diff --git a/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest.m.cpp b/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest.m.cpp
index 8a8e450d..83222dc2 100644
--- a/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest.m.cpp
+++ b/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest.m.cpp
@@ -241,6 +241,13 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
             balcl::TypeInfo(&args.producer.messageFlag),
             balcl::OccurrenceInfo(args.producer.messageFlag),
         },
+        {
+            "use-compression",
+            "use-compression",
+            "Enable compression for messages sent by producers",
+            balcl::TypeInfo(&args.producer.useCompression),
+            balcl::OccurrenceInfo(balcl::OccurrenceInfo::e_OPTIONAL),
+        },
         {
             "log-level",
             "log-level",
@@ -259,5 +266,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
     configLog(logLevel);
 
+    args.consumer.useCompression =
+        args.producer.useCompression; // use same compression setting for both
+                                      // producer and consumer
     return rmqperftest::Runner::run(args);
 }
diff --git a/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest_args.h b/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest_args.h
index ef590ce9..130e1995 100644
--- a/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest_args.h
+++ b/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest_args.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ struct ProducerArgs {
     , messageSize(10)
     , messageFlag("")
     , numProducers(1)
+    , useCompression(false)
     {
     }
 
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ struct ProducerArgs {
     int messageSize;
     bsl::string messageFlag;
     int numProducers;
+    bool useCompression;
 
     // TODO bsl::string messageContentType;
     // TODO double producerRandomStartDelay = 0.0;
@@ -77,6 +79,7 @@ struct ConsumerArgs {
     , consumerRateLimit(0)
     , numConsumers(1)
     , consumerArgs("")
+    , useCompression(false)
     {
     }
 
@@ -86,6 +89,7 @@ struct ConsumerArgs {
     int numConsumers;
     bsl::string
         consumerArgs; // expected comma separated "key=value, key=value, ..."
+    bool useCompression;
 
     // TODO bool consumerSlowStart = false;
     // TODO int consumerLatencyUSec  = 0;
diff --git a/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest_runner.cpp b/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest_runner.cpp
index 951e92f0..1b0110bd 100644
--- a/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest_runner.cpp
+++ b/examples/rmqperftest/rmqperftest_runner.cpp
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@
 #include <rmqperftest_consumerargs.h>
 #include <rmqperftest_runner.h>
 
+#include <rmqa_compressiontransformer.h>
 #include <rmqa_connectionstring.h>
 #include <rmqa_consumer.h>
 #include <rmqa_producer.h>
 #include <rmqa_rabbitcontext.h>
 #include <rmqa_vhost.h>
 #include <rmqt_exchange.h>
+#include <rmqt_properties.h>
 #include <rmqt_vhostinfo.h>
 
 #include <bsl_algorithm.h>
@@ -112,6 +114,42 @@ void finalizeProducers(bsl::vector<ProducerRoutingKeyPair>& producers)
     producers.clear();
 }
 
+// Generate a message payload of the specified size
+// The payload should be compressible, but not completely trivial (like all
+// 'a's)
+bsl::shared_ptr<bsl::vector<uint8_t> > createMessagePayload(size_t size)
+{
+    bsl::shared_ptr<bsl::vector<uint8_t> > vec =
+        bsl::make_shared<bsl::vector<uint8_t> >(size, 'a');
+    bsl::vector<uint8_t>* payload = vec.get();
+    size_t idx                    = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {
+        for (int j = 0; j < 26; j++) {
+            for (int k = 0; k < 26; k++) {
+                for (int l = 0; l < 26; l++) {
+                    payload->at(idx++) = 'a' + i;
+                    if (idx >= size) {
+                        return vec;
+                    }
+                    payload->at(idx++) = 'a' + i;
+                    if (idx >= size) {
+                        return vec;
+                    }
+                    payload->at(idx++) = 'a' + k;
+                    if (idx >= size) {
+                        return vec;
+                    }
+                    payload->at(idx++) = 'a' + l;
+                    if (idx >= size) {
+                        return vec;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return vec;
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 int Runner::run(const PerfTestArgs& args)
@@ -208,6 +246,15 @@ int Runner::run(const PerfTestArgs& args)
                 bsl::cerr << "Failed to create producer: " << i << "\n";
                 return 1;
             }
+            if (args.producer.useCompression) {
+                rmqt::Result<rmqp::MessageTransformer> transformer =
+                    rmqa::CompressionTransformer::create();
+                if (!transformer) {
+                    bsl::cerr << "Failed to create compression transformer\n";
+                    return 1;
+                }
+                producerResult.value()->addTransformer(transformer.value());
+            }
 
