diff --git a/autotest.sh b/autotest.sh
index b53f1d464..7ce4736f6 100755
--- a/autotest.sh
+++ b/autotest.sh
@@ -148,6 +148,10 @@ fi
 if [ $SPDK_RUN_FUNCTIONAL_TEST -eq 1 ]; then
 	timing_enter lib
 
+        if [ $SPDK_TEST_REDUCE -eq 1 ]; then
+                run_test suite ./test/compress/compress.sh
+        fi
+
 	run_test suite test/env/env.sh
 	run_test suite test/rpc_client/rpc_client.sh
 	run_test suite ./test/json_config/json_config.sh
diff --git a/lib/bdev/compress/vbdev_compress_rpc.c b/lib/bdev/compress/vbdev_compress_rpc.c
index 69c7ca25a..2381f2147 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/compress/vbdev_compress_rpc.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/compress/vbdev_compress_rpc.c
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ spdk_rpc_set_compress_pmd(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 		spdk_jsonrpc_end_result(request, w);
 	}
 }
-SPDK_RPC_REGISTER("set_compress_pmd", spdk_rpc_set_compress_pmd, SPDK_RPC_RUNTIME)
+SPDK_RPC_REGISTER("set_compress_pmd", spdk_rpc_set_compress_pmd,
+		  SPDK_RPC_STARTUP | SPDK_RPC_RUNTIME)
 
 /* Structure to hold the parameters for this RPC method. */
 struct rpc_construct_compress {
diff --git a/test/compress/compress.sh b/test/compress/compress.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..fe63bd31f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compress/compress.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -e
+
+testdir=$(readlink -f $(dirname $0))
+rootdir=$(readlink -f $testdir/../..)
+plugindir=$rootdir/examples/bdev/fio_plugin
+rpc_py="$rootdir/scripts/rpc.py"
+source "$rootdir/scripts/common.sh"
+source "$rootdir/test/common/autotest_common.sh"
+
+function compress_err_cleanup() {
+	rm -rf /tmp/pmem
+	$rootdir/examples/nvme/perf/perf -q 1 -o 131072 -w write -t 2
+}
+
+# use the bdev svc to create a compress bdev, this assumes
+# there is no other metadata on the nvme device, we will put a
+# compress vol on a thin provisioned lvol on nvme
+mkdir -p /tmp/pmem
+$rootdir/test/app/bdev_svc/bdev_svc &
+bdev_svc_pid=$!
+trap "killprocess $bdev_svc_pid; compress_err_cleanup; exit 1" SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+waitforlisten $bdev_svc_pid
+bdf=$(iter_pci_class_code 01 08 02 | head -1)
+$rpc_py construct_nvme_bdev -b "Nvme0" -t "pcie" -a $bdf
+lvs_u=$($rpc_py construct_lvol_store Nvme0n1 lvs0)
+$rpc_py construct_lvol_bdev -t -u $lvs_u lv0 100
+# this will force isal_pmd as some of the CI systems need a qat driver update
+$rpc_py set_compress_pmd -p 2
+compress_bdev=$($rpc_py construct_compress_bdev -b lvs0/lv0 -p /tmp)
+trap - SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+killprocess $bdev_svc_pid
+
+# run bdevio test
+timing_enter compress_test
+$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio -w &
+bdevio_pid=$!
+trap "killprocess $bdevio_pid; compress_err_cleanup; exit 1" SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+waitforlisten $bdevio_pid
+$rpc_py set_compress_pmd -p 2
+$rpc_py construct_nvme_bdev -b "Nvme0" -t "pcie" -a $bdf
+waitforbdev $compress_bdev
+$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevio/tests.py perform_tests
+trap - SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+killprocess $bdevio_pid
+
+#run bdevperf with slightly different params for nightly
+qd=32
+runtime=3
+iosize=4096
+if [ $RUN_NIGHTLY -eq 1 ]; then
+	qd=64
+	runtime=30
+	iosize=16384
+fi
+$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -z -q $qd  -o $iosize -w verify -t $runtime &
+bdevperf_pid=$!
+trap "killprocess $bdevperf_pid; compress_err_cleanup; exit 1" SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+waitforlisten $bdevperf_pid
+$rpc_py set_compress_pmd -p 2
+$rpc_py construct_nvme_bdev -b "Nvme0" -t "pcie" -a $bdf
+waitforbdev $compress_bdev
+$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.py perform_tests
+
+# now cleanup the vols, deleting the compression vol also deletes the pmem file
+$rpc_py delete_compress_bdev COMP_lvs0/lv0
+$rpc_py destroy_lvol_store -l lvs0
+
+trap - SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+killprocess $bdevperf_pid
+timing_exit compress_test