diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index a2f1020..62725f4 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 * move stuff to common crate with ws: what about Request/InMessage etc?
 * info hashes, peer ids: check that whole deserialization and url decoding
   works as it should. There are suspicously many `\u{fffd}`
-* AnnounceRequest.compact: handle that it is optional
 
 ## aquatic_ws
 * tests
diff --git a/aquatic_http/src/lib/protocol/mod.rs b/aquatic_http/src/lib/protocol/mod.rs
index f9321b8..66f7252 100644
--- a/aquatic_http/src/lib/protocol/mod.rs
+++ b/aquatic_http/src/lib/protocol/mod.rs
@@ -74,15 +74,21 @@ pub struct AnnounceRequest {
     pub bytes_left: usize,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub event: AnnounceEvent,
-    /// FIXME: is optional, so should default to something, maybe `true`
     #[serde(
-        deserialize_with = "deserialize_bool_from_number"
+        deserialize_with = "deserialize_bool_from_number",
+        default = "AnnounceRequest::default_compact_value"
     )]
     pub compact: bool,
     /// Requested number of peers to return
     pub numwant: usize,
 }
 
+impl AnnounceRequest {
+    fn default_compact_value() -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+}
+
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize)]
 pub struct AnnounceResponseSuccess {