diff --git a/cmd/catchpointdump/file.go b/cmd/catchpointdump/file.go
index ec2a3ccd8e..c2f337046d 100644
--- a/cmd/catchpointdump/file.go
+++ b/cmd/catchpointdump/file.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"archive/tar"
 	"bufio"
+	"compress/gzip"
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/base64"
@@ -43,12 +44,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/util/db"
 )
 
-var tarFile string
+var catchpointFile string
 var outFileName string
 var excludedFields *cmdutil.CobraStringSliceValue = cmdutil.MakeCobraStringSliceValue(nil, []string{"version", "catchpoint"})
 
 func init() {
-	fileCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&tarFile, "tar", "t", "", "Specify the tar file to process")
+	fileCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&catchpointFile, "tar", "t", "", "Specify the catchpoint file (either .tar or .tar.gz) to process")
 	fileCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&outFileName, "output", "o", "", "Specify an outfile for the dump ( i.e. tracker.dump.txt )")
 	fileCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&loadOnly, "load", "l", false, "Load only, do not dump")
 	fileCmd.Flags().VarP(excludedFields, "exclude-fields", "e", "List of fields to exclude from the dump: ["+excludedFields.AllowedString()+"]")
@@ -60,18 +61,18 @@ var fileCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Long:  "Specify a file to dump",
 	Args:  validateNoPosArgsFn,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		if tarFile == "" {
+		if catchpointFile == "" {
 			cmd.HelpFunc()(cmd, args)
 			return
 		}
-		stats, err := os.Stat(tarFile)
+		stats, err := os.Stat(catchpointFile)
 		if err != nil {
-			reportErrorf("Unable to stat '%s' : %v", tarFile, err)
+			reportErrorf("Unable to stat '%s' : %v", catchpointFile, err)
 		}
 
-		tarSize := stats.Size()
-		if tarSize == 0 {
-			reportErrorf("Empty file '%s' : %v", tarFile, err)
+		catchpointSize := stats.Size()
+		if catchpointSize == 0 {
+			reportErrorf("Empty file '%s' : %v", catchpointFile, err)
 		}
 		// TODO: store CurrentProtocol in catchpoint file header.
 		// As a temporary workaround use a current protocol version.
@@ -105,13 +106,13 @@ var fileCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 		var fileHeader ledger.CatchpointFileHeader
 
-		reader, err := os.Open(tarFile)
+		reader, err := os.Open(catchpointFile)
 		if err != nil {
-			reportErrorf("Unable to read '%s' : %v", tarFile, err)
+			reportErrorf("Unable to read '%s' : %v", catchpointFile, err)
 		}
 		defer reader.Close()
 
-		fileHeader, err = loadCatchpointIntoDatabase(context.Background(), catchupAccessor, reader, tarSize)
+		fileHeader, err = loadCatchpointIntoDatabase(context.Background(), catchupAccessor, reader, catchpointSize)
 		if err != nil {
 			reportErrorf("Unable to load catchpoint file into in-memory database : %v", err)
 		}
@@ -148,14 +149,49 @@ func printLoadCatchpointProgressLine(progress int, barLength int, dld int64) {
 	fmt.Printf(escapeCursorUp+escapeDeleteLine+outString+" %s\n", formatSize(dld))
 }
 
-func loadCatchpointIntoDatabase(ctx context.Context, catchupAccessor ledger.CatchpointCatchupAccessor, tarFile io.Reader, tarSize int64) (fileHeader ledger.CatchpointFileHeader, err error) {
+func isGzipCompressed(catchpointReader *bufio.Reader, catchpointFileSize int64) bool {
+	const gzipPrefixSize = 2
+	const gzipPrefix = "\x1F\x8B"
+
+	if catchpointFileSize < gzipPrefixSize {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	prefixBytes, err := catchpointReader.Peek(gzipPrefixSize)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return prefixBytes[0] == gzipPrefix[0] && prefixBytes[1] == gzipPrefix[1]
+}
+
+func getCatchpointTarReader(catchpointReader *bufio.Reader, catchpointFileSize int64) (*tar.Reader, error) {
+	if isGzipCompressed(catchpointReader, catchpointFileSize) {
+		gzipReader, err := gzip.NewReader(catchpointReader)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		return tar.NewReader(gzipReader), nil
+	}
+
+	return tar.NewReader(catchpointReader), nil
+}
+
+func loadCatchpointIntoDatabase(ctx context.Context, catchupAccessor ledger.CatchpointCatchupAccessor, catchpointFile io.Reader, catchpointFileSize int64) (fileHeader ledger.CatchpointFileHeader, err error) {
 	fmt.Printf("\n")
 	printLoadCatchpointProgressLine(0, 50, 0)
 	lastProgressUpdate := time.Now()
 	progress := uint64(0)
 	defer printLoadCatchpointProgressLine(0, 0, 0)
 
-	tarReader := tar.NewReader(tarFile)
+	catchpointReader := bufio.NewReader(catchpointFile)
+	tarReader, err := getCatchpointTarReader(catchpointReader, catchpointFileSize)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fileHeader, err
+	}
+
 	var downloadProgress ledger.CatchpointCatchupAccessorProgress
 	for {
 		header, err := tarReader.Next()
@@ -190,9 +226,9 @@ func loadCatchpointIntoDatabase(ctx context.Context, catchupAccessor ledger.Catc
 			// we already know it's valid, since we validated that above.
 			protocol.Decode(balancesBlockBytes, &fileHeader)
 		}
-		if time.Since(lastProgressUpdate) > 50*time.Millisecond && tarSize > 0 {
+		if time.Since(lastProgressUpdate) > 50*time.Millisecond && catchpointFileSize > 0 {
 			lastProgressUpdate = time.Now()
-			printLoadCatchpointProgressLine(int(float64(progress)*50.0/float64(tarSize)), 50, int64(progress))
+			printLoadCatchpointProgressLine(int(float64(progress)*50.0/float64(catchpointFileSize)), 50, int64(progress))
 		}
 	}
 }