diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 589e425..3da6617 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ default:
 build:images:
   stage: 'build:images'
   before_script:
-    - 'apk add --no-cache coreutils git make xz'
+    - 'apk add --no-cache coreutils git make zstd'
   script:
     - 'make IMAGE_BUILD_OPTS="--pull" build-image save-image'
   artifacts:
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ push:images:
   only:
     - '/^v[0-9]+$/'
   before_script:
-    - 'apk add --no-cache coreutils git make xz'
+    - 'apk add --no-cache coreutils git make zstd'
     - 'docker login -u "${CI_REGISTRY_USER:?}" -p "${CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD:?}" "${CI_REGISTRY:?}"'
   script:
     - 'make load-image push-image'
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 16310fb..71b8b79 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ endif
 
 IMAGE_BUILD_OPTS :=
 
-IMAGE_TARBALL := $(DISTDIR)/$(IMAGE_PROJECT).txz
+IMAGE_TARBALL := $(DISTDIR)/$(IMAGE_PROJECT).tzst
 
 ##################################################
 ## "all" target
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ build-image:
 ##################################################
 
 define save_image
-	'$(DOCKER)' save '$(1)' | xz -T0 > '$(2)'
+	'$(DOCKER)' save '$(1)' | zstd -T0 -19 > '$(2)'
 endef
 
 .PHONY: save-image
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ $(IMAGE_TARBALL): build-image
 ##################################################
 
 define load_image
-	'$(DOCKER)' load -i '$(1)'
+	zstd -dc '$(1)' | '$(DOCKER)' load
 endef
 
 define tag_image