diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 62c6bb8..b03e4d9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 *~
 *.retry
-*.tar.gz
+*.tar.xz
 *.rpm
 node_modules/
 dist/
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1345e56..9622366 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ ifeq ($(TEST_OS),)
 TEST_OS = rhel-x
 endif
 export TEST_OS
-TARFILE=cockpit-$(PACKAGE_NAME)-$(VERSION).tar.gz
+TARFILE=cockpit-$(PACKAGE_NAME)-$(VERSION).tar.xz
 RPMFILE=$(shell rpmspec -D"VERSION $(VERSION)" -q cockpit-session-recording.spec.in).rpm
 VM_IMAGE=$(CURDIR)/test/images/$(TEST_OS)
 # stamp file to check if/when npm install ran
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ devel-install: $(WEBPACK_TEST)
 	mkdir -p ~/.local/share/cockpit
 	ln -s `pwd`/dist ~/.local/share/cockpit/$(PACKAGE_NAME)
 
-dist-gzip: $(TARFILE)
+dist: $(TARFILE)
 
 # when building a distribution tarball, call webpack with a 'production' environment
 # we don't ship node_modules for license and compactness reasons; we ship a
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ $(TARFILE): $(WEBPACK_TEST) cockpit-$(PACKAGE_NAME).spec
 	mv node_modules node_modules.release
 	touch -r package.json $(NODE_MODULES_TEST)
 	touch dist/*
-	tar czf cockpit-$(PACKAGE_NAME)-$(VERSION).tar.gz --transform 's,^,cockpit-$(PACKAGE_NAME)/,' \
+	tar --xz -cf cockpit-$(PACKAGE_NAME)-$(VERSION).tar.xz --transform 's,^,cockpit-$(PACKAGE_NAME)/,' \
 		--exclude cockpit-$(PACKAGE_NAME).spec.in \
 		$$(git ls-files) package-lock.json cockpit-$(PACKAGE_NAME).spec dist/
 	mv node_modules.release node_modules
@@ -175,4 +175,4 @@ $(NODE_MODULES_TEST): package.json
 	env -u NODE_ENV npm install
 	env -u NODE_ENV npm prune
 
-.PHONY: all clean install devel-install dist-gzip srpm rpm check vm update-po
+.PHONY: all clean install devel-install dist srpm rpm check vm update-po
diff --git a/cockpit-session-recording.spec.in b/cockpit-session-recording.spec.in
index 083b465..33881e6 100644
--- a/cockpit-session-recording.spec.in
+++ b/cockpit-session-recording.spec.in
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Release: 1%{?dist}
 Summary: Cockpit Session Recording
 License: LGPLv2+
 URL:     https://github.com/Scribery/%{name}
-Source:  https://github.com/Scribery/%{name}/releases/download/%{version}/%{name}-%{version}.tar.gz
+Source:  https://github.com/Scribery/%{name}/releases/download/%{version}/%{name}-%{version}.tar.xz
 
 BuildArch: noarch
 BuildRequires: libappstream-glib