diff --git a/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/installcd-stage1.spec b/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/installcd-stage1.spec
index 7a28de4f..726b956e 100644
--- a/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/installcd-stage1.spec
+++ b/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/installcd-stage1.spec
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ snapshot: @TIMESTAMP@
 source_subpath: default/stage3-alpha-openrc-@TIMESTAMP@
 portage_confdir: @REPO_DIR@/releases/portage/isos-qemu
 interpreter: /usr/bin/qemu-alpha
+compression_mode: pixz_x
 livecd/use:
 	compile-locales
 	fbcon
diff --git a/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/stage1-openrc.spec b/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/stage1-openrc.spec
index a28350c1..3b33273b 100644
--- a/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/stage1-openrc.spec
+++ b/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/stage1-openrc.spec
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ update_seed: yes
 update_seed_command: -uDN @world
 portage_confdir: @REPO_DIR@/releases/portage/stages-qemu
 interpreter: /usr/bin/qemu-alpha
+compression_mode: pixz_x
diff --git a/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/stage3-openrc.spec b/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/stage3-openrc.spec
index fb23a4f6..61cb85ee 100644
--- a/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/stage3-openrc.spec
+++ b/releases/specs-qemu/alpha/stage3-openrc.spec
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ snapshot: @TIMESTAMP@
 source_subpath: default/stage1-alpha-openrc-@TIMESTAMP@
 portage_confdir: @REPO_DIR@/releases/portage/stages-qemu
 interpreter: /usr/bin/qemu-alpha
+compression_mode: pixz_x