diff --git a/interface/src/VoxelPacketProcessor.cpp b/interface/src/VoxelPacketProcessor.cpp
index 18f71ccd6a..52f992d56b 100644
--- a/interface/src/VoxelPacketProcessor.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/VoxelPacketProcessor.cpp
@@ -59,16 +59,19 @@ void VoxelPacketProcessor::processPacket(sockaddr& senderAddress, unsigned char*
             } else {
                 app->_voxels.setDataSourceUUID(voxelServer->getUUID());
                 
-                // thse packets are commpressed...
-                
-                int numBytesPacketHeader = numBytesForPacketHeader(packetData);
-                QByteArray compressedData((const char*)packetData + numBytesPacketHeader, 
-                                        messageLength - numBytesPacketHeader);
-                QByteArray uncompressedData = qUncompress(compressedData);
-                QByteArray uncompressedPacket((const char*)packetData, numBytesPacketHeader);
-                uncompressedPacket.append(uncompressedData);
+                // these packets are commpressed...
+                if (VOXEL_PACKETS_COMPRESSED) {
+                    int numBytesPacketHeader = numBytesForPacketHeader(packetData);
+                    QByteArray compressedData((const char*)packetData + numBytesPacketHeader, 
+                                            messageLength - numBytesPacketHeader);
+                    QByteArray uncompressedData = qUncompress(compressedData);
+                    QByteArray uncompressedPacket((const char*)packetData, numBytesPacketHeader);
+                    uncompressedPacket.append(uncompressedData);
 
-                app->_voxels.parseData((unsigned char*)uncompressedPacket.data(), uncompressedPacket.size());
+                    app->_voxels.parseData((unsigned char*)uncompressedPacket.data(), uncompressedPacket.size());
+                } else {
+                    app->_voxels.parseData(packetData, messageLength);
+                }
                 app->_voxels.setDataSourceUUID(QUuid());
             }
         }
diff --git a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
index acbd4b3024..62419565c6 100644
--- a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ int VoxelSystem::parseData(unsigned char* sourceBuffer, int numBytes) {
             PerformanceWarning warn(Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::PipelineWarnings),
                                     "readBitstreamToTree()");
             // ask the VoxelTree to read the bitstream into the tree
-            ReadBitstreamToTreeParams args(WANT_COLOR, NO_EXISTS_BITS /*WANT_EXISTS_BITS*/, NULL, getDataSourceUUID());
+            ReadBitstreamToTreeParams args(WANT_COLOR, WANT_EXISTS_BITS, NULL, getDataSourceUUID());
             lockTree();
             _tree->readBitstreamToTree(voxelData, numBytes - numBytesPacketHeader, args);
             unlockTree();
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ int VoxelSystem::parseData(unsigned char* sourceBuffer, int numBytes) {
             PerformanceWarning warn(Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::PipelineWarnings),
                                     "readBitstreamToTree()");
             // ask the VoxelTree to read the MONOCHROME bitstream into the tree
-            ReadBitstreamToTreeParams args(NO_COLOR, NO_EXISTS_BITS /*WANT_EXISTS_BITS*/, NULL, getDataSourceUUID());
+            ReadBitstreamToTreeParams args(NO_COLOR, WANT_EXISTS_BITS, NULL, getDataSourceUUID());
             lockTree();
             _tree->readBitstreamToTree(voxelData, numBytes - numBytesPacketHeader, args);
             unlockTree();
diff --git a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.cpp b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.cpp
index 8dce11fb5d..03cd278c52 100644
--- a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.cpp
@@ -102,38 +102,48 @@ void VoxelNodeData::resetVoxelPacket() {
 
     int numBytesPacketHeader = populateTypeAndVersion(_voxelPacket, voxelPacketType);
     _voxelPacketAt = _voxelPacket + numBytesPacketHeader;
-    _voxelPacketAvailableBytes = (MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE * UNCOMPRESSED_SIZE_MULTIPLE) - numBytesPacketHeader;
-    compressPacket();
+    
+    if (VOXEL_PACKETS_COMPRESSED) {
+        _voxelPacketAvailableBytes = (MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE * UNCOMPRESSED_SIZE_MULTIPLE) - numBytesPacketHeader;
+        compressPacket();
+    } else {
+        _voxelPacketAvailableBytes = MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE - numBytesPacketHeader;
+    }
     _voxelPacketWaiting = false;
 }
 
 bool VoxelNodeData::willFit(unsigned char* buffer, int bytes) {
-    int uncompressedLength = getPacketLengthUncompressed();
-    const int MAX_COMPRESSION = 9;
-    // we only want to compress the data payload, not the message header
-    int numBytesPacketHeader = numBytesForPacketHeader(_voxelPacket);
+    bool wouldFit = false;
+    if (VOXEL_PACKETS_COMPRESSED) {
+        int uncompressedLength = getPacketLengthUncompressed();
+        const int MAX_COMPRESSION = 9;
+        // we only want to compress the data payload, not the message header
+        int numBytesPacketHeader = numBytesForPacketHeader(_voxelPacket);
     
