--- config.c
+++ config.c
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@
 			  logInfo ** logsPtr, int *numLogsPtr)
 {
     int fd;
-    char *buf, *endtag;
+    char *buf, *endtag, *compresscmd_base;
     char oldchar, foo;
     int length;
     int lineNum = 1;
@@ -889,6 +889,18 @@
 		message(MESS_DEBUG, "compress_prog is now %s\n",
 			newlog->compress_prog);
 
+		compresscmd_base=strdup(basename(newlog->compress_prog));
+		i=0; /* have to check whether we may do this! */
+		/* we check whether we changed the compress_cmd. In case we use the apropriate extension
+		   as listed in compress_cmd_list */
+		while ((i>=0)&&(strcmp(compress_cmd_list[i][0], "EOLIST"))){
+		    if (0==strcmp(compress_cmd_list[i][0], compresscmd_base)){
+			newlog->compress_ext=strdup((char *)compress_cmd_list[i][1]);
+			message(MESS_DEBUG, "compress_ext was changed to %s\n", newlog->compress_ext);
+			i=-10; /* terminate loop! */
+		    }
+		    i++;
+		}
 	    } else if (!strcmp(start, "uncompresscmd")) {
 		*endtag = oldchar, start = endtag;
 		if (!
--- logrotate.c
+++ logrotate.c
@@ -50,6 +50,15 @@
 
 int debug = 0;
 char *mailCommand = DEFAULT_MAIL_COMMAND;
+/* This is the declaration. Note the "2" is needed in the definition (logrotate.h), too! */
+const char * compress_cmd_list[][2] = {
+  {"gzip", ".gz"},
+  {"bzip2", ".bz2"},
+  {"compress", ".Z"},
+  {"zip", "zip"},
+  {"EOLIST", "EOLIST"} /* end-marker */
+};
+
 time_t nowSecs = 0;
 
 static int globerr(const char *pathname, int theerr)
@@ -263,7 +272,7 @@
 		   char *uncompressCommand, char *address, char *subject)
 {
     int mailInput;
-    pid_t mailChild, uncompressChild;
+    pid_t mailChild, uncompressChild=(pid_t) 0;
     int mailStatus, uncompressStatus;
     int uncompressPipe[2];
     char *mailArgv[] = { mailCommand, "-s", subject, address, NULL };
--- logrotate.h
+++ logrotate.h
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@
     int compress_options_count;
 } logInfo;
 
+/* This is the definition. Note we have to carry the "2" within the declaration (logrotate.c), too! */
+extern const char * compress_cmd_list[][2];
+
 int readAllConfigPaths(const char **paths, logInfo ** logsPtr,
 		       int *numLogsPtr);