diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 81c2b68..0fba467 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Package: yyjsonr
 Type: Package
 Title: Fast JSON Parser and Generator 
-Version: 0.1.18.9000
+Version: 0.1.18.9001
 Authors@R: c(
     person("Mike", "Cheng", role = c("aut", "cre", 'cph'), 
     email = "mikefc@coolbutuseless.com"),
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index e440a71..6e1fed7 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 
+# yyjsonr 0.1.18.9001 2024-02-01
+
+* Read JSON from '.gz' files in `read_json_file()`
 
 # yyjsonr 0.1.18.9000 2024-01-25
 
diff --git a/src/R-yyjson-parse.c b/src/R-yyjson-parse.c
index e92c91f..933d0c2 100644
--- a/src/R-yyjson-parse.c
+++ b/src/R-yyjson-parse.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include "zlib.h"
 #include "yyjson.h"
 #include "R-yyjson-parse.h"
 
@@ -1938,6 +1939,57 @@ SEXP parse_from_raw_(SEXP raw_, SEXP parse_opts_) {
   return parse_json_from_str(str, (size_t)length(raw_), &opt);
 }
 
+
+//===========================================================================
+// Parse from file given as a filename - ending in ".gz"
+//===========================================================================
+SEXP parse_from_gzfile_(SEXP filename_, SEXP parse_opts_) {
+  
+  const char *filename = (const char *)CHAR( STRING_ELT(filename_, 0) );
+  filename = R_ExpandFileName(filename);
+  parse_options opt = create_parse_options(parse_opts_);
+  
+  //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+  // Read tail end of .gz file to get length.
+  // If uncompressed length > 4GB this method will fail as there are 
+  // only 4-bytes reserved for the field!
+  //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+  FILE *fp = fopen(filename, "rb");
+  if (fp == NULL) {
+    error("couldn't open file: %s", filename);
+  }
+  
+  fseek(fp, -4, SEEK_END);
+  int32_t uncompressed_len;
+  fread(&uncompressed_len, 4, 1, fp);
+  fclose(fp);
+  
+  //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+  // Allocate a buffer to hold the uncompressed file.
+  // Note: this approach will change if/when yyjson implements streaming
+  //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+  char *buf = (char *)malloc(uncompressed_len + 1);
+  if (buf == 0) {
+    error("Couldn't allocate buffer for reading json.gz file: %s", filename);
+  }
+  
+  //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+  // Uncompress file to buffer
+  //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+  gzFile gzfp = gzopen(filename, "r");
+  gzread(gzfp, (void *)buf, uncompressed_len);
+  gzclose(gzfp);
+  
+  //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+  // Parse buffer as string
+  //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+  SEXP res_ = PROTECT(parse_json_from_str(buf, (size_t)uncompressed_len, &opt));
+  free(buf);
+  
+  UNPROTECT(1);
+  return res_;
+}
+
 //===========================================================================
 // Parse from file given as a filename
 //===========================================================================
@@ -1945,8 +1997,13 @@ SEXP parse_from_file_(SEXP filename_, SEXP parse_opts_) {
   
   const char *filename = (const char *)CHAR( STRING_ELT(filename_, 0) );
   filename = R_ExpandFileName(filename);
-  parse_options opt = create_parse_options(parse_opts_);
   
