diff --git a/draco/core/task.py b/draco/core/task.py
index 0126cac5a..b849945cf 100644
--- a/draco/core/task.py
+++ b/draco/core/task.py
@@ -259,10 +259,11 @@ class SingleTask(MPILoggedTask, pipeline.BasicContMixin):
     compression : dict or bool, optional
         Set compression options for each dataset. Provided as a dict with the dataset
         names as keys and values for `chunks`, `compression`, and `compression_opts`.
-        If set to `False`, chunks and compression will be disabled for all datasets.
-        Otherwise, the default parameters set in the dataset spec are used.
-        Note that this will modify these parameters on the container itself, such that
-        if it is written out again downstream in the pipeline these will be used.
+        If set to `False` (or anything that evaluates to `False`, such as an empty dict),
+        chunks and compression will be disabled for all datasets. Otherwise, the default
+        parameters set in the dataset spec are used. Note that this will modify these
+        parameters on the container itself, such that if it is written out again downstream
+        in the pipeline these will be used.
     output_root : string
         Pipeline settable parameter giving the first part of the output path.
         Deprecated in favour of `output_name`.
@@ -291,7 +292,7 @@ class SingleTask(MPILoggedTask, pipeline.BasicContMixin):
     output_name = config.Property(default="{output_root}{tag}.h5", proptype=str)
     output_format = config.file_format()
     compression = config.Property(
-        default={}, proptype=lambda x: x if isinstance(x, dict) else bool(x)
+        default=True, proptype=lambda x: x if isinstance(x, dict) else bool(x)
     )
 
     nan_check = config.Property(default=True, proptype=bool)
@@ -444,12 +445,8 @@ def walk_dset_tree(grp, root=""):
                     datasets.append(root + key)
             return datasets
 
-        if not self.compression:
-            for ds in walk_dset_tree(output):
-                output._data._storage_root[ds].chunks = None
-                output._data._storage_root[ds].compression = None
-                output._data._storage_root[ds].compression_opts = None
-        else:
+        if isinstance(self.compression, dict):
+            # We want to overwrite some compression settings
             datasets = walk_dset_tree(output)
             for ds in self.compression:
                 if ds in datasets:
@@ -459,7 +456,10 @@ def walk_dset_tree(grp, root=""):
                         )
                         setattr(output._data._storage_root[ds], key, val)
                     # shorthand for bitshuffle
-                    if output[ds].compression in ("bitshuffle", fileformats.H5FILTER):
+                    if output[ds].compression in (
+                        "bitshuffle",
+                        fileformats.H5FILTER,
+                    ):
                         output[ds].compression = fileformats.H5FILTER
                         if output[ds].compression_opts is None:
                             output._data._storage_root[ds].compression_opts = (
@@ -470,6 +470,12 @@ def walk_dset_tree(grp, root=""):
                     self.log.warning(
                         f"Ignoring config entry in `compression` for non-existing dataset `{ds}`"
                     )
+        elif not self.compression:
+            # Disable compression
+            for ds in walk_dset_tree(output):
+                output._data._storage_root[ds].chunks = None
+                output._data._storage_root[ds].compression = None
+                output._data._storage_root[ds].compression_opts = None
 
         # Routine to write output if needed.
         if self.save: