diff --git a/.nycrc.json b/.nycrc.json
index 7a8da8fdf..b950f0abf 100644
--- a/.nycrc.json
+++ b/.nycrc.json
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@
     "src/agents/org-detector/instructions.js",
     "src/controllers/demo.js"
   ]
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e38d882ce..92daec942 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -157,4 +157,4 @@
     ],
     "ext": ".js, .cjs, .ejs, .css"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/controllers/llmo/llmo.js b/src/controllers/llmo/llmo.js
index 46766d89d..587bd60f3 100644
--- a/src/controllers/llmo/llmo.js
+++ b/src/controllers/llmo/llmo.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ const LLMO_SHEETDATA_SOURCE_URL = 'https://main--project-elmo-ui-data--adobe.aem
 
 function LlmoController(ctx) {
   const accessControlUtil = AccessControlUtil.fromContext(ctx);
+
   // Helper function to get site and validate LLMO config
   const getSiteAndValidateLlmo = async (context) => {
     const { siteId } = context.params;
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ function LlmoController(ctx) {
         headers: {
           Authorization: `token ${env.LLMO_HLX_API_KEY || 'hlx_api_key_missing'}`,
           'User-Agent': SPACECAT_USER_AGENT,
-          'Accept-Encoding': 'gzip',
+          'Accept-Encoding': 'br',
         },
       });
 
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ function LlmoController(ctx) {
       // Get the response data
       const data = await response.json();
 
-      // Return the data and let the framework handle the compression
+      // Return the data, pass through any compression headers from upstream
       return ok(data, {
         ...(response.headers ? Object.fromEntries(response.headers.entries()) : {}),
       });
@@ -236,7 +237,7 @@ function LlmoController(ctx) {
         headers: {
           Authorization: `token ${env.LLMO_HLX_API_KEY || 'hlx_api_key_missing'}`,
           'User-Agent': SPACECAT_USER_AGENT,
-          'Accept-Encoding': 'gzip',
+          'Accept-Encoding': 'br',
         },
       });
 
@@ -318,7 +319,7 @@ function LlmoController(ctx) {
       const totalDuration = methodEndTime - methodStartTime;
       log.info(`LLMO query completed - total duration: ${totalDuration}ms (fetch: ${fetchDuration}ms, inclusion: ${inclusionDuration}ms, filtering: ${filterDuration}ms, exclusion: ${exclusionDuration}ms, grouping: ${groupingDuration}ms, mapping: ${mappingDuration}ms)`);
 
-      // Return the data and let the framework handle the compression
+      // Return the data, pass through any compression headers from upstream
       return ok(data, {
         ...(response.headers ? Object.fromEntries(response.headers.entries()) : {}),
       });
@@ -361,7 +362,7 @@ function LlmoController(ctx) {
         headers: {
           Authorization: `token ${env.LLMO_HLX_API_KEY || 'hlx_api_key_missing'}`,
           'User-Agent': SPACECAT_USER_AGENT,
-          'Accept-Encoding': 'gzip',
+          'Accept-Encoding': 'br',
         },
       });
 
diff --git a/test/controllers/llmo/llmo.test.js b/test/controllers/llmo/llmo.test.js
index dfcadbd5c..796fa4e26 100644
--- a/test/controllers/llmo/llmo.test.js
+++ b/test/controllers/llmo/llmo.test.js
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ describe('LlmoController', () => {
         headers: {
           Authorization: `token ${TEST_API_KEY}`,
           'User-Agent': TEST_USER_AGENT,
-          'Accept-Encoding': 'gzip',
+          'Accept-Encoding': 'br',
         },
       });
     });
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ describe('LlmoController', () => {
         headers: {
           Authorization: 'token hlx_api_key_missing',
           'User-Agent': TEST_USER_AGENT,
-          'Accept-Encoding': 'gzip',
+          'Accept-Encoding': 'br',
         },
       });
     });