diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 959f678..207c7d1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ include config.make
 VERTITLE := instead-$(VERSION)
 ARCHIVE := instead_$(VERSION).tar.gz#
 
-SUBDIRS = src/zlib src/sdl-instead stead games themes icon desktop doc languages 
+SUBDIRS += src/sdl-instead stead games themes icon desktop doc languages 
 
 all:
 	@for dir in $(SUBDIRS); do \
diff --git a/Rules.make.standalone b/Rules.make.standalone
index 624c083..f9c22fe 100644
--- a/Rules.make.standalone
+++ b/Rules.make.standalone
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ DOCPATH=
 MANPATH=
 SYSTEMSETUP=no
 
+ZLIB_CFLAGS=
+ZLIB_LFLAGS=-lz
+
 LUA_CFLAGS=$(shell pkg-config --cflags lua5.1)
 LUA_LFLAGS=$(shell pkg-config --libs lua5.1)
 
diff --git a/Rules.make.system b/Rules.make.system
index 8deb914..4c8ce8c 100644
--- a/Rules.make.system
+++ b/Rules.make.system
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ LANGPATH=$(STEADPATH)/languages
 MANPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/man/man6
 SYSTEMSETUP=yes
 
+ZLIB_CFLAGS=
+ZLIB_LFLAGS=-lz
+
 LUA_CFLAGS=$(shell pkg-config --cflags lua5.1)
 LUA_LFLAGS=$(shell pkg-config --libs lua5.1)
 
diff --git a/Rules.mingw b/Rules.mingw
index c318b11..c6ef6a8 100644
--- a/Rules.mingw
+++ b/Rules.mingw
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ DOCPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)doc
 LANGPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)languages
 MANPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)doc
 
+ZLIB_CFLAGS=-I../zlib
+ZLIB_LFLAGS=../zlib/libz.a
 
 LUA_CFLAGS=-I../windows/
 LUA_LFLAGS=-llua5.1 -L../windows/
diff --git a/Rules.windows b/Rules.windows
index 0b50c18..1823066 100644
--- a/Rules.windows
+++ b/Rules.windows
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ GAMESPATH=./games
 ICONPATH=./icon
 LANGPATH=./languages
 
+ZLIB_CFLAGS=-I../zlib
+ZLIB_LFLAGS=../zlib/libz.a
+
 LUA_CFLAGS=
 LUA_LFLAGS=-llua5.1
 
diff --git a/configure.sh b/configure.sh
index 321f6f1..e9a4892 100755
--- a/configure.sh
+++ b/configure.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@ if ! pkg-config --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 fi
 echo "ok"
 
+echo -n "Checking pkg-config --cflags zlib..."
+if ! pkg-config --cflags zlib >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+	echo "internal"
+	zlib_cflags=
+	zlib_libs=
+else
+	echo "system"
+	zlib_cflags="pkg-config --cflags zlib"	
+	zlib_libs="pkg-config --libs zlib"	
+fi
+
+
 echo -n "Checking pkg-config --cflags lua[5.1]..."
 if ! pkg-config --cflags lua5.1 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 	if ! pkg-config --cflags lua >/dev/null 2>&1; then
@@ -23,6 +35,7 @@ else
 	lua_libs="pkg-config --libs lua5.1"	
 fi
 
+
 echo -n "Checking sdl-config..."
 if ! sdl-config --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 	echo "error: no sdl-config in \$PATH."
@@ -84,6 +97,14 @@ if ! make clean >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 fi
 echo -n "Generating config.make..."
 echo "# autamatically generated by configure.sh" >config.make
+if [[ -z "$zlib_cflags" ]]; then
+	echo "SUBDIRS=src/zlib" >> config.make
+	echo "ZLIB_CFLAGS=-I../zlib" >> config.make
+	echo "ZLIB_LFLAGS=../zlib/libz.a" >> config.make
+else
+	echo "ZLIB_CFLAGS=\$(shell $zlib_cflags)" >> config.make
+	echo "ZLIB_LFLAGS=\$(shell $zlib_libs)" >> config.make
+fi
 echo "LUA_CFLAGS=\$(shell $lua_cflags)" >> config.make
 echo "LUA_LFLAGS=\$(shell $lua_libs)" >> config.make
 echo "SDL_CFLAGS=\$(shell sdl-config --cflags)" >> config.make
diff --git a/src/sdl-instead/Makefile b/src/sdl-instead/Makefile
index acb3bf8..4107a14 100644
--- a/src/sdl-instead/Makefile
+++ b/src/sdl-instead/Makefile
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 include ../../Rules.make
 include ../../config.make
 
-CFLAGS += $(SDL_CFLAGS) $(LUA_CFLAGS) -I../zlib -DLANG_PATH=\"${LANGPATH}/\" -DSTEAD_PATH=\"${STEADPATH}/\"  -DGAMES_PATH=\"${GAMESPATH}/\" -DTHEMES_PATH=\"${THEMESPATH}/\" -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" -DICON_PATH=\"${ICONPATH}/\"
-
-LDFLAGS += $(SDL_LFLAGS) $(LUA_LFLAGS) ../zlib/libz.a
+CFLAGS += $(SDL_CFLAGS) $(LUA_CFLAGS) $(ZLIB_CFLAGS) -DLANG_PATH=\"${LANGPATH}/\" -DSTEAD_PATH=\"${STEADPATH}/\"  -DGAMES_PATH=\"${GAMESPATH}/\" -DTHEMES_PATH=\"${THEMESPATH}/\" -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" -DICON_PATH=\"${ICONPATH}/\"
 
+LDFLAGS += $(SDL_LFLAGS) $(LUA_LFLAGS) $(ZLIB_LFLAGS)
+ 
 SRC     := graphics.c input.c game.c main.c instead.c sound.c SDL_rotozoom.c SDL_anigif.c SDL_gfxBlitFunc.c config.c themes.c menu.c util.c cache.c unzip.c ioapi.c unpack.c $(PLATFORM)
 
 OBJ     := $(patsubst %.c, %.o, $(SRC))