-    // start with the current uncompressed data
-    QByteArray uncompressedTestData((const char*)_voxelPacket + numBytesPacketHeader, 
-                                    uncompressedLength - numBytesPacketHeader);
+        // start with the current uncompressed data
+        QByteArray uncompressedTestData((const char*)_voxelPacket + numBytesPacketHeader, 
+                                        uncompressedLength - numBytesPacketHeader);
 
-    // append this next buffer...
-    uncompressedTestData.append((const char*)buffer, bytes);
+        // append this next buffer...
+        uncompressedTestData.append((const char*)buffer, bytes);
 
-    // test compress it
-    QByteArray compressedData = qCompress(uncompressedTestData, MAX_COMPRESSION);
+        // test compress it
+        QByteArray compressedData = qCompress(uncompressedTestData, MAX_COMPRESSION);
     
-    bool wouldFit = (compressedData.size() + numBytesPacketHeader) <= MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE;
+        wouldFit = (compressedData.size() + numBytesPacketHeader) <= MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE;
     
-    /*
-    if (!wouldFit) {
-        printf("would not fit... previous size: %d, buffer size: %d, would be:%d MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE: %d\n",
-            getPacketLength(), bytes, (compressedData.size() + numBytesPacketHeader), MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE);
+        /*
+        if (!wouldFit) {
+            printf("would not fit... previous size: %d, buffer size: %d, would be:%d MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE: %d\n",
+                getPacketLength(), bytes, (compressedData.size() + numBytesPacketHeader), MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE);
+        } else {
+            printf("would fit... previous size: %d, buffer size: %d, would be:%d MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE: %d\n",
+                getPacketLength(), bytes, (compressedData.size() + numBytesPacketHeader), MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE);
+        }
+        */
     } else {
-        printf("would fit... previous size: %d, buffer size: %d, would be:%d MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE: %d\n",
-            getPacketLength(), bytes, (compressedData.size() + numBytesPacketHeader), MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE);
+        wouldFit = bytes <= _voxelPacketAvailableBytes;
     }
-    */
     return wouldFit;
 }
 
@@ -145,8 +155,25 @@ void VoxelNodeData::writeToPacket(unsigned char* buffer, int bytes) {
     compressPacket();
 }
 
+const unsigned char* VoxelNodeData::getPacket() const { 
+    if (VOXEL_PACKETS_COMPRESSED) {
+        return (const unsigned char*)_compressedPacket.constData(); 
+    }
+    return _voxelPacket;
+}
+
+int VoxelNodeData::getPacketLength() const { 
+    if (VOXEL_PACKETS_COMPRESSED) {
+        return _compressedPacket.size(); 
+    }
+    return getPacketLengthUncompressed();
+}
+
 int VoxelNodeData::getPacketLengthUncompressed() const { 
-    return (MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE * UNCOMPRESSED_SIZE_MULTIPLE) - _voxelPacketAvailableBytes;
+    if (VOXEL_PACKETS_COMPRESSED) {
+        return (MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE * UNCOMPRESSED_SIZE_MULTIPLE) - _voxelPacketAvailableBytes;
+    }
+    return MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE - _voxelPacketAvailableBytes;
 }
 
 void VoxelNodeData::compressPacket() { 
diff --git a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.h b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.h
index ad928280d5..92ae5fc6c8 100644
--- a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.h
+++ b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.h
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ public:
     void writeToPacket(unsigned char* buffer, int bytes); // writes to end of packet
     bool willFit(unsigned char* buffer, int bytes); // tests to see if the bytes will fit
 
-    const unsigned char* getPacket() const { return (const unsigned char*)_compressedPacket.constData(); }
-    int getPacketLength() const { return _compressedPacket.size(); }
+    const unsigned char* getPacket() const;
+    int getPacketLength() const;
     int getPacketLengthUncompressed() const;
 
     bool isPacketWaiting() const { return _voxelPacketWaiting; }
diff --git a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelSendThread.cpp b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelSendThread.cpp
index 6c3bdd07cc..dbf2942793 100644
--- a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelSendThread.cpp
+++ b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelSendThread.cpp
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ int VoxelSendThread::deepestLevelVoxelDistributor(Node* node, VoxelNodeData* nod
                                  nodeData->getViewFrustumJustStoppedChanging()) || nodeData->hasLodChanged();
                 
                 EncodeBitstreamParams params(INT_MAX, &nodeData->getCurrentViewFrustum(), wantColor, 
-                                             NO_EXISTS_BITS /*WANT_EXISTS_BITS*/, DONT_CHOP, wantDelta, lastViewFrustum,
+                                             WANT_EXISTS_BITS, DONT_CHOP, wantDelta, lastViewFrustum,
                                              wantOcclusionCulling, coverageMap, boundaryLevelAdjust, voxelSizeScale,
                                              nodeData->getLastTimeBagEmpty(),
                                              isFullScene, &nodeData->stats, _myServer->getJurisdiction());
diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelConstants.h b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelConstants.h
index e0cd514214..4fb7775ad0 100644
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelConstants.h
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelConstants.h
@@ -62,4 +62,5 @@ const int DANGEROUSLY_DEEP_RECURSION = 200; // use this for something that needs
 
 const int DEFAULT_MAX_VOXEL_PPS = 600; // the default maximum PPS we think a voxel server should send to a client
 
+const bool VOXEL_PACKETS_COMPRESSED = false;
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file