diff --git a/libmproxy/encoding.py b/libmproxy/encoding.py
index b56c03a69..aab4141b8 100644
--- a/libmproxy/encoding.py
+++ b/libmproxy/encoding.py
@@ -10,13 +10,21 @@ ENCODINGS = set(["identity", "gzip", "deflate"])
 
 def decode(encoding, content):
     encoding_map = {
-        "identity": decode_identity,
+        "identity": identity,
         "gzip": decode_gzip,
         "deflate": decode_deflate,
     }
-    return encoding_map.get(encoding, decode_identity)(content)
+    return encoding_map.get(encoding, identity)(content)
 
-def decode_identity(content):
+def encode(encoding, content):
+    encoding_map = {
+        "identity": identity,
+        "gzip": encode_gzip,
+        "deflate": encode_deflate,
+    }
+    return encoding_map.get(encoding, identity)(content)
+
+def identity(content):
     """
         Returns content unchanged. Identity is the default value of
         Accept-Encoding headers.
@@ -30,9 +38,16 @@ def decode_gzip(content):
     except IOError:
         return None
 
+def encode_gzip(content):
+    s = cStringIO.StringIO()
+    gf = gzip.GzipFile(fileobj=s, mode='wb')
+    gf.write(content)
+    gf.close()
+    return s.getvalue()
+
 def decode_deflate(content):
     """
-        Returns decompress data for DEFLATE. Some servers may respond with
+        Returns decompressed data for DEFLATE. Some servers may respond with
         compressed data without a zlib header or checksum. An undocumented
         feature of zlib permits the lenient decompression of data missing both
         values.
@@ -46,3 +61,9 @@ def decode_deflate(content):
             return zlib.decompress(content, -15)
     except zlib.error:
         return None
+
+def encode_deflate(content):
+    """
+        Returns compressed content, always including zlib header and checksum.
+    """
+    return zlib.compress(content)
diff --git a/test/test_encoding.py b/test/test_encoding.py
index 00632c0e8..dff146ee7 100644
--- a/test/test_encoding.py
+++ b/test/test_encoding.py
@@ -4,30 +4,28 @@ import libpry
 import cStringIO
 import gzip, zlib
 
-class udecode_identity(libpry.AutoTree):
-    def test_decode(self):
-        assert 'string' == encoding.decode('identity', 'string')
+class uidentity(libpry.AutoTree):
+    def test_simple(self):
+        assert "string" == encoding.decode("identity", "string")
+        assert "string" == encoding.encode("identity", "string")
 
     def test_fallthrough(self):
-        assert 'string' == encoding.decode('nonexistent encoding', 'string')
+        assert "string" == encoding.decode("nonexistent encoding", "string")
+        assert "string" == encoding.encode("nonexistent encoding", "string")
 
-class udecode_gzip(libpry.AutoTree):
+class ugzip(libpry.AutoTree):
     def test_simple(self):
-        s = cStringIO.StringIO()
-        gf = gzip.GzipFile(fileobj=s, mode='wb')
-        gf.write('string')
-        gf.close()
-        assert 'string' == encoding.decode('gzip', s.getvalue())
+        assert "string" == encoding.decode("gzip", encoding.encode("gzip", "string"))
         assert None == encoding.decode("gzip", "bogus")
 
-class udecode_deflate(libpry.AutoTree):
+class udeflate(libpry.AutoTree):
     def test_simple(self):
-        assert 'string' == encoding.decode('deflate', zlib.compress('string'))
-        assert 'string' == encoding.decode('deflate', zlib.compress('string')[2:-4])
+        assert "string" == encoding.decode("deflate", encoding.encode("deflate", "string"))
+        assert "string" == encoding.decode("deflate", encoding.encode("deflate", "string")[2:-4])
         assert None == encoding.decode("deflate", "bogus")
 
 tests = [
-    udecode_identity(),
-    udecode_gzip(),
-    udecode_deflate()
+    uidentity(),
+    ugzip(),
+    udeflate()
 ]