diff --git a/Detectors/TOF/compression/include/TOFCompression/CompressorTask.h b/Detectors/TOF/compression/include/TOFCompression/CompressorTask.h
index 0bd9adb6b0e0b..8857a5ccc6358 100644
--- a/Detectors/TOF/compression/include/TOFCompression/CompressorTask.h
+++ b/Detectors/TOF/compression/include/TOFCompression/CompressorTask.h
@@ -32,16 +32,14 @@ template <typename RDH, bool verbose>
 class CompressorTask : public Task
 {
  public:
-  CompressorTask() { mBufferOut = new char[mBufferOutSize]; };
-  ~CompressorTask() override { delete[] mBufferOut; };
+  CompressorTask() = default;
+  ~CompressorTask() override = default;
   void init(InitContext& ic) final;
   void run(ProcessingContext& pc) final;
 
  private:
   Compressor<RDH, verbose> mCompressor;
-
-  char* mBufferOut = nullptr;
-  const int mBufferOutSize = 33554432;
+  int mOutputBufferSize;
 };
 
 } // namespace tof
diff --git a/Detectors/TOF/compression/src/CompressorTask.cxx b/Detectors/TOF/compression/src/CompressorTask.cxx
index 7e4d5854daec8..4ecfd2b68a0db 100644
--- a/Detectors/TOF/compression/src/CompressorTask.cxx
+++ b/Detectors/TOF/compression/src/CompressorTask.cxx
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ void CompressorTask<RDH, verbose>::init(InitContext& ic)
   auto decoderVerbose = ic.options().get<bool>("tof-compressor-decoder-verbose");
   auto encoderVerbose = ic.options().get<bool>("tof-compressor-encoder-verbose");
   auto checkerVerbose = ic.options().get<bool>("tof-compressor-checker-verbose");
+  mOutputBufferSize = ic.options().get<bool>("tof-compressor-output-buffer-size");
 
   mCompressor.setDecoderCONET(decoderCONET);
   mCompressor.setDecoderVerbose(decoderVerbose);
@@ -56,10 +57,6 @@ void CompressorTask<RDH, verbose>::run(ProcessingContext& pc)
 {
   LOG(DEBUG) << "Compressor run";
 
-  /** set encoder output buffer **/
-  mCompressor.setEncoderBuffer(mBufferOut);
-  mCompressor.setEncoderBufferSize(mBufferOutSize);
-
   auto device = pc.services().get<o2::framework::RawDeviceService>().device();
   auto outputRoutes = pc.services().get<o2::framework::RawDeviceService>().spec().outputs;
   auto fairMQChannel = outputRoutes.at(0).channel;
@@ -76,18 +73,24 @@ void CompressorTask<RDH, verbose>::run(ProcessingContext& pc)
     /** loop over input parts **/
     for (auto const& ref : iit) {
 
+      /** input **/
       auto headerIn = DataRefUtils::getHeader<o2::header::DataHeader*>(ref);
       auto dataProcessingHeaderIn = DataRefUtils::getHeader<o2::framework::DataProcessingHeader*>(ref);
       auto payloadIn = ref.payload;
       auto payloadInSize = headerIn->payloadSize;
+
+      /** prepare **/
+      auto bufferSize = mOutputBufferSize > 0 ? mOutputBufferSize : payloadInSize;
+      auto payloadMessage = device->NewMessage(bufferSize);
       mCompressor.setDecoderBuffer(payloadIn);
       mCompressor.setDecoderBufferSize(payloadInSize);
+      mCompressor.setEncoderBuffer((char*)payloadMessage->GetData());
+      mCompressor.setEncoderBufferSize(bufferSize);
 
       /** run **/
       mCompressor.run();
       auto payloadOutSize = mCompressor.getEncoderByteCounter();
-      auto payloadMessage = device->NewMessage(payloadOutSize);
-      std::memcpy(payloadMessage->GetData(), mBufferOut, payloadOutSize);
+      payloadMessage->SetUsedSize(payloadOutSize);
 
       /** output **/
       auto headerOut = *headerIn;
diff --git a/Detectors/TOF/compression/src/tof-compressor.cxx b/Detectors/TOF/compression/src/tof-compressor.cxx
index 15ab4be396642..8483702c5843c 100644
--- a/Detectors/TOF/compression/src/tof-compressor.cxx
+++ b/Detectors/TOF/compression/src/tof-compressor.cxx
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ WorkflowSpec defineDataProcessing(ConfigContext const& cfgc)
       outputs,
       algoSpec,
       Options{
+        {"tof-compressor-output-buffer-size", VariantType::Int, 0, {"Encoder output buffer size (in bytes). Zero = automatic (careful)."}},
         {"tof-compressor-conet-mode", VariantType::Bool, false, {"Decoder CONET flag"}},
         {"tof-compressor-decoder-verbose", VariantType::Bool, false, {"Decoder verbose flag"}},
         {"tof-compressor-encoder-verbose", VariantType::Bool, false, {"Encoder verbose flag"}},