diff --git a/src/testers/mcap_multi_record_tester.cpp b/src/testers/mcap_multi_record_tester.cpp
index 2a0a175..dd1058f 100644
--- a/src/testers/mcap_multi_record_tester.cpp
+++ b/src/testers/mcap_multi_record_tester.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <filesystem>
 #include <map>
+#include <optional>
 #include <string>
+#include <string_view>
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace {
@@ -31,6 +33,20 @@ constexpr int exit_code(const TesterExitCode code) {
 	return static_cast<int>(code);
 }
 
+[[nodiscard]]
+std::optional<cvmmap_streamer::McapCompression> parse_compression(std::string_view raw) {
+	if (raw == "none") {
+		return cvmmap_streamer::McapCompression::None;
+	}
+	if (raw == "lz4") {
+		return cvmmap_streamer::McapCompression::Lz4;
+	}
+	if (raw == "zstd") {
+		return cvmmap_streamer::McapCompression::Zstd;
+	}
+	return std::nullopt;
+}
+
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
@@ -43,13 +59,21 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		argc > 1
 			? std::filesystem::path(argv[1])
 			: std::filesystem::temp_directory_path() / "cvmmap_streamer_multi_record_test.mcap";
+	const auto compression =
+		argc > 2
+			? parse_compression(argv[2]).value_or(cvmmap_streamer::McapCompression::None)
+			: cvmmap_streamer::McapCompression::None;
+	if (argc > 2 && !parse_compression(argv[2])) {
+		spdlog::error("invalid compression '{}': expected none|lz4|zstd", argv[2]);
+		return exit_code(TesterExitCode::CreateError);
+	}
 	if (output_path.has_parent_path()) {
 		std::filesystem::create_directories(output_path.parent_path());
 	}
 
 	auto sink = cvmmap_streamer::record::MultiMcapRecordSink::create(
 		output_path.string(),
-		cvmmap_streamer::McapCompression::None);
+		compression);
 	if (!sink) {
 		spdlog::error("failed to create MCAP sink: {}", sink.error());
 		return exit_code(TesterExitCode::CreateError);
diff --git a/third_party/mcap/include/mcap/writer.hpp b/third_party/mcap/include/mcap/writer.hpp
index a32b054..416878d 100644
--- a/third_party/mcap/include/mcap/writer.hpp
+++ b/third_party/mcap/include/mcap/writer.hpp
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ public:
 private:
   std::vector<std::byte> uncompressedBuffer_;
   std::vector<std::byte> compressedBuffer_;
+  CompressionLevel compressionLevel_ = CompressionLevel::Default;
   ZSTD_CCtx_s* zstdContext_ = nullptr;
 };
 #endif
diff --git a/third_party/mcap/include/mcap/writer.inl b/third_party/mcap/include/mcap/writer.inl
index d58cf24..86a629c 100644
--- a/third_party/mcap/include/mcap/writer.inl
+++ b/third_party/mcap/include/mcap/writer.inl
@@ -241,10 +241,13 @@ int ZStdCompressionLevel(CompressionLevel level) {
 
 // ZStdWriter //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-ZStdWriter::ZStdWriter(CompressionLevel compressionLevel, uint64_t chunkSize) {
+ZStdWriter::ZStdWriter(CompressionLevel compressionLevel, uint64_t chunkSize)
+    : compressionLevel_(compressionLevel) {
   zstdContext_ = ZSTD_createCCtx();
-  ZSTD_CCtx_setParameter(zstdContext_, ZSTD_c_compressionLevel,
-                         internal::ZStdCompressionLevel(compressionLevel));
+  if (zstdContext_ == nullptr) {
+    std::cerr << "ZSTD_createCCtx failed\n";
+    std::abort();
+  }
   uncompressedBuffer_.reserve(chunkSize);
 }
 
@@ -259,15 +262,16 @@ void ZStdWriter::handleWrite(const std::byte* data, uint64_t size) {
 void ZStdWriter::end() {
   const auto dstCapacity = ZSTD_compressBound(uncompressedBuffer_.size());
   compressedBuffer_.resize(dstCapacity);
-  const size_t dstSize = ZSTD_compress2(zstdContext_, compressedBuffer_.data(), dstCapacity,
-                                        uncompressedBuffer_.data(), uncompressedBuffer_.size());
+  const size_t dstSize =
+    ZSTD_compressCCtx(zstdContext_, compressedBuffer_.data(), dstCapacity,
+                      uncompressedBuffer_.data(), uncompressedBuffer_.size(),
+                      internal::ZStdCompressionLevel(compressionLevel_));
   if (ZSTD_isError(dstSize)) {
     const auto errCode = ZSTD_getErrorCode(dstSize);
-    std::cerr << "ZSTD_compress2 failed: " << ZSTD_getErrorName(dstSize) << " ("
+    std::cerr << "ZSTD_compressCCtx failed: " << ZSTD_getErrorName(dstSize) << " ("
               << ZSTD_getErrorString(errCode) << ")\n";
     std::abort();
   }
-  ZSTD_CCtx_reset(zstdContext_, ZSTD_reset_session_only);
   compressedBuffer_.resize(dstSize);
 }