diff --git a/plugin/erratic/erratic.go b/plugin/erratic/erratic.go
index 3460f3bca..f60e605d1 100644
--- a/plugin/erratic/erratic.go
+++ b/plugin/erratic/erratic.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ type Erratic struct {
 	duration time.Duration
 
 	truncate uint64
+	large    bool // undocumented feature; return large responses for A request (>512B, to test compression).
 
 	q uint64 // counter of queries
 }
@@ -57,6 +58,11 @@ func (e *Erratic) ServeDNS(ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dns.Msg
 		rr := *(rrA.(*dns.A))
 		rr.Header().Name = state.QName()
 		m.Answer = append(m.Answer, &rr)
+		if e.large {
+			for i := 0; i < 29; i++ {
+				m.Answer = append(m.Answer, &rr)
+			}
+		}
 	case dns.TypeAAAA:
 		rr := *(rrAAAA.(*dns.AAAA))
 		rr.Header().Name = state.QName()
diff --git a/plugin/erratic/erratic_test.go b/plugin/erratic/erratic_test.go
index 406fd8774..ec2ec5c0a 100644
--- a/plugin/erratic/erratic_test.go
+++ b/plugin/erratic/erratic_test.go
@@ -98,3 +98,19 @@ func TestAxfr(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected for record to be %d, got %d", dns.TypeSOA, x)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestErratic(t *testing.T) {
+	e := &Erratic{drop: 0, delay: 0}
+
+	ctx := context.TODO()
+
+	req := new(dns.Msg)
+	req.SetQuestion("example.org.", dns.TypeA)
+
+	rec := dnstest.NewRecorder(&test.ResponseWriter{})
+	e.ServeDNS(ctx, rec, req)
+
+	if rec.Msg.Answer[0].Header().Rrtype != dns.TypeA {
+		t.Errorf("Expected A response, got %d type", rec.Msg.Answer[0].Header().Rrtype)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/plugin/erratic/setup.go b/plugin/erratic/setup.go
index 52c4d245c..79e4449ee 100644
--- a/plugin/erratic/setup.go
+++ b/plugin/erratic/setup.go
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ func parseErratic(c *caddy.Controller) (*Erratic, error) {
 					return nil, fmt.Errorf("illegal amount value given %q", args[0])
 				}
 				e.truncate = uint64(amount)
+			case "large":
+				e.large = true
 			default:
 				return nil, c.Errf("unknown property '%s'", c.Val())
 			}
diff --git a/request/request.go b/request/request.go
index c4e4eea3c..f560612c8 100644
--- a/request/request.go
+++ b/request/request.go
@@ -226,11 +226,7 @@ func (r *Request) SizeAndDo(m *dns.Msg) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-// Scrub is a noop function, added for backwards compatibility reasons. The original Scrub is now called
-// automatically by the server on writing the reply. See ScrubWriter.
-func (r *Request) Scrub(reply *dns.Msg) (*dns.Msg, int) { return reply, 0 }
-
-// scrub scrubs the reply message so that it will fit the client's buffer. It will first
+// Scrub scrubs the reply message so that it will fit the client's buffer. It will first
 // check if the reply fits without compression and then *with* compression.
 // Scrub will then use binary search to find a save cut off point in the additional section.
 // If even *without* the additional section the reply still doesn't fit we
@@ -238,7 +234,7 @@ func (r *Request) Scrub(reply *dns.Msg) (*dns.Msg, int) { return reply, 0 }
 // we set the TC bit on the reply; indicating the client should retry over TCP.
 // Note, the TC bit will be set regardless of protocol, even TCP message will
 // get the bit, the client should then retry with pigeons.
-func (r *Request) scrub(reply *dns.Msg) *dns.Msg {
+func (r *Request) Scrub(reply *dns.Msg) *dns.Msg {
 	size := r.Size()
 
 	reply.Compress = false
diff --git a/request/request_test.go b/request/request_test.go
index 6685ad3b3..bfc95bc5e 100644
--- a/request/request_test.go
+++ b/request/request_test.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func TestRequestScrubAnswer(t *testing.T) {
 			fmt.Sprintf("large.example.com. 10 IN SRV 0 0 80 10-0-0-%d.default.pod.k8s.example.com.", i)))
 	}
 
