diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aecf48a..98a95d6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -59,6 +59,23 @@ postgresql_backup:
      port: 5432
 ```
 
++ Export Option for pg_dump.
+
+> ``p`` – plain-text SQL script
+> ``c`` – custom-format archive
+> ``d`` – directory-format archive
+> ``t`` – tar-format archive
+```yaml
+postgresql_backup:
+  export_option: "p"
+```
+
++ save backup as tar.gz
+```yaml
+postgresql_backup:
+  create_tar_gz: true
+```
+
 + Perform basic versionscheck *(true is recomended)*
 ```
 submodules_versioncheck: false
diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 8fe5ef4..9fa665e 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ postgresql_backup:
   cron: true
   cron_minute: '*'
   cron_hour: '0'
+  export_option: 'p'
+  create_tar_gz: true
   databases: []
 #   - name: psql_database_name
 #     user: psql_database_user
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index bccafbf..e54594d 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 - name: generate backup script
   become: true
   template:
-    src: templates/postgresql-backup-script.sh
+    src: templates/postgresql-backup-script.sh.j2
     dest: /opt/postgresql-backup-script.sh
     owner: "{{ postgresql_backup.user }}"
     backup: true
diff --git a/templates/postgresql-backup-script.sh b/templates/postgresql-backup-script.sh.j2
similarity index 67%
rename from templates/postgresql-backup-script.sh
rename to templates/postgresql-backup-script.sh.j2
index 65e87a4..250a8aa 100644
--- a/templates/postgresql-backup-script.sh
+++ b/templates/postgresql-backup-script.sh.j2
@@ -18,8 +18,12 @@ backup_databases() {
   {% if db.password %}
   export PGPASSWORD="{{ db.password }}"
   {% endif %}
-  if (umask 077 && pg_dump -F c -h "{{ db.host | default( 'localhost' ) }}" -U "{{ db.user | default( 'postgres' ) }}" -p "{{ db.port | default( '5432' ) }}" "{{ db.name }}" -f "{{ db.name }}.in_progress.psql"); then
-	  mv "{{ db.name }}.in_progress.psql" "{{ db.name }}.psql"
+  if (umask 077 && pg_dump -F {{ postgresql_backup.export_option | string }} -h "{{ db.host | default( 'localhost' ) }}" -U "{{ db.user | default( 'postgres' ) }}" -p "{{ db.port | default( '5432' ) }}" "{{ db.name }}" -f "{{ db.name }}.in_progress.psql"); then
+	  {% if postgresql_backup.create_tar_gz %}
+    tar -czvf "{{ db.name }}.psql.tar.gz" "{{ db.name }}.in_progress.psql"
+    {% else %}
+    mv "{{ db.name }}.in_progress.psql" "{{ db.name }}.psql"
+    {% endif %}
     echo "backup of {{ db.name }} successful"
   else
     echo "failed to export {{ db.name }}"
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 190481a..eb1b736 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ _postgresql_backup:
   cron: true
   cron_minute: '*'
   cron_hour: '0'
+  export_option: 'p'
+  create_tar_gz: true
   databases: []
 
 # versionscheck
-playbook_version_number: 21 # should be int
+playbook_version_number: 22 # should be int
 playbook_version_path: 'role-postgresql-backup_roles-ansible_github.com.version' # unique string