diff --git a/esphome/components/esphome/ota/__init__.py b/esphome/components/esphome/ota/__init__.py
index cbab552fc2..816cb7b6c8 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esphome/ota/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esphome/ota/__init__.py
@@ -308,9 +308,10 @@ async def to_code(config: ConfigType) -> None:
     if config.get(CONF_ALLOW_PARTITION_ACCESS):
         cg.add_define("USE_OTA_PARTITIONS")
 
-    # ESP8266 inflates gzip in its bootloader; every other platform inflates
-    # a deflate stream on the fly while it receives the image
-    if not CORE.is_esp8266:
+    # ESP8266 and RP2040 inflate a gzip image at reboot from their bootloader
+    # or OTA stub; every other platform inflates a deflate stream on the fly
+    # while it receives the image
+    if not (CORE.is_esp8266 or CORE.is_rp2):
         cg.add_define("USE_OTA_DEFLATE")
 
     # One key per device: an api encryption block supplies it (static or
diff --git a/esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_arduino_rp2.h b/esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_arduino_rp2.h
index f7c0037bd2..75f12f44b0 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_arduino_rp2.h
+++ b/esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_arduino_rp2.h
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ class ArduinoRP2OTABackend final {
   OTAResponseTypes write(uint8_t *data, size_t len);
   OTAResponseTypes end();
   void abort();
-  bool supports_compression() { return false; }
+  // A gzip image is staged on LittleFS as is; the core's OTA stub inflates it
+  // into the app region at reboot, the same way the ESP8266 bootloader does
+  bool supports_compression() { return true; }
 
  private:
   bool md5_set_{false};