diff --git a/firecrest/AsyncClient.py b/firecrest/AsyncClient.py
index 2928c0a..d715291 100644
--- a/firecrest/AsyncClient.py
+++ b/firecrest/AsyncClient.py
@@ -833,6 +833,7 @@ async def compress(
             machine: str,
             source_path: str,
             target_path: str,
+            dereference: bool = False,
             fail_on_timeout: bool = True
     ) -> str:
         """Compress files using gzip compression.
@@ -849,10 +850,17 @@ async def compress(
 
         .. warning:: This is available only for FirecREST>=1.16.0
         """
+        data: dict[str, str | bool]  = {
+            "targetPath": target_path,
+            "sourcePath": source_path,
+        }
+        if dereference:
+            data["dereference"] = dereference
+
         resp = await self._post_request(
             endpoint="/utilities/compress",
             additional_headers={"X-Machine-Name": machine},
-            data={"targetPath": target_path, "sourcePath": source_path},
+            data=data,
         )
         # - If the response is 201, the request was successful so we can
         #   return the target path
@@ -876,7 +884,8 @@ async def compress(
             job_info = await self.submit_compress_job(
                 machine,
                 source_path,
-                target_path
+                target_path,
+                dereference
             )
             jobid = job_info['jobid']
             active_jobs = await self.poll_active(
@@ -1032,7 +1041,7 @@ async def stat(
 
         :param machine: the machine name where the filesystem belongs to
         :param target_path: the absolute target path
-        :param dereference: follow link (default False)
+        :param dereference: follow symbolic links
         :calls: GET `/utilities/stat`
         """
         params: dict[str, Any] = {"targetPath": target_path}
@@ -1617,6 +1626,7 @@ async def _internal_transfer(
         account,
         ret_response,
         extension=None,
+        dereference=False,
     ):
         data = {"targetPath": target_path}
         if source_path:
@@ -1637,6 +1647,9 @@ async def _internal_transfer(
         if extension:
             data["extension"] = extension
 
+        if dereference:
+            data["dereference"] = dereference
+
         resp = await self._post_request(
             endpoint=endpoint, additional_headers={"X-Machine-Name": machine}, data=data
         )
@@ -1734,6 +1747,7 @@ async def submit_compress_job(
         machine: str,
         source_path: str,
         target_path: str,
+        dereference: bool = False,
         job_name: Optional[str] = None,
         time: Optional[str] = None,
         stage_out_job_id: Optional[str] = None,
@@ -1746,6 +1760,7 @@ async def submit_compress_job(
         :param machine: the machine name where the scheduler belongs to
         :param source_path: the absolute source path
         :param target_path: the absolute target path
+        :param dereference: follow symbolic links
         :param job_name: job name
         :param time: limit on the total run time of the job. Acceptable time formats 'minutes', 'minutes:seconds', 'hours:minutes:seconds', 'days-hours', 'days-hours:minutes' and 'days-hours:minutes:seconds'.
         :param stage_out_job_id: transfer data after job with ID {stage_out_job_id} is completed
@@ -1768,6 +1783,7 @@ async def submit_compress_job(
             stage_out_job_id,
             account,
             resp,
+            dereference=dereference,
         )
         logger.info(f"Job submission task: {json_response['task_id']}")
         t = ComputeTask(self, json_response["task_id"], resp)
diff --git a/firecrest/BasicClient.py b/firecrest/BasicClient.py
index 18b9ae4..45c583e 100644
--- a/firecrest/BasicClient.py
+++ b/firecrest/BasicClient.py
@@ -600,6 +600,7 @@ def compress(
             machine: str,
             source_path: str,
             target_path: str,
+            dereference: bool = False,
             fail_on_timeout: bool = True
     ) -> str:
         """Compress files using gzip compression.
@@ -617,10 +618,17 @@ def compress(
 
         .. warning:: This is available only for FirecREST>=1.16.0
         """
+        data: dict[str, str | bool] = {
+            "targetPath": target_path,
+            "sourcePath": source_path
+        }
+        if dereference:
+            data["dereference"] = dereference
+
         resp = self._post_request(
             endpoint="/utilities/compress",
             additional_headers={"X-Machine-Name": machine},
-            data={"targetPath": target_path, "sourcePath": source_path},
+            data=data,
         )
         # - If the response is 201, the request was successful so we can
         #   return the target path
@@ -644,7 +652,8 @@ def compress(
             job_info = self.submit_compress_job(
                 machine,
                 source_path,
-                target_path
+                target_path,
+                dereference
             )
             jobid = job_info['jobid']
             active_jobs = self.poll_active(
@@ -801,7 +810,7 @@ def stat(
 
         :param machine: the machine name where the filesystem belongs to
         :param target_path: the absolute target path
-        :param dereference: follow link (default False)
+        :param dereference: follow symbolic links
         :calls: GET `/utilities/stat`
         """
         params: dict[str, Any] = {"targetPath": target_path}
@@ -1416,6 +1425,7 @@ def _internal_transfer(
         stage_out_job_id,
         account,
         extension=None,
+        dereference=False,
     ):
         data = {"targetPath": target_path}
         if source_path:
@@ -1436,6 +1446,9 @@ def _internal_transfer(
         if extension:
             data["extension"] = extension
 
+        if dereference:
+            data["dereference"] = dereference
+
         resp = self._post_request(
             endpoint=endpoint, additional_headers={"X-Machine-Name": machine}, data=data
         )
@@ -1651,6 +1664,7 @@ def submit_compress_job(
         machine: str,
         source_path: str,
         target_path: str,
+        dereference: bool = False,
         job_name: Optional[str] = None,
         time: Optional[str] = None,
         stage_out_job_id: Optional[str] = None,
@@ -1663,6 +1677,7 @@ def submit_compress_job(
         :param machine: the machine name where the scheduler belongs to
         :param source_path: the absolute source path
         :param target_path: the absolute target path
+        :param dereference: follow symbolic links
         :param job_name: job name
         :param time: limit on the total run time of the job. Acceptable time formats 'minutes', 'minutes:seconds', 'hours:minutes:seconds', 'days-hours', 'days-hours:minutes' and 'days-hours:minutes:seconds'.
         :param stage_out_job_id: transfer data after job with ID {stage_out_job_id} is completed
@@ -1684,6 +1699,7 @@ def submit_compress_job(
             time,
             stage_out_job_id,
             account,
+            dereference=dereference,
         )
         logger.info(f"Job submission task: {json_response['task_id']}")
         return self._poll_tasks(
diff --git a/firecrest/cli/__init__.py b/firecrest/cli/__init__.py
index 243caa9..f3ccc92 100644
--- a/firecrest/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/firecrest/cli/__init__.py
@@ -1256,7 +1256,13 @@ def submit_compress(
     try:
         console.print(
             client.submit_compress_job(
-                system, source, destination, job_name, time, jobid, account
+                machine=system,
+                source_path=source,
+                target_path=destination,
+                job_name=job_name,
+                time=time,
+                stage_out_job_id=jobid,
+                account=account
             )
         )
     except Exception as e: