diff --git a/tensorflow/core/BUILD b/tensorflow/core/BUILD
index 0b05f9c0ee7..6806a2bda75 100644
--- a/tensorflow/core/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/core/BUILD
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ cc_library(
         "lib/hash/crc32c.h",
         "lib/histogram/histogram.h",
         "lib/io/buffered_inputstream.h",
+        "lib/io/compression.h",
         "lib/io/inputstream_interface.h",
         "lib/io/path.h",
         "lib/io/proto_encode_helper.h",
diff --git a/tensorflow/core/lib/io/compression.cc b/tensorflow/core/lib/io/compression.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c12de98e401
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tensorflow/core/lib/io/compression.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/* Copyright 2015 The TensorFlow Authors. All Rights Reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+==============================================================================*/
+
+#include "tensorflow/core/lib/io/compression.h"
+
+namespace tensorflow {
+namespace io {
+namespace compression {
+
+const char kNone[] = "";
+const char kGzip[] = "GZIP";
+
+}
+}
+}
diff --git a/tensorflow/core/lib/io/compression.h b/tensorflow/core/lib/io/compression.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7a0c5c12a74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tensorflow/core/lib/io/compression.h
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/* Copyright 2015 The TensorFlow Authors. All Rights Reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+==============================================================================*/
+
+#ifndef THIRD_PARTY_TENSORFLOW_CORE_LIB_IO_COMPRESSION_H_
+#define THIRD_PARTY_TENSORFLOW_CORE_LIB_IO_COMPRESSION_H_
+
+namespace tensorflow {
+namespace io {
+namespace compression {
+
+extern const char kNone[];
+extern const char kGzip[];
+
+}
+}
+}
+
+#endif  // THIRD_PARTY_TENSORFLOW_CORE_LIB_IO_COMPRESSION_H_
diff --git a/tensorflow/core/lib/io/record_reader.cc b/tensorflow/core/lib/io/record_reader.cc
index 8cc9d9154c8..450f10d2999 100644
--- a/tensorflow/core/lib/io/record_reader.cc
+++ b/tensorflow/core/lib/io/record_reader.cc
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include "tensorflow/core/lib/core/coding.h"
 #include "tensorflow/core/lib/core/errors.h"
 #include "tensorflow/core/lib/hash/crc32c.h"
+#include "tensorflow/core/lib/io/compression.h"
 #include "tensorflow/core/lib/io/random_inputstream.h"
 #include "tensorflow/core/platform/env.h"
 
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ RecordReaderOptions RecordReaderOptions::CreateRecordReaderOptions(
 #else
     options.zlib_options = io::ZlibCompressionOptions::DEFAULT();
 #endif  // IS_SLIM_BUILD
-  } else if (compression_type == "GZIP") {
+  } else if (compression_type == compression::kGzip) {
     options.compression_type = io::RecordReaderOptions::ZLIB_COMPRESSION;
 #if defined(IS_SLIM_BUILD)
     LOG(ERROR) << "Compression is not supported but compression_type is set."
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ RecordReaderOptions RecordReaderOptions::CreateRecordReaderOptions(
 #else
     options.zlib_options = io::ZlibCompressionOptions::GZIP();
 #endif  // IS_SLIM_BUILD
-  } else if (compression_type != "") {
+  } else if (compression_type != compression::kNone) {
     LOG(ERROR) << "Unsupported compression_type:" << compression_type
                << ". No comprression will be used.";
   }
diff --git a/tensorflow/core/lib/io/record_writer.cc b/tensorflow/core/lib/io/record_writer.cc
index 6b217444740..d77a1016dad 100644
--- a/tensorflow/core/lib/io/record_writer.cc
+++ b/tensorflow/core/lib/io/record_writer.cc
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 #include "tensorflow/core/lib/core/coding.h"
 #include "tensorflow/core/lib/hash/crc32c.h"
+#include "tensorflow/core/lib/io/compression.h"
 #include "tensorflow/core/platform/env.h"
 
 namespace tensorflow {
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ RecordWriterOptions RecordWriterOptions::CreateRecordWriterOptions(
 #else
     options.zlib_options = io::ZlibCompressionOptions::DEFAULT();
 #endif  // IS_SLIM_BUILD
-  } else if (compression_type == "GZIP") {
+  } else if (compression_type == compression::kGzip) {
     options.compression_type = io::RecordWriterOptions::ZLIB_COMPRESSION;
 #if defined(IS_SLIM_BUILD)
     LOG(ERROR) << "Compression is not supported but compression_type is set."
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ RecordWriterOptions RecordWriterOptions::CreateRecordWriterOptions(
 #else
     options.zlib_options = io::ZlibCompressionOptions::GZIP();
 #endif  // IS_SLIM_BUILD
-  } else if (compression_type != "") {
+  } else if (compression_type != compression::kNone) {
     LOG(ERROR) << "Unsupported compression_type:" << compression_type
                << ". No comprression will be used.";
   }