diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/pdf_output.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/pdf_output.py
index 9f35284f28..0e42f77588 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/pdf_output.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/pdf_output.py
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ class PDFOutput(OutputFormatPlugin):
             help=_('Adjust page numbers, as needed. Syntax is a JavaScript expression for the page number.'
                 ' For example, "if (n < 3) 0; else n - 3;", where n is current page number.')
         ),
+        OptionRecommendation(name='uncompressed_pdf',
+            recommended_value=False, help=_(
+                'Generate an uncompressed PDF, useful for debugging.')
+        ),
     }
 
     def specialize_options(self, log, opts, input_fmt):
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/html_writer.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/html_writer.py
index b848ba4b40..3c10500167 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/html_writer.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/html_writer.py
@@ -852,6 +852,9 @@ def convert(opf_path, opts, metadata=None, output_path=None, log=default_log, co
         update_metadata(pdf_doc, PDFMetadata(metadata))
     report_progress(1, _('Updated metadata in PDF'))
 
+    if opts.uncompressed_pdf:
+        pdf_doc.uncompress()
+
     pdf_data = pdf_doc.write()
     if output_path is None:
         return pdf_data
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/podofo/doc.cpp b/src/calibre/utils/podofo/doc.cpp
index 058fba489a..4b27df370e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/podofo/doc.cpp
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/podofo/doc.cpp
@@ -128,6 +128,18 @@ PDFDoc_save_to_fileobj(PDFDoc *self, PyObject *args) {
     return write_doc(self->doc, f);
 }
 
+static PyObject *
+PDFDoc_uncompress_pdf(PDFDoc *self, PyObject *args) {
+    for (TIVecObjects it = self->doc->GetObjects().begin(); it != self->doc->GetObjects().end(); it++) {
+        if((*it)->HasStream()) {
+            PdfMemStream* stream = dynamic_cast<PdfMemStream*>((*it)->GetStream());
+            stream->Uncompress();
+        }
+    }
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
+
 // }}}
 
 // extract_first_page() {{{
@@ -714,6 +726,9 @@ static PyMethodDef PDFDoc_methods[] = {
     {"save_to_fileobj", (PyCFunction)PDFDoc_save_to_fileobj, METH_VARARGS,
      "Write the PDF document to the soecified file-like object."
     },
+    {"uncompress", (PyCFunction)PDFDoc_uncompress_pdf, METH_NOARGS,
+     "Uncompress the PDF"
+    },
     {"extract_first_page", (PyCFunction)PDFDoc_extract_first_page, METH_VARARGS,
      "extract_first_page() -> Remove all but the first page."
     },