diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 290bb7a..8cdf08d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # CWTS ETL tooling
-Version: 8.0.0
+Version: 8.1.0
 
 ## Description
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ When writing new pipeline code or ETL-tooling functions, the `functions\variable
 | `xml_generate_prg`                     | v2.0.0  |
 | `xml_parse_data`                       | v1.0.2  |
 | `xml_split_data`                       | v1.0.2  |
-| `zip_folder`                           | v2.0.0  |
+| `zip_folder`                           | v2.1.0  |
 
 ### add_extended_properties
 
@@ -363,6 +363,9 @@ When writing new pipeline code or ETL-tooling functions, the `functions\variable
 
 ### zip_folder
 
+- v2.1.0
+    - add optional global parameter `zip_include_directory`
+    - add optional global parameter `zip_append`
 - v2.0.0
     - **add argument 'zip_log_folder'**
 
diff --git a/functions/zip_folder.bat b/functions/zip_folder.bat
index a42b626..4b95b4b 100644
--- a/functions/zip_folder.bat
+++ b/functions/zip_folder.bat
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@
 ::: To capture this output and use it as a conditional in a  pipeline-script,
 ::: use: `if not errorlevel 0 (...)`
 
+:: Global variables
+::: zip_include_directory: if set to true, this script will include the name
+:::     of the source folder in the archive.
+::: zip_append: if set to true, this script will add to an existing zip file if it exists.
+:::     otherwise the existing zip file will be deleted beforehand.
+
 :: Input variables
 ::: 1. source_folder:  folder containing the data to be compressed
 ::: 2. target_file:    name for the target zip file (with path and extension)
@@ -29,7 +35,7 @@ set zip_log_folder=%~3
 call :check_variables 3 %*
 
 echo Creating %target_file%
-"%zip_exe%" a "%target_file%" "%source_folder%\" -mmt=16 -mx=1 -y -bsp0 -bso0 -bse1 > "%zip_log_folder%\compress_%target_file_name%.error"
+"%zip_exe%" a "%target_file%" "%source_folder%" -mmt=32 -mx=5 -y -bsp0 -bso0 -bse1 > "%zip_log_folder%\compress_%target_file_name%.error"
 
 echo Validating %target_file%
 "%zip_exe%" t "%target_file%" > nul 2>&1
@@ -68,6 +74,20 @@ call %functions_folder%\variable.bat :create_folder   target_folder
 call %functions_folder%\variable.bat :check_variable  target_file_name
 call %functions_folder%\variable.bat :check_extension target_file zip
 call %functions_folder%\variable.bat :create_folder   zip_log_folder
+call %functions_folder%\variable.bat :default_variable zip_include_directory false
+call %functions_folder%\variable.bat :default_variable zip_append false
+
+if "%zip_include_directory%" == "true" (
+    set source_folder=%source_folder%\
+) else (
+    set source_folder=%source_folder%\*
+)
+
+if "%zip_append%" NEQ "true" (
+    if exist "%target_file%" (
+        del %target_file% >nul
+    )
+)
 
 goto:eof
 :: =======================================================================================