             producers.push_back(bsl::make_pair(
                 producerResult.value(),
@@ -244,6 +291,15 @@ int Runner::run(const PerfTestArgs& args)
                       << bsl::endl;
             consumerConfig.setConsumerPriority(priority.value());
         }
+        if (args.consumer.useCompression) {
+            rmqt::Result<rmqp::MessageTransformer> transformer =
+                rmqa::CompressionTransformer::create();
+            if (!transformer) {
+                bsl::cerr << "Failed to create compression transformer\n";
+                return 1;
+            }
+            consumerConfig.addTransformer(transformer.value());
+        }
 
         bsl::shared_ptr<bsls::AtomicBool> consumerFinishedFlag =
             bsl::make_shared<bsls::AtomicBool>(false);
@@ -271,6 +327,9 @@ int Runner::run(const PerfTestArgs& args)
         }
     }
 
+    bsl::shared_ptr<bsl::vector<uint8_t> > rawPayload =
+        createMessagePayload(args.producer.messageSize);
+
     const bsls::TimeInterval startTime = bsls::SystemTime::nowMonotonicClock();
 
     bsls::TimeInterval nextPublish =
@@ -306,8 +365,7 @@ int Runner::run(const PerfTestArgs& args)
                       bsls::TimeInterval(args.producer.publishingInterval, 0);
 
         if (producers.size() > 0) {
-            rmqt::Message msg(bsl::make_shared<bsl::vector<uint8_t> >(
-                args.producer.messageSize, 'a'));
+            rmqt::Message msg(rawPayload);
 
             if (args.producer.messageFlag == "persistent") {
                 msg.updateDeliveryMode(rmqt::DeliveryMode::PERSISTENT);
@@ -325,8 +383,9 @@ int Runner::run(const PerfTestArgs& args)
 
             producerMessagesSent += 1;
 
-            if ((int)producerMessagesSent >=
-                args.producer.producerMessageCount) {
+            if (args.producer.producerMessageCount >= 0 &&
+                static_cast<int>(producerMessagesSent) >=
+                    args.producer.producerMessageCount) {
 
                 finalizeProducers(producers);
             }
diff --git a/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_compressiontransformerimpl.cpp b/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_compressiontransformerimpl.cpp
index f8953e18..a0b837a8 100644
--- a/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_compressiontransformerimpl.cpp
+++ b/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_compressiontransformerimpl.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <bsl_memory.h>
 #include <bsl_string.h>
 #include <bsl_vector.h>
+#include <bsls_assert.h>
 
 namespace BloombergLP {
 namespace rmqa {
@@ -84,9 +85,7 @@ rmqt::Result<bool> CompressionTransformerImpl::transform(
     }
 
     // Update headers
-    if (!props.headers) {
-        props.headers = bsl::make_shared<rmqt::FieldTable>();
-    }
+    BSLS_ASSERT(props.headers);
     props.headers->emplace("sdk.transform.compression.alg",
                            rmqt::FieldValue(bsl::string("zstd")));
     props.headers->emplace(
@@ -126,9 +125,7 @@ rmqt::Result<> CompressionTransformerImpl::inverseTransform(
     bsl::shared_ptr<bsl::vector<uint8_t> >& data,
     rmqt::Properties& props)
 {
-    if (!props.headers) {
-        return rmqt::Result<>("Malformed message");
-    }
+    BSLS_ASSERT(props.headers);
     int64_t originalSize =
         (*props.headers)["sdk.transform.compression.size"].the<int64_t>();
     if (originalSize <= 0) {
diff --git a/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_consumerimpl.cpp b/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_consumerimpl.cpp
index 6ccb7e89..afe082d6 100644
--- a/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_consumerimpl.cpp
+++ b/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_consumerimpl.cpp
@@ -215,7 +215,8 @@ bool ConsumerImpl::unpackTransformations(rmqt::Message& dstMessage,
         }
         rmqt::Result<> r = (*it)->inverseTransform(rawData, properties);
         if (!r) {
-            BALL_LOG_ERROR << "Inverse transformation failed: " << r.error();
+            BALL_LOG_ERROR << "Inverse transformation " << (*it)->name()
+                           << " failed: " << r.error();
             return false;
         }
         properties.headers->erase(headerName); // Remove transformation header
diff --git a/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_producerimpl.cpp b/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_producerimpl.cpp
index 878a888b..b3a1784f 100644
--- a/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_producerimpl.cpp
+++ b/src/rmq/rmqa/rmqa_producerimpl.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <rmqio_eventloop.h>
 #include <rmqp_messagetransformer.h>
 #include <rmqt_confirmresponse.h>
+#include <rmqt_fieldvalue.h>
 #include <rmqt_future.h>
 #include <rmqt_message.h>
 #include <rmqt_topologyupdate.h>
@@ -206,6 +207,9 @@ bool ProducerImpl::applyTransformations(rmqt::Message& dstMessage,
             srcMessage.payload(),
             srcMessage.payload() + srcMessage.payloadSize());
     rmqt::Properties props = srcMessage.properties();
+    if (!props.headers) {
+        props.headers = bsl::make_shared<rmqt::FieldTable>();
+    }
 
