diff --git a/@vates/types/src/lib/xen-orchestra-xapi.mts b/@vates/types/src/lib/xen-orchestra-xapi.mts
index 8eb3b7c884..ea22f4879b 100644
--- a/@vates/types/src/lib/xen-orchestra-xapi.mts
+++ b/@vates/types/src/lib/xen-orchestra-xapi.mts
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ export interface Xapi {
   ): Promise<void>
   VM_export(
     vmRef: XenApiVm['$ref'],
-    opts?: { cancelToken?: unknown; compress?: boolean; useSnapshot?: boolean }
+    opts?: { cancelToken?: unknown; compress?: boolean | 'zstd' | 'gzip'; useSnapshot?: boolean }
   ): ReturnType<Xapi['getResource']>
   VM_import(
     stream: Readable,
diff --git a/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/middlewares/deprecated.middleware.mts b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/middlewares/deprecated.middleware.mts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e2d001f7ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/middlewares/deprecated.middleware.mts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import { createLogger } from '@xen-orchestra/log'
+import type { NextFunction, Request, Response } from 'express'
+
+const log = createLogger('xo:rest-api:deprecated.middleware')
+
+export function vmExportCompressDeprecated(req: Request, _res: Response, next: NextFunction) {
+  const compress = req.query.compress
+  if (compress === 'true' || compress === 'false') {
+    log.warn("the query param 'compress' as boolean is deprecated. Please use an explicit value next time")
+    req.query.compress = compress === 'true' ? 'gzip' : undefined
+  }
+
+  next()
+}
diff --git a/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vm-snapshots/vm-snapshot.controller.mts b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vm-snapshots/vm-snapshot.controller.mts
index 5459ad4f96..8fa90fda0a 100644
--- a/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vm-snapshots/vm-snapshot.controller.mts
+++ b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vm-snapshots/vm-snapshot.controller.mts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import {
 } from '../open-api/oa-examples/vm-snapshot.oa-example.mjs'
 import { VmService } from '../vms/vm.service.mjs'
 import { messageIds, partialMessages } from '../open-api/oa-examples/message.oa-example.mjs'
+import { vmExportCompressDeprecated } from '../middlewares/deprecated.middleware.mjs'
 
 @Route('vm-snapshots')
 @Security('*')
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ export class VmSnapshotController extends XapiXoController<XoVmSnapshot> {
    */
   @Extension('x-mcp-exposure', 'deny')
   @Get('{id}.{format}')
-  @Middlewares(acl({ resource: 'vm-snapshot', action: 'export', objectId: 'params.id' }))
+  @Middlewares([acl({ resource: 'vm-snapshot', action: 'export', objectId: 'params.id' }), vmExportCompressDeprecated])
   @SuccessResponse(200, 'Download started', 'application/octet-stream')
   @Response(forbiddenOperationResp.status, forbiddenOperationResp.description)
   @Response(notFoundResp.status, notFoundResp.description)
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ export class VmSnapshotController extends XapiXoController<XoVmSnapshot> {
     @Request() req: ExRequest,
     @Path() id: string,
     @Path() format: 'xva' | 'ova',
-    @Query() compress?: boolean
+    @Query() compress?: Parameters<VmService['export']>[2]['compress']
   ): Promise<Readable> {
     const stream = await this.#vmService.export(id as XoVmSnapshot['id'], 'VM-snapshot', {
       compress,
diff --git a/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vm-templates/vm-template.controller.mts b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vm-templates/vm-template.controller.mts
index 5874ffd8ea..3b1a6250c6 100644
--- a/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vm-templates/vm-template.controller.mts
+++ b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vm-templates/vm-template.controller.mts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import {
 import { VmService } from '../vms/vm.service.mjs'
 import { messageIds, partialMessages } from '../open-api/oa-examples/message.oa-example.mjs'
 import { partialTasks, taskIds } from '../open-api/oa-examples/task.oa-example.mjs'
+import { vmExportCompressDeprecated } from '../middlewares/deprecated.middleware.mjs'
 
