diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2c53a88..2570423 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ set(TMP_INCLUDE_DIR "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include.tmp")
 set(EXT_INCLUDE_DIRS "")
 set(EXT_LIBS "")
 set(EXT_LIBS_STATIC "")
+set(EXT_DEPS "")
+set(EXT_DEPS_STATIC "")
 
 if(${LIBARP_FEATURE_DEFLATE})
   add_definitions("-DFEATURE_DEFLATE")
@@ -107,19 +109,15 @@ if(${LIBARP_FEATURE_DEFLATE})
     list(APPEND EXT_LIBS "${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}")
     list(APPEND EXT_LIBS_STATIC "${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}")
   else()
-    set(ZLIB_SOURCE_DIR "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/libs/zlib")
-    set(ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS "${ZLIB_SOURCE_DIR};${TMP_INCLUDE_DIR}/zlib")
-    set(ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
-    configure_file("${ZLIB_SOURCE_DIR}/zconf.h.in" "${TMP_INCLUDE_DIR}/zlib/zconf.h")
-    set(ZLIB_LIBRARY "zlib")
-    set(ZLIB_LIBRARIES "${ZLIB_LIBRARY}")
+    set(ZLIB_TARGET "zlib")
     set(ZLIB_STATIC_TARGET "zlibstatic")
 
-    list(APPEND EXT_INCLUDE_DIRS "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
-    list(APPEND EXT_LIBS "${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}")
-    list(APPEND EXT_LIBS_STATIC "${ZLIB_STATIC_TARGET}")
+    if(NOT TARGET "${ZLIB_TARGET}")
+      set(ZLIB_SOURCE_DIR "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/libs/zlib")
+
+      set(ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS "${ZLIB_SOURCE_DIR};${TMP_INCLUDE_DIR}/zlib")
+      configure_file("${ZLIB_SOURCE_DIR}/zconf.h.in" "${TMP_INCLUDE_DIR}/zlib/zconf.h")
 
-    if(NOT TARGET "${ZLIB_LIBRARY}")
       set(ENABLE_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
       add_subdirectory("${ZLIB_SOURCE_DIR}")
       set_target_properties(minigzip example
@@ -129,8 +127,12 @@ if(${LIBARP_FEATURE_DEFLATE})
                                 PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL 1 EXCLUDE_FROM_DEFAULT_BUILD 1)
       endif()
 
-      _arp_disable_warnings("${ZLIB_LIBRARY}")
+      _arp_disable_warnings("${ZLIB_TARGET}")
     endif()
+
+    list(APPEND EXT_INCLUDE_DIRS "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+    list(APPEND EXT_DEPS "${ZLIB_TARGET}")
+    list(APPEND EXT_DEPS_STATIC "${ZLIB_STATIC_TARGET}")
   endif()
 endif()
 
@@ -222,6 +224,13 @@ target_include_directories("${PROJECT_NAME}_static" PUBLIC "${EXT_INCLUDE_DIRS}"
 target_link_libraries("${PROJECT_NAME}" "${EXT_LIBS}")
 target_link_libraries("${PROJECT_NAME}_static" "${EXT_LIBS_STATIC}")
 
+if(NOT "${EXT_DEPS}" STREQUAL "")
+  add_dependencies("${PROJECT_NAME}" "${EXT_DEPS}")
+endif()
+if(NOT "${EXT_DEPS_STATIC}" STREQUAL "")
+  add_dependencies("${PROJECT_NAME}_static" "${EXT_DEPS_STATIC}")
+endif()
+
 # set the C standard
 set_target_properties("${PROJECT_NAME}" PROPERTIES C_STANDARD 11)
 set_target_properties("${PROJECT_NAME}" PROPERTIES C_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
@@ -303,5 +312,5 @@ function(copy_dep_output DEP_TARGET)
 endfunction()
 
 if(LIBARP_FEATURE_DEFLATE AND NOT USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
-  copy_dep_output("${ZLIB_LIBRARY}")
+  copy_dep_output("${ZLIB_TARGET}")
 endif()