-	req.scrub(reply)
+	req.Scrub(reply)
 	if want, got := req.Size(), reply.Len(); want < got {
 		t.Errorf("Want scrub to reduce message length below %d bytes, got %d bytes", want, got)
 	}
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func TestRequestScrubExtra(t *testing.T) {
 			fmt.Sprintf("large.example.com. 10 IN SRV 0 0 80 10-0-0-%d.default.pod.k8s.example.com.", i)))
 	}
 
-	req.scrub(reply)
+	req.Scrub(reply)
 	if want, got := req.Size(), reply.Len(); want < got {
 		t.Errorf("Want scrub to reduce message length below %d bytes, got %d bytes", want, got)
 	}
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func TestRequestScrubExtraEdns0(t *testing.T) {
 			fmt.Sprintf("large.example.com. 10 IN SRV 0 0 80 10-0-0-%d.default.pod.k8s.example.com.", i)))
 	}
 
-	req.scrub(reply)
+	req.Scrub(reply)
 	if want, got := req.Size(), reply.Len(); want < got {
 		t.Errorf("Want scrub to reduce message length below %d bytes, got %d bytes", want, got)
 	}
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ func TestRequestScrubExtraRegression(t *testing.T) {
 			fmt.Sprintf("10-0-0-%d.default.pod.k8s.example.com. 10 IN A 10.0.0.%d", i, i)))
 	}
 
-	reply = req.scrub(reply)
+	reply = req.Scrub(reply)
 	if want, got := req.Size(), reply.Len(); want < got {
 		t.Errorf("Want scrub to reduce message length below %d bytes, got %d bytes", want, got)
 	}
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func TestRequestScrubAnswerExact(t *testing.T) {
 		reply.Answer = append(reply.Answer, test.A(fmt.Sprintf("large.example.com. 10 IN A 127.0.0.%d", i)))
 	}
 
-	req.scrub(reply)
+	req.Scrub(reply)
 	if want, got := req.Size(), reply.Len(); want < got {
 		t.Errorf("Want scrub to reduce message length below %d bytes, got %d bytes", want, got)
 	}
diff --git a/request/writer.go b/request/writer.go
index ef0c14417..ffbbe93e3 100644
--- a/request/writer.go
+++ b/request/writer.go
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ func NewScrubWriter(req *dns.Msg, w dns.ResponseWriter) *ScrubWriter { return &S
 // scrub on the message m and will then write it to the client.
 func (s *ScrubWriter) WriteMsg(m *dns.Msg) error {
 	state := Request{Req: s.req, W: s.ResponseWriter}
-	new, _ := state.Scrub(m)
-	return s.ResponseWriter.WriteMsg(new)
+	n := state.Scrub(m)
+	return s.ResponseWriter.WriteMsg(n)
 }
diff --git a/test/compression_scrub_test.go b/test/compression_scrub_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b18f1fe0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compression_scrub_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package test
+
+import (
+	"net"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/miekg/dns"
+)
+
+func TestCompressScrub(t *testing.T) {
+	corefile := `example.org:0 {
+                       erratic {
+			  drop 0
+			  delay 0
+			  large
+		       }
+		     }`
+
+	i, udp, _, err := CoreDNSServerAndPorts(corefile)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Could not get CoreDNS serving instance: %s", err)
+	}
+	defer i.Stop()
+
+	c, err := net.Dial("udp", udp)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Could not dial %s", err)
+	}
+	m := new(dns.Msg)
+	m.SetQuestion("example.org.", dns.TypeA)
+	q, _ := m.Pack()
+
+	c.Write(q)
+	buf := make([]byte, 1024)
+	n, err := c.Read(buf)
+	if err != nil || n == 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected reply, got: %s", err)
+		return
+	}
+	if n >= 512 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected returned packet to be < 512, got %d", n)
+	}
+	buf = buf[:n]
+	// If there is compression in the returned packet we should look for compression pointers, if found
+	// the pointers should return to the domain name in the query (the first domain name that's avaiable for
+	// compression. This means we're looking for a combo where the pointers is detected and the offset is 12
+	// the position of the first name after the header. The erratic plugin adds 30 RRs that should all be compressed.
+	found := 0
+	for i := 0; i < len(buf)-1; i++ {
+		if buf[i]&0xC0 == 0xC0 {
+			off := (int(buf[i])^0xC0)<<8 | int(buf[i+1])
+			if off == 12 {
+				found++
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if found != 30 {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to find all compression pointers in the packet, wanted 30, got %d", found)
+	}
+}