  {
+    # Capture stderr
+    my $ziperr= `zip $filename.zip $filename 2>&1`;
+    if ($?) {
+      print "$ziperr\n" if $ziperr !~ /recognized as an internal or external/;
+    } else {
+      unlink($filename);
+      $did_compress=1;
+    }
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    my $gzres= system("gzip $filename");
+    $did_compress= ! $gzres;
+    if ($gzres && $gzres != -1) {
+      mtr_error ("Error: have gzip but it fails to compress core file");
+    }
+  }
+  mtr_print("Compressed file $filename") if $did_compress;
+}
+
 
 sub mtr_milli_sleep ($) {
   die "usage: mtr_milli_sleep(milliseconds)" unless @_ == 1;
diff --git a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
index 0e4b3cedbfd..067c83a6f51 100755
--- a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
+++ b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
@@ -657,6 +657,8 @@ sub run_test_server ($$$) {
 			     mtr_report(" - deleting it, already saved",
 					"$opt_max_save_core");
 			     unlink("$core_file");
+			   } else {
+			     mtr_compress_file($core_file) unless @opt_cases;
 			   }
 			   ++$num_saved_cores;
 			 }