diff --git a/maintainer-scripts/ChangeLog b/maintainer-scripts/ChangeLog
index c328ee83666..813d92005a9 100644
--- a/maintainer-scripts/ChangeLog
+++ b/maintainer-scripts/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2017-05-23  Matthias Klose  <doko@ubuntu.com>
+
+	* gcc_release (XZ): Default to xz --best.
+
 2017-05-18  Matthias Klose  <doko@ubuntu.com>
 
 	* gcc_release (build_gzip): Build xz tarball instead of bz2 tarball.
diff --git a/maintainer-scripts/gcc_release b/maintainer-scripts/gcc_release
index 142f99c085f..c8a398f84e6 100755
--- a/maintainer-scripts/gcc_release
+++ b/maintainer-scripts/gcc_release
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ FILE_LIST=""
 # Programs we use.
 
 BZIP2="${BZIP2:-bzip2}"
-XZ="${XZ:-xz}"
+XZ="${XZ:-xz --best}"
 CVS="${CVS:-cvs -f -Q -z9}"
 DIFF="${DIFF:-diff -Nrcpad}"
 ENV="${ENV:-env}"