diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest.java
index 6b973c81084..b8a2fdbf8c1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardRouting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.regex.Regex;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.ImmutableSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
+import org.elasticsearch.indices.recovery.RecoverySettings;
+import org.elasticsearch.transport.Transport;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportModule;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportService;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.netty.NettyTransport;
@@ -146,9 +148,16 @@ public abstract class ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest extends Elasti
     }
 
     protected Settings nodeSettings(int nodeOrdinal) {
-        return ImmutableSettings.builder().put(requiredSettings())
+        ImmutableSettings.Builder builder = ImmutableSettings.builder().put(requiredSettings())
                 .put(TransportModule.TRANSPORT_TYPE_KEY, NettyTransport.class.getName()) // run same transport  / disco as external
-                .put(TransportModule.TRANSPORT_SERVICE_TYPE_KEY, TransportService.class.getName()).build();
+                .put(TransportModule.TRANSPORT_SERVICE_TYPE_KEY, TransportService.class.getName());
+        if (compatibilityVersion().before(Version.V_1_3_2)) {
+            // if we test against nodes before 1.3.2 we disable all the compression due to a known bug
+            // see #7210
+            builder.put(Transport.TransportSettings.TRANSPORT_TCP_COMPRESS, false)
+                   .put(RecoverySettings.INDICES_RECOVERY_COMPRESS, false);
+        }
+        return builder.build();
     }
 
     public void assertAllShardsOnNodes(String index, String pattern) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchIntegrationTest.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchIntegrationTest.java
index 64fc2b52a3b..ca2ed43a264 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchIntegrationTest.java
@@ -449,6 +449,7 @@ public abstract class ElasticsearchIntegrationTest extends ElasticsearchTestCase
             builder.put(StoreModule.DISTIBUTOR_KEY, random.nextBoolean() ? StoreModule.LEAST_USED_DISTRIBUTOR : StoreModule.RANDOM_WEIGHT_DISTRIBUTOR);
         }
 
+
         if (random.nextBoolean()) {
             if (random.nextInt(10) == 0) { // do something crazy slow here
                 builder.put(RecoverySettings.INDICES_RECOVERY_MAX_BYTES_PER_SEC, new ByteSizeValue(RandomInts.randomIntBetween(random, 1, 10), ByteSizeUnit.MB));
@@ -456,6 +457,11 @@ public abstract class ElasticsearchIntegrationTest extends ElasticsearchTestCase
                 builder.put(RecoverySettings.INDICES_RECOVERY_MAX_BYTES_PER_SEC, new ByteSizeValue(RandomInts.randomIntBetween(random, 10, 200), ByteSizeUnit.MB));
             }
         }
+
+        if (random.nextBoolean()) {
+            builder.put(RecoverySettings.INDICES_RECOVERY_COMPRESS, randomBoolean());
+        }
+
         if (random.nextBoolean()) {
              builder.put(FsTranslog.INDEX_TRANSLOG_FS_TYPE, RandomPicks.randomFrom(random, FsTranslogFile.Type.values()).name());
         }
@@ -472,7 +478,11 @@ public abstract class ElasticsearchIntegrationTest extends ElasticsearchTestCase
             builder.put(IndicesFieldDataCache.FIELDDATA_CACHE_CONCURRENCY_LEVEL, randomIntBetween(1, 32));
             builder.put(IndicesFilterCache.INDICES_CACHE_FILTER_CONCURRENCY_LEVEL, randomIntBetween(1, 32));
         }
-        
+        if (globalCompatibilityVersion().before(Version.V_1_3_2)) {
+            // if we test against nodes before 1.3.2 we disable all the compression due to a known bug
+            // see #7210
+            builder.put(RecoverySettings.INDICES_RECOVERY_COMPRESS, false);
+        }
         return builder;
     }