diff --git a/golpe.yaml b/golpe.yaml
index 37f97276..2f79c212 100644
--- a/golpe.yaml
+++ b/golpe.yaml
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ tablesRaw:
   ## vals are prefixed with a type byte:
   ##   0: no compression, payload follows
   ##   1: zstd compression. Followed by Dictionary ID (native endian uint32) then compressed payload
+  ##   2: zstd compression (no dictionary), compressed payload follows
   EventPayload:
     flags: 'MDB_INTEGERKEY'
 
diff --git a/src/events.cpp b/src/events.cpp
index aadb6186..982a4cac 100644
--- a/src/events.cpp
+++ b/src/events.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,39 @@
 #include <openssl/sha.h>
 #include <negentropy.h>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <algorithm>
 
 #include "events.h"
 #include "jsonParseUtils.h"
 
 
+static int getPayloadZstdLevel() {
+    static int level = []() {
+        const char *s = std::getenv("STRFRY_EVENT_PAYLOAD_ZSTD_LEVEL");
+        if (!s) return 0;
+
+        try {
+            int v = std::stoi(s);
+            return std::max(0, std::min(v, 22));
+        } catch (...) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }();
+
+    return level;
+}
+
+static bool shouldRetainReplacedEvents() {
+    static bool retain = []() {
+        const char *s = std::getenv("STRFRY_RETAIN_REPLACED_EVENTS");
+        if (!s) return false;
+        return std::string(s) == "1" || std::string(s) == "true";
+    }();
+
+    return retain;
+}
+
+
 std::string nostrJsonToPackedEvent(const tao::json::value &v) {
     PackedEventTagBuilder tagBuilder;
 
@@ -212,6 +241,23 @@ std::string_view decodeEventPayload(lmdb::txn &txn, Decompressor &decomp, std::s
         if (outDictId) *outDictId = dictId;
         if (outCompressedSize) *outCompressedSize = raw.size();
         return buf;
+    } else if (raw[0] == '\x02') {
+        raw = raw.substr(1);
+
+        size_t frameSize = ZSTD_getFrameContentSize(raw.data(), raw.size());
+        if (frameSize == ZSTD_CONTENTSIZE_ERROR) throw herr("EventPayload zstd frame invalid");
+
+        size_t outSize = cfg().events__maxEventSize;
+        if (frameSize != ZSTD_CONTENTSIZE_UNKNOWN) outSize = std::min<size_t>(frameSize, cfg().events__maxEventSize);
+
+        decomp.reserve(outSize);
+
+        auto ret = ZSTD_decompress(decomp.buffer.data(), decomp.buffer.size(), raw.data(), raw.size());
+        if (ZSTD_isError(ret)) throw herr("zstd decompression failed: ", ZSTD_getErrorName(ret));
+
+        if (outDictId) *outDictId = 0;
+        if (outCompressedSize) *outCompressedSize = raw.size();
+        return std::string_view(decomp.buffer.data(), ret);
     } else {
         throw herr("Unexpected first byte in EventPayload");
     }
@@ -298,9 +344,20 @@ void writeEvents(lmdb::txn &txn, NegentropyFilterCache &neFilterCache, std::vect
 
                             if (otherTimestamp < thisTimestamp ||
                                 (otherTimestamp == thisTimestamp && packed.id() < otherPacked.id())) {
-                                if (logLevel >= 1) LI << "Deleting event (d-tag). id=" << to_hex(otherPacked.id());
-                                levIdsToDelete.push_back(otherEv.primaryKeyId);
+                                // New event is newer - delete the old one (unless audit mode)
+                                if (shouldRetainReplacedEvents()) {
+                                    // Audit mode: keep old event in storage for historical queries.
+                                    // The replace index will be updated to point to the new event,
+                                    // so NIP-01 queries return only the latest version.
+                                    // Old event remains queryable by ID for audit purposes.
+                                    if (logLevel >= 1) LI << "Retaining replaced event in storage (audit mode). id=" << to_hex(otherPacked.id());
+                                } else {
+                                    if (logLevel >= 1) LI << "Deleting event (d-tag). id=" << to_hex(otherPacked.id());
+                                    levIdsToDelete.push_back(otherEv.primaryKeyId);
+                                }
                             } else {
+                                // New event is older - reject it (even in audit mode, to avoid index corruption).
+                                // The JSONL audit log in the ingestion layer captures these anyway.
                                 ev.status = EventWriteStatus::Replaced;
                             }
                         }
@@ -328,8 +385,27 @@ void writeEvents(lmdb::txn &txn, NegentropyFilterCache &neFilterCache, std::vect
                 ev.levId = env.insert_Event(txn, ev.packedStr);
 
                 tmpBuf.clear();
-                tmpBuf += '\x00';
-                tmpBuf += ev.jsonStr;
+
+                int zstdLevel = getPayloadZstdLevel();
+                if (zstdLevel > 0 && ev.jsonStr.size() > 64) {
+                    std::string compressed;
+                    compressed.resize(ZSTD_compressBound(ev.jsonStr.size()));
+
+                    auto ret = ZSTD_compress(compressed.data(), compressed.size(), ev.jsonStr.data(), ev.jsonStr.size(), zstdLevel);
+
+                    if (!ZSTD_isError(ret) && (ret + 1) < ev.jsonStr.size()) {
+                        compressed.resize(ret);
+                        tmpBuf += '\x02';
+                        tmpBuf += compressed;
+                    } else {
+                        tmpBuf += '\x00';
+                        tmpBuf += ev.jsonStr;
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    tmpBuf += '\x00';
+                    tmpBuf += ev.jsonStr;
+                }
+
                 env.dbi_EventPayload.put(txn, lmdb::to_sv<uint64_t>(ev.levId), tmpBuf);
 
                 updateNegentropy(PackedEventView(ev.packedStr), true);
diff --git a/strfry.conf b/strfry.conf
index 8824903a..92989843 100644
--- a/strfry.conf
+++ b/strfry.conf
@@ -37,6 +37,27 @@ events {
 
     # Maximum size for tag values, in bytes
     maxTagValSize = 1024
+
+    # Optional event-payload zstd compression at ingest (experimental).
+    # Enable with env var on relay process:
+    #   STRFRY_EVENT_PAYLOAD_ZSTD_LEVEL=3
+    # Valid range: 1-22 (higher = more CPU, potentially better ratio)
+
+    # Optional: Retain replaced events for audit trail.
+    # By default, when a newer replaceable event (kind 0, 3, 10000-19999, 30000-39999)
+    # arrives, the old version is deleted from storage.
+    # 
+    # Enable this to KEEP old versions in storage:
+    #   STRFRY_RETAIN_REPLACED_EVENTS=true
+    #
+    # Behavior when enabled:
+    #   - Old versions are kept in storage (queryable by event ID)
+    #   - Replace index still points to newest (NIP-01 queries return latest only)
+    #   - Older incoming events are still rejected (to prevent index corruption)
+    #   - Storage usage increases over time
+    #
+    # For complete audit including rejected older events, use an external
+    # JSONL audit log in your ingestion layer.
 }
 
 relay {