+  size_t len = strlen(filename);
+  if (strncmp(filename + len - 3, ".gz", 3) == 0) {
+    return parse_from_gzfile_(filename_, parse_opts_);
+  }
+  
+  parse_options opt = create_parse_options(parse_opts_);
   return parse_json_from_file(filename, &opt);
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/examples/mtcars.json b/tests/testthat/examples/mtcars.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6548c2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/examples/mtcars.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+[{"mpg":21.0,"cyl":6.0,"disp":160.0,"hp":110.0,"drat":3.9,"wt":2.62,"qsec":16.46,"vs":0.0,"am":1.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":21.0,"cyl":6.0,"disp":160.0,"hp":110.0,"drat":3.9,"wt":2.875,"qsec":17.02,"vs":0.0,"am":1.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":22.8,"cyl":4.0,"disp":108.0,"hp":93.0,"drat":3.85,"wt":2.32,"qsec":18.61,"vs":1.0,"am":1.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":1.0},{"mpg":21.4,"cyl":6.0,"disp":258.0,"hp":110.0,"drat":3.08,"wt":3.215,"qsec":19.44,"vs":1.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":1.0},{"mpg":18.7,"cyl":8.0,"disp":360.0,"hp":175.0,"drat":3.15,"wt":3.44,"qsec":17.02,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":2.0},{"mpg":18.1,"cyl":6.0,"disp":225.0,"hp":105.0,"drat":2.76,"wt":3.46,"qsec":20.22,"vs":1.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":1.0},{"mpg":14.3,"cyl":8.0,"disp":360.0,"hp":245.0,"drat":3.21,"wt":3.57,"qsec":15.84,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":24.4,"cyl":4.0,"disp":146.7,"hp":62.0,"drat":3.69,"wt":3.19,"qsec":20.0,"vs":1.0,"am":0.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":2.0},{"mpg":22.8,"cyl":4.0,"disp":140.8,"hp":95.0,"drat":3.92,"wt":3.15,"qsec":22.9,"vs":1.0,"am":0.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":2.0},{"mpg":19.2,"cyl":6.0,"disp":167.6,"hp":123.0,"drat":3.92,"wt":3.44,"qsec":18.3,"vs":1.0,"am":0.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":17.8,"cyl":6.0,"disp":167.6,"hp":123.0,"drat":3.92,"wt":3.44,"qsec":18.9,"vs":1.0,"am":0.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":16.4,"cyl":8.0,"disp":275.8,"hp":180.0,"drat":3.07,"wt":4.07,"qsec":17.4,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":3.0},{"mpg":17.3,"cyl":8.0,"disp":275.8,"hp":180.0,"drat":3.07,"wt":3.73,"qsec":17.6,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":3.0},{"mpg":15.2,"cyl":8.0,"disp":275.8,"hp":180.0,"drat":3.07,"wt":3.78,"qsec":18.0,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":3.0},{"mpg":10.4,"cyl":8.0,"disp":472.0,"hp":205.0,"drat":2.93,"wt":5.25,"qsec":17.98,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":10.4,"cyl":8.0,"disp":460.0,"hp":215.0,"drat":3.0,"wt":5.424,"qsec":17.82,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":14.7,"cyl":8.0,"disp":440.0,"hp":230.0,"drat":3.23,"wt":5.345,"qsec":17.42,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":32.4,"cyl":4.0,"disp":78.7,"hp":66.0,"drat":4.08,"wt":2.2,"qsec":19.47,"vs":1.0,"am":1.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":1.0},{"mpg":30.4,"cyl":4.0,"disp":75.7,"hp":52.0,"drat":4.93,"wt":1.615,"qsec":18.52,"vs":1.0,"am":1.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":2.0},{"mpg":33.9,"cyl":4.0,"disp":71.1,"hp":65.0,"drat":4.22,"wt":1.835,"qsec":19.9,"vs":1.0,"am":1.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":1.0},{"mpg":21.5,"cyl":4.0,"disp":120.1,"hp":97.0,"drat":3.7,"wt":2.465,"qsec":20.01,"vs":1.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":1.0},{"mpg":15.5,"cyl":8.0,"disp":318.0,"hp":150.0,"drat":2.76,"wt":3.52,"qsec":16.87,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":2.0},{"mpg":15.2,"cyl":8.0,"disp":304.0,"hp":150.0,"drat":3.15,"wt":3.435,"qsec":17.3,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":2.0},{"mpg":13.3,"cyl":8.0,"disp":350.0,"hp":245.0,"drat":3.73,"wt":3.84,"qsec":15.41,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":19.2,"cyl":8.0,"disp":400.0,"hp":175.0,"drat":3.08,"wt":3.845,"qsec":17.05,"vs":0.0,"am":0.0,"gear":3.0,"carb":2.0},{"mpg":27.3,"cyl":4.0,"disp":79.0,"hp":66.0,"drat":4.08,"wt":1.935,"qsec":18.9,"vs":1.0,"am":1.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":1.0},{"mpg":26.0,"cyl":4.0,"disp":120.3,"hp":91.0,"drat":4.43,"wt":2.14,"qsec":16.7,"vs":0.0,"am":1.0,"gear":5.0,"carb":2.0},{"mpg":30.4,"cyl":4.0,"disp":95.1,"hp":113.0,"drat":3.77,"wt":1.513,"qsec":16.9,"vs":1.0,"am":1.0,"gear":5.0,"carb":2.0},{"mpg":15.8,"cyl":8.0,"disp":351.0,"hp":264.0,"drat":4.22,"wt":3.17,"qsec":14.5,"vs":0.0,"am":1.0,"gear":5.0,"carb":4.0},{"mpg":19.7,"cyl":6.0,"disp":145.0,"hp":175.0,"drat":3.62,"wt":2.77,"qsec":15.5,"vs":0.0,"am":1.0,"gear":5.0,"carb":6.0},{"mpg":15.0,"cyl":8.0,"disp":301.0,"hp":335.0,"drat":3.54,"wt":3.57,"qsec":14.6,"vs":0.0,"am":1.0,"gear":5.0,"carb":8.0},{"mpg":21.4,"cyl":4.0,"disp":121.0,"hp":109.0,"drat":4.11,"wt":2.78,"qsec":18.6,"vs":1.0,"am":1.0,"gear":4.0,"carb":2.0}]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/testthat/examples/mtcars.json.gz b/tests/testthat/examples/mtcars.json.gz
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c6b536
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/testthat/examples/mtcars.json.gz differ
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-read-json-file-gz.R b/tests/testthat/test-read-json-file-gz.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e75574e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-read-json-file-gz.R
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+
+test_that("reading from gz compressed files works", {
+
+  expect_identical(  
+    read_json_file(testthat::test_path("examples/mtcars.json")),
+    read_json_file(testthat::test_path("examples/mtcars.json.gz"))
+  )
+})