 @Route('vm-templates')
 @Security('*')
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ export class VmTemplateController extends XapiXoController<XoVmTemplate> {
    */
   @Extension('x-mcp-exposure', 'deny')
   @Get('{id}.{format}')
-  @Middlewares(acl({ resource: 'vm-template', action: 'export', objectId: 'params.id' }))
+  @Middlewares([acl({ resource: 'vm-template', action: 'export', objectId: 'params.id' }), vmExportCompressDeprecated])
   @SuccessResponse(200, 'Download started', 'application/octet-stream')
   @Response(forbiddenOperationResp.status, forbiddenOperationResp.description)
   @Response(notFoundResp.status, notFoundResp.description)
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ export class VmTemplateController extends XapiXoController<XoVmTemplate> {
     @Request() req: ExRequest,
     @Path() id: string,
     @Path() format: 'xva' | 'ova',
-    @Query() compress?: boolean
+    @Query() compress?: Parameters<VmService['export']>[2]['compress']
   ): Promise<Readable> {
     const stream = await this.#vmService.export(id as XoVmTemplate['id'], 'VM-template', {
       compress,
diff --git a/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vms/vm.controller.mts b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vms/vm.controller.mts
index 88ca4dfd86..6a77bab078 100644
--- a/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vms/vm.controller.mts
+++ b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vms/vm.controller.mts
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ import type {
   XoMessage,
   XoNetwork,
   XoVif,
-  XoPif,
   XoSr,
 } from '@vates/types'
 import { PassThrough, Readable } from 'node:stream'
@@ -72,6 +71,7 @@ import { messageIds, partialMessages } from '../open-api/oa-examples/message.oa-
 import type { UnbrandedVmDashboard, UpdateVmRequestBody } from './vm.type.mjs'
 import type { CreateActionReturnType } from '../abstract-classes/base-controller.mjs'
 import { Task } from '@vates/task'
+import { vmExportCompressDeprecated } from '../middlewares/deprecated.middleware.mjs'
 
 const IGNORED_VDIS_TAG = '[NOSNAP]'
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ export class VmController extends XapiXoController<XoVm> {
    */
   @Extension('x-mcp-exposure', 'deny')
   @Get('{id}.{format}')
-  @Middlewares(acl({ resource: 'vm', action: 'export', objectId: 'params.id' }))
+  @Middlewares([acl({ resource: 'vm', action: 'export', objectId: 'params.id' }), vmExportCompressDeprecated])
   @SuccessResponse(200, 'Download started', 'application/octet-stream')
   @Response(forbiddenOperationResp.status, forbiddenOperationResp.description)
   @Response(notFoundResp.status, notFoundResp.description)
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ export class VmController extends XapiXoController<XoVm> {
   async exportVm(
     @Request() req: ExRequest,
     @Path() id: string,
-    @Path() format: 'xva' | 'ova',
-    @Query() compress?: boolean
+    @Path() format: Parameters<VmService['export']>[2]['format'],
+    @Query() compress?: Parameters<VmService['export']>[2]['compress']
   ): Promise<Readable> {
     const stream = await this.#vmService.export(id as XoVm['id'], 'VM', { compress, format, response: req.res })
     process.on('SIGTERM', () => req.destroy())
diff --git a/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vms/vm.service.mts b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vms/vm.service.mts
index 8b46b67b80..49c3b15aab 100644
--- a/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vms/vm.service.mts
+++ b/@xen-orchestra/rest-api/src/vms/vm.service.mts
@@ -180,7 +180,11 @@ export class VmService {
   async export<Vm extends XoVm | XoVmSnapshot | XoVmTemplate>(
     id: Vm['id'],
     vmType: Vm['type'],
-    { compress, format, response }: { compress?: boolean; format: 'ova' | 'xva'; response?: ExResponse }
+    {
+      compress,
+      format,
+      response,
+    }: { compress?: boolean | 'zstd' | 'gzip'; format: 'ova' | 'xva'; response?: ExResponse }
   ): Promise<Readable> {
     const xapiVm = this.#restApi.getXapiObject(id, vmType)
 
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.unreleased.md b/CHANGELOG.unreleased.md
index 3aa022f79b..08f574ca4c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.unreleased.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.unreleased.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 ### Enhancements
 
 > Users must be able to say: "Nice enhancement, I'm eager to test it"
+
 - [IPMI-Plugin] Add default outlet regex to the dell preset (PR [#9884](https://github.com/vatesfr/xen-orchestra/pull/9884))
 
 - [REST API] Expose `POST /backup-repositories` and `PATCH /backup-repositories/:id` REST routes (PR [#9852](https://github.com/vatesfr/xen-orchestra/pull/9852))
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@
 - xo-server-sdn-controller: apply/clean network rules on VIF update (PR [#9933](https://github.com/vatesfr/xen-orchestra/pull/9933))
 - [Rest Api] Fix `possibly unhandled rejection invalid crendentials` (PR [#9938](https://github.com/vatesfr/xen-orchestra/pull/9938))
 - [Backups] Fixed "Cannot read properties of undefined" issues (PR [#9944](https://github.com/vatesfr/xen-orchestra/pull/9944))
+- [REST API] `GET /vms/:id.:format`, `GET /vm-templates/:id.:format`, `GET /vm-snapshots/:id.:format` now correctly support explicit compress query param (`zstd` | `gzip`). Still support `true` | `false` as deprecated value (PR [#9960](https://github.com/vatesfr/xen-orchestra/pull/9960))
 
 ### Packages to release