diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 5daa836c..06f52def 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
                   python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 
             - name: Install packages
-              run: sudo apt-get install -y -qq libboost-dev libexpat1-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libproj-dev libgeos-dev
+              run: sudo apt-get install -y -qq libboost-dev libexpat1-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libproj-dev libgeos-dev liblz4-dev
 
             - uses: ./.github/actions/install-dependencies
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
                   python-version: 3.5
 
             - name: Install packages
-              run: sudo apt-get install -y -qq libboost-dev libexpat1-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libproj-dev libgeos-dev
+              run: sudo apt-get install -y -qq libboost-dev libexpat1-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libproj-dev libgeos-dev liblz4-dev
 
             - uses: ./.github/actions/install-dependencies
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ jobs:
                   python-version: 3.9
 
             - name: Install packages
-              run: sudo apt-get install -y -qq libboost-dev libexpat1-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libproj-dev libgeos-dev
+              run: sudo apt-get install -y -qq libboost-dev libexpat1-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libproj-dev libgeos-dev liblz4-dev
 
             - uses: ./.github/actions/install-dependencies
 
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ jobs:
                   python-version: 3
 
             - name: Install packages
-              run: brew install boost geos
+              run: brew install boost geos lz4
               shell: bash
 
             - uses: ./.github/actions/install-dependencies
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b0af470b..bae42efb 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,9 +2,27 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
 project(pyosmium)
 set(PACKAGE_VERSION 3.0.1)
 
+option(WITH_LZ4 "Build with lz4 support for PBF files" ON)
+
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake")
 
-find_package(Osmium 2.15 REQUIRED COMPONENTS io pbf xml)
+find_package(Osmium 2.16 REQUIRED COMPONENTS io pbf xml)
+
+if(WITH_LZ4)
+find_package(LZ4)
+
+    if(LZ4_FOUND)
+        message(STATUS "lz4 library found, compiling with it")
+        add_definitions(-DOSMIUM_WITH_LZ4)
+        include_directories(SYSTEM ${LZ4_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+        list(APPEND OSMIUM_LIBRARIES ${LZ4_LIBRARIES})
+    else()
+        message(WARNING "lz4 library not found, compiling without it")
+    endif()
+else()
+    message(STATUS "Building without lz4 support: Set WITH_LZ4=ON to change this")
+endif()
+
 include_directories(SYSTEM ${OSMIUM_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${PROTOZERO_INCLUDE_DIR})
 include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib)
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aa4f3ef2..cb3fd449 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ command installs all required packages:
 
 pyosmium has the following dependencies:
 
- * [libosmium](https://github.com/osmcode/libosmium)
+ * [libosmium](https://github.com/osmcode/libosmium) >= 2.16.0
  * [protozero](https://github.com/mapbox/protozero)
  * [cmake](https://cmake.org/)
  * [Pybind11](https://github.com/pybind/pybind11) >= 2.2
diff --git a/cmake/FindLZ4.cmake b/cmake/FindLZ4.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8c94e3bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/FindLZ4.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+find_path(LZ4_INCLUDE_DIR
+  NAMES lz4.h
+  DOC "lz4 include directory")
+mark_as_advanced(LZ4_INCLUDE_DIR)
+find_library(LZ4_LIBRARY
+  NAMES lz4 liblz4
+  DOC "lz4 library")
+mark_as_advanced(LZ4_LIBRARY)
+
+if (LZ4_INCLUDE_DIR)
+  file(STRINGS "${LZ4_INCLUDE_DIR}/lz4.h" _lz4_version_lines
+    REGEX "#define[ \t]+LZ4_VERSION_(MAJOR|MINOR|RELEASE)")
+  string(REGEX REPLACE ".*LZ4_VERSION_MAJOR *\([0-9]*\).*" "\\1" _lz4_version_major "${_lz4_version_lines}")
+  string(REGEX REPLACE ".*LZ4_VERSION_MINOR *\([0-9]*\).*" "\\1" _lz4_version_minor "${_lz4_version_lines}")
+  string(REGEX REPLACE ".*LZ4_VERSION_RELEASE *\([0-9]*\).*" "\\1" _lz4_version_release "${_lz4_version_lines}")
+  set(LZ4_VERSION "${_lz4_version_major}.${_lz4_version_minor}.${_lz4_version_release}")
+  unset(_lz4_version_major)
+  unset(_lz4_version_minor)
+  unset(_lz4_version_release)
+  unset(_lz4_version_lines)
+endif ()
+
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+find_package_handle_standard_args(LZ4
+  REQUIRED_VARS LZ4_LIBRARY LZ4_INCLUDE_DIR
+  VERSION_VAR LZ4_VERSION)
+
+if (LZ4_FOUND)
+  set(LZ4_INCLUDE_DIRS "${LZ4_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+  set(LZ4_LIBRARIES "${LZ4_LIBRARY}")
+
+  if (NOT TARGET LZ4::LZ4)
+    add_library(LZ4::LZ4 UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+    set_target_properties(LZ4::LZ4 PROPERTIES
+      IMPORTED_LOCATION "${LZ4_LIBRARY}"
+      INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${LZ4_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+  endif ()
+endif ()
diff --git a/cmake/FindOsmium.cmake b/cmake/FindOsmium.cmake
index 8c659f26..76a71507 100644
--- a/cmake/FindOsmium.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindOsmium.cmake
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #      gdal       - include if you want to use any of the OGR functions
 #      proj       - include if you want to use any of the Proj.4 functions
 #      sparsehash - include if you use the sparsehash index
+#      lz4        - include support for LZ4 compression of PBF files
 #
 #    You can check for success with something like this:
 #
@@ -116,14 +117,21 @@ if(Osmium_USE_PBF)
     find_package(Threads)
     find_package(Protozero 1.6.3)
 
+    if(Osmium_USE_LZ4)
+        find_package(LZ4 REQUIRED)
+        add_definitions(-DOSMIUM_WITH_LZ4)
+    endif()
+
     list(APPEND OSMIUM_EXTRA_FIND_VARS ZLIB_FOUND Threads_FOUND PROTOZERO_INCLUDE_DIR)
     if(ZLIB_FOUND AND Threads_FOUND AND PROTOZERO_FOUND)
         list(APPEND OSMIUM_PBF_LIBRARIES
             ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}
+            ${LZ4_LIBRARIES}
             ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT}
         )
         list(APPEND OSMIUM_INCLUDE_DIRS
             ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR}
+            ${LZ4_INCLUDE_DIRS}
             ${PROTOZERO_INCLUDE_DIR}
         )
     else()