diff --git a/internal/pkg/container/build.go b/internal/pkg/container/build.go
index 87c6ae3e..a1b8a200 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/container/build.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/container/build.go
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ func Build(name string, buildForce bool) error {
 
 	wwlog.Printf(wwlog.DEBUG, "Building VNFS image: '%s' -> '%s'\n", rootfsPath, imagePath)
 	cmd := fmt.Sprintf("cd %s; find . | cpio --quiet -o -H newc | gzip -c > \"%s\"", rootfsPath, imagePath)
+	// use pigz if available
+	err = exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", "command -v pigz").Run()
+	if err == nil {
+		cmd = fmt.Sprintf("cd %s; find . | cpio --quiet -o -H newc | pigz -c > \"%s\"", rootfsPath, imagePath)
+	}
+	wwlog.Printf(wwlog.DEBUG, "RUNNING: %s\n", cmd)
 	err = exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", cmd).Run()
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.New("Failed building VNFS")
diff --git a/internal/pkg/kernel/kernel.go b/internal/pkg/kernel/kernel.go
index 41e0c0b5..2fa8387e 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/kernel/kernel.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/kernel/kernel.go
@@ -100,7 +100,13 @@ func Build(kernelVersion string, root string) (string, error) {
 	wwlog.Printf(wwlog.VERBOSE, "Building Kernel driver image\n")
 	if _, err := os.Stat(kernelDrivers); err == nil {
 		cmd := fmt.Sprintf("cd /; find .%s | cpio --quiet -o -H newc | gzip -c > \"%s\"", kernelDrivers, driversDestination)
-		err := exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", cmd).Run()
+		// use pigz if available
+		err := exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", "command -v pigz").Run()
+		if err == nil {
+			cmd = fmt.Sprintf("cd /; find .%s | cpio --quiet -o -H newc | pigz -c > \"%s\"", kernelDrivers, driversDestination)
+		}
+		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.DEBUG, "RUNNING: %s\n", cmd)
+		err = exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", cmd).Run()
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
index 64ee02fa..eb29f043 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
@@ -255,6 +255,11 @@ func buildOverlay(nodeList []node.NodeInfo, overlayType string) error {
 		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.VERBOSE, "Finished generating overlay directory for: %s\n", n.Id.Get())
 
 		cmd := fmt.Sprintf("cd \"%s\"; find . | cpio --quiet -o -H newc | gzip -c > \"%s\"", tmpDir, OverlayFile)
+		// use pigz if available
+		err = exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", "command -v pigz").Run()
+		if err == nil {
+			cmd = fmt.Sprintf("cd \"%s\"; find . | cpio --quiet -o -H newc | pigz -c > \"%s\"", tmpDir, OverlayFile)
+		}
 		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.DEBUG, "RUNNING: %s\n", cmd)
 		err = exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", cmd).Run()
 		if err != nil {