diff --git a/selfdrive/loggerd/uploader.py b/selfdrive/loggerd/uploader.py
index a727fba7c120e7..c03e8a240feaef 100644
--- a/selfdrive/loggerd/uploader.py
+++ b/selfdrive/loggerd/uploader.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 fake_upload = os.getenv("FAKEUPLOAD") is not None
 
+
 def raise_on_thread(t, exctype):
   for ctid, tobj in threading._active.items():
     if tobj is t:
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ def raise_on_thread(t, exctype):
     ctypes.pythonapi.PyThreadState_SetAsyncExc(tid, 0)
     raise SystemError("PyThreadState_SetAsyncExc failed")
 
+
 def listdir_with_creation_date(d):
   lst = os.listdir(d)
   for fn in lst:
@@ -54,10 +56,12 @@ def listdir_with_creation_date(d):
       cloudlog.exception("listdir_with_creation_date: stat failed?")
       yield (None, fn)
 
+
 def listdir_by_creation_date(d):
   times_and_paths = list(listdir_with_creation_date(d))
   return [path for _, path in sorted(times_and_paths)]
 
+
 def clear_locks(root):
   for logname in os.listdir(root):
     path = os.path.join(root, logname)
@@ -68,6 +72,7 @@ def clear_locks(root):
     except OSError:
       cloudlog.exception("clear_locks failed")
 
+
 def is_on_wifi():
   # ConnectivityManager.getActiveNetworkInfo()
   try:
@@ -79,6 +84,7 @@ def is_on_wifi():
 
   return "\x00".join("WIFI") in data
 
+
 def is_on_hotspot():
   try:
     result = subprocess.check_output(["ifconfig", "wlan0"])
@@ -90,6 +96,7 @@ def is_on_hotspot():
   except:
     return False
 
+
 class Uploader(object):
   def __init__(self, dongle_id, access_token, root):
     self.dongle_id = dongle_id
@@ -146,7 +153,7 @@ def next_file_to_compress(self):
   def next_file_to_upload(self, with_video):
     # try to upload log files first
     for name, key, fn in self.gen_upload_files():
-      if name  == "rlog.bz2":
+      if name == "rlog.bz2":
         return (key, fn, 0)
 
     if with_video:
@@ -164,10 +171,9 @@ def next_file_to_upload(self, with_video):
 
     return None
 
-
   def do_upload(self, key, fn):
     try:
-      url_resp = api_get("v1.2/"+self.dongle_id+"/upload_url/", timeout=2, path=key, access_token=self.access_token)
+      url_resp = api_get("v1.2/" + self.dongle_id + "/upload_url/", timeout=2, path=key, access_token=self.access_token)
       url_resp_json = json.loads(url_resp.text)
       url = url_resp_json['url']
       headers = url_resp_json['headers']
@@ -175,9 +181,11 @@ def do_upload(self, key, fn):
 
       if fake_upload:
         cloudlog.info("*** WARNING, THIS IS A FAKE UPLOAD TO %s ***" % url)
+
         class FakeResponse(object):
           def __init__(self):
             self.status_code = 200
+
         self.last_resp = FakeResponse()
       else:
         with open(fn, "rb") as f:
@@ -198,15 +206,15 @@ def normal_upload(self, key, fn):
     return self.last_resp
 
   def killable_upload(self, key, fn):
-      self.last_resp = None
-      self.last_exc = None
+    self.last_resp = None
+    self.last_exc = None
 
-      self.upload_thread = threading.Thread(target=lambda: self.do_upload(key, fn))
-      self.upload_thread.start()
-      self.upload_thread.join()
-      self.upload_thread = None
+    self.upload_thread = threading.Thread(target=lambda: self.do_upload(key, fn))
+    self.upload_thread.start()
+    self.upload_thread.join()
+    self.upload_thread = None
 
-      return self.last_resp
+    return self.last_resp
 
   def abort_upload(self):
     thread = self.upload_thread
@@ -221,7 +229,7 @@ def compress(self, key, fn):
     # write out the bz2 compress
     if fn.endswith("log"):
       ext = ".bz2"
-      cloudlog.info("compressing %r to %r", fn, fn+ext)
+      cloudlog.info("compressing %r to %r", fn, fn + ext)
       if os.system("nice -n 19 bzip2 -c %s > %s.tmp && mv %s.tmp %s%s && rm %s" % (fn, fn, fn, fn, ext, fn)) != 0:
         cloudlog.exception("upload: bzip2 compression failed")
         return False
@@ -245,7 +253,7 @@ def upload(self, key, fn):
 
     if sz == 0:
       # can't upload files of 0 size
-      os.unlink(fn) # delete the file
+      os.unlink(fn)  # delete the file
       success = True
     else:
       cloudlog.info("uploading %r", fn)
@@ -254,10 +262,10 @@ def upload(self, key, fn):
       if stat is not None and stat.status_code in (200, 201):
         cloudlog.event("upload_success", key=key, fn=fn, sz=sz)
         try:
-          os.unlink(fn) # delete the file
+          os.unlink(fn)  # delete the file
         except OSError:
           pass
-          
+
         success = True
       else:
         cloudlog.event("upload_failed", stat=stat, exc=self.last_exc, key=key, fn=fn, sz=sz)
@@ -268,7 +276,6 @@ def upload(self, key, fn):
     return success
 
 
-
 def uploader_fn(exit_event):
   cloudlog.info("uploader_fn")
 
@@ -290,16 +297,16 @@ def uploader_fn(exit_event):
 
     if exit_event.is_set():
       return
-    
-    d = uploader.next_file_to_compress()
-    if d is not None:
-      key, fn, _ = d
-      uploader.compress(key, fn)
-      continue
 
     if not should_upload:
       time.sleep(5)
       continue
+    else:  # wait to compress files until the user is at home, on wifi
+      d = uploader.next_file_to_compress()
+      if d is not None:
+        key, fn, _ = d
+        uploader.compress(key, fn)
+        continue
 
     d = uploader.next_file_to_upload(with_video=True)
     if d is None:
@@ -316,11 +323,13 @@ def uploader_fn(exit_event):
     else:
       cloudlog.info("backoff %r", backoff)
       time.sleep(backoff + random.uniform(0, backoff))
-      backoff = min(backoff*2, 120)
+      backoff = min(backoff * 2, 120)
     cloudlog.info("upload done, success=%r", success)
 
+
 def main(gctx=None):
   uploader_fn(threading.Event())
 
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   main()