diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 904a718501..569a58166c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ## 1.6.0-rc.0
 
+* [CHANGE] Query Frontend: deprecate `-querier.compress-http-responses` in favour of `-api.response-compression-enabled`. #3544
 * [CHANGE] Querier: deprecated `-store.max-look-back-period`. You should use `-querier.max-query-lookback` instead. #3452
 * [CHANGE] Blocks storage: increased `-blocks-storage.bucket-store.chunks-cache.attributes-ttl` default from `24h` to `168h` (1 week). #3528
 * [CHANGE] Blocks storage: the config option `-blocks-storage.bucket-store.index-cache.postings-compression-enabled` has been deprecated and postings compression is always enabled. #3538
diff --git a/docs/configuration/config-file-reference.md b/docs/configuration/config-file-reference.md
index 61e18184a1..ae16e63ef9 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/config-file-reference.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/config-file-reference.md
@@ -967,7 +967,8 @@ grpc_client_config:
 # CLI flag: -frontend.instance-interface-names
 [instance_interface_names: <list of string> | default = [eth0 en0]]
 
-# Compress HTTP responses.
+# This flag is about to be deprecated. Please use
+# -api.response-compression-enabled instead.
 # CLI flag: -querier.compress-http-responses
 [compress_responses: <boolean> | default = false]
 
diff --git a/pkg/frontend/config.go b/pkg/frontend/config.go
index d79aae8e62..88775e1ed5 100644
--- a/pkg/frontend/config.go
+++ b/pkg/frontend/config.go
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@ type CombinedFrontendConfig struct {
 	FrontendV1 v1.Config               `yaml:",inline"`
 	FrontendV2 v2.Config               `yaml:",inline"`
 
-	CompressResponses bool   `yaml:"compress_responses"`
-	DownstreamURL     string `yaml:"downstream_url"`
+	// Deprecated. Replaced with pkg/api/Config.ResponseCompression field.
+	// TODO: To be removed in Cortex 1.8.
+	CompressResponses bool `yaml:"compress_responses"`
+
+	DownstreamURL string `yaml:"downstream_url"`
 }
 
 func (cfg *CombinedFrontendConfig) RegisterFlags(f *flag.FlagSet) {
@@ -29,7 +32,8 @@ func (cfg *CombinedFrontendConfig) RegisterFlags(f *flag.FlagSet) {
 	cfg.FrontendV1.RegisterFlags(f)
 	cfg.FrontendV2.RegisterFlags(f)
 
-	f.BoolVar(&cfg.CompressResponses, "querier.compress-http-responses", false, "Compress HTTP responses.")
+	f.BoolVar(&cfg.CompressResponses, "querier.compress-http-responses", false, "This flag is about to be deprecated. Please use -api.response-compression-enabled instead.")
+
 	f.StringVar(&cfg.DownstreamURL, "frontend.downstream-url", "", "URL of downstream Prometheus.")
 }