diff --git a/libemile/emile_get_uncompressed_size.c b/libemile/emile_get_uncompressed_size.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e49277e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libemile/emile_get_uncompressed_size.c
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+static __attribute__((used)) char* rcsid = "$CVSHeader$";
+/*
+ *
+ * (c) 2004 Laurent Vivier <LaurentVivier@wanadoo.fr>
+ *
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include "libemile.h"
+
+int emile_get_uncompressed_size(char *file)
+{
+	int ret;
+	int i;
+	int tube[2];
+	char buffer[1024];
+	char *uncompressed;
+
+	ret = pipe(tube);
+	if (ret == -1)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (fork() == 0)
+	{
+		/* child */
+
+		close(tube[0]);
+
+		close(STDOUT_FILENO);
+		dup(tube[1]);
+		close(STDERR_FILENO);
+
+		execlp("gzip", "gzip", "-l", file, NULL);
+
+		/* never comes here ... */
+
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
+	/* parent */
+
+	close(tube[1]);
+
+	ret = read(tube[0], buffer, 1024);
+	if (ret <= 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	/* skip first line */
+
+	i = 0;
+	while ( (buffer[i] != '\n') && (i < 1024))
+		i++;
+	i++;	/* skip '\n' */
+
+	/* skip space */
+
+	while ( (buffer[i] == ' ') && (i < 1024))
+		i++;
+
+	/* skip compressed size */
+
+	while ( (buffer[i] >= '0') && buffer[i] <= '9' && (i < 1024))
+		i++;
+	buffer[i++] = 0;
+
+	/* skip space */
+
+	while ( (buffer[i] == ' ') && (i < 1024))
+		i++;
+
+	/* get uncompressed size */
+
+	uncompressed = &buffer[i];
+	while ( (buffer[i] >= '0') && buffer[i] <= '9' && (i < 1024))
+		i++;
+	buffer[i++] = 0;
+
+	close(tube[0]);
+
+	return atoi(uncompressed);
+}