diff --git a/tests/test_core.py b/tests/test_core.py
index df20660..5b8a374 100644
--- a/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/test_core.py
@@ -277,6 +277,17 @@ class TwythonAPITestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         """Test attempting to get a header when no API call was made raises a TwythonError"""
         self.assertRaises(TwythonError, self.api.get_lastfunction_header, 'no-api-call-was-made')
 
+    @responses.activate
+    def test_sends_correct_accept_encoding_header(self):
+        """Test that Twython accepts compressed data."""
+        endpoint = 'statuses/home_timeline'
+        url = self.get_url(endpoint)
+        self.register_response(responses.GET, url)
+
+        self.api.get(endpoint)
+
+        self.assertEqual(b'gzip, deflate, compress', responses.calls[0].request.headers['Accept-Encoding'])
+
     # Static methods
     def test_construct_api_url(self):
         """Test constructing a Twitter API url works as we expect"""
diff --git a/twython/api.py b/twython/api.py
index db79381..88b6735 100644
--- a/twython/api.py
+++ b/twython/api.py
@@ -109,10 +109,14 @@ class Twython(EndpointsMixin, object):
         # Never be used again.
         client_args_copy = self.client_args.copy()
         for k, v in client_args_copy.items():
-            if k in ('cert', 'headers', 'hooks', 'max_redirects', 'proxies'):
+            if k in ('cert', 'hooks', 'max_redirects', 'proxies'):
                 setattr(self.client, k, v)
                 self.client_args.pop(k)  # Pop, pop!
 
+        # Headers are always present, so we unconditionally pop them and merge
+        # them into the session headers.
+        self.client.headers.update(self.client_args.pop('headers'))
+
         self._last_call = None
 
     def __repr__(self):