     // Apply all transformations
     for (bsl::vector<bsl::shared_ptr<rmqp::MessageTransformer> >::iterator it =
@@ -214,7 +218,8 @@ bool ProducerImpl::applyTransformations(rmqt::Message& dstMessage,
          ++it) {
         rmqt::Result<bool> r = (*it)->transform(rawData, props);
         if (!r) {
-            BALL_LOG_ERROR << "Transformation failed";
+            BALL_LOG_ERROR << "Transformation " << (*it)->name()
+                           << " failed: " << r.error();
             return false;
         }
         else if (*r.value()) {
@@ -222,13 +227,13 @@ bool ProducerImpl::applyTransformations(rmqt::Message& dstMessage,
                      ->emplace("sdk.transform." + (*it)->name(),
                                rmqt::FieldValue(bsl::string("ok")))
                      .second) {
-                BALL_LOG_ERROR << "Reserved header 'sdk.transform."
+                BALL_LOG_ERROR << "Transformation header 'sdk.transform."
                                << (*it)->name() << "' already exists";
                 return false;
             }
         }
         else {
-            BALL_LOG_DEBUG << "Transformation ignored";
+            BALL_LOG_DEBUG << "Transformation " << (*it)->name() << " ignored";
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/tests/rmqa/rmqa_messagetransformer.t.cpp b/src/tests/rmqa/rmqa_messagetransformer.t.cpp
index ee31847b..ccafadd1 100644
--- a/src/tests/rmqa/rmqa_messagetransformer.t.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/rmqa/rmqa_messagetransformer.t.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include <rmqa_compressiontransformer.h>
 #include <rmqp_messagetransformer.h>
+#include <rmqt_fieldvalue.h>
 #include <rmqt_message.h>
 #include <rmqt_result.h>
 
@@ -42,7 +43,10 @@ class TransformerTester {
         bsl::shared_ptr<bsl::vector<uint8_t> > data =
             bsl::make_shared<bsl::vector<uint8_t> >(
                 message.payload(), message.payload() + message.payloadSize());
-        rmqt::Properties props    = message.properties();
+        rmqt::Properties props = message.properties();
+        if (!props.headers) {
+            props.headers = bsl::make_shared<rmqt::FieldTable>();
+        }
         rmqt::Result<bool> result = transformer.transform(data, props);
         if (expectedResult == FAILURE) {
             EXPECT_FALSE(result); // Expect failure
@@ -147,6 +151,7 @@ TEST(MessageBuilderTests, ChainedCompressionIsValid)
     bsl::shared_ptr<bsl::vector<uint8_t> > data =
         bsl::make_shared<bsl::vector<uint8_t> >(s.cbegin(), s.cend());
     rmqt::Properties props = rmqt::Message(data).properties();
+    props.headers          = bsl::make_shared<rmqt::FieldTable>();
 
     // Build message
     BasicMessageTransform t1;
@@ -179,6 +184,7 @@ TEST(MessageBuilderTests, ChainedTransformIsValid)
     bsl::shared_ptr<bsl::vector<uint8_t> > data =
         bsl::make_shared<bsl::vector<uint8_t> >(s.cbegin(), s.cend());
     rmqt::Properties props = rmqt::Message(data).properties();
+    props.headers          = bsl::make_shared<rmqt::FieldTable>();
 
     // Build message
     BasicMessageTransform t1;