diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5cb27a22..ca338410 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -10,7 +10,12 @@ AC_SUBST([pkgconfigdir])
 
 dnl === Check libz is present
 
-AC_CHECK_LIB(z, gzsetparams, [AC_CHECK_HEADER(zlib.h,,)], [AC_MSG_ERROR(zlib library not found)])
+if test "$enable_experimental" = "yes"; then
+  AC_CHECK_HEADER(zlib.h,
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(z, gzsetparams,,AC_MSG_ERROR(zlib library not found)),
+    AC_MSG_ERROR(zlib not available - no zlib.h)
+  )
+fi
 
 dnl === check for PNG support ===
 
diff --git a/examples/Makefile.am b/examples/Makefile.am
index 6d26fc86..30f09fd2 100644
--- a/examples/Makefile.am
+++ b/examples/Makefile.am
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ bin_PROGRAMS = dwebp cwebp
 
 dwebp_SOURCES = dwebp.c stopwatch.h
 dwebp_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(PNG_INCLUDES) $(JPEG_INCLUDES) $(USE_EXPERIMENTAL_CODE)
-dwebp_LDADD = ../src/libwebp.la $(PNG_LIBS) $(JPEG_LIBS) -lz
+dwebp_LDADD = ../src/libwebp.la $(PNG_LIBS) $(JPEG_LIBS)
 
 cwebp_SOURCES = cwebp.c stopwatch.h
 cwebp_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(PNG_INCLUDES) $(JPEG_INCLUDES) $(USE_EXPERIMENTAL_CODE)
-cwebp_LDADD = ../src/libwebp.la $(PNG_LIBS) $(JPEG_LIBS) -lz
+cwebp_LDADD = ../src/libwebp.la $(PNG_LIBS) $(JPEG_LIBS)
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 4bbe7189..d408e318 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ lib_LTLIBRARIES = libwebp.la
 libwebp_la_SOURCES =
 libwebp_la_LIBADD = dec/libwebpdecode.la \
                     enc/libwebpencode.la
-libwebp_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 0:0:0 -lz
+libwebp_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 0:0:0
 libwebpinclude_HEADERS = webp/types.h webp/decode.h webp/decode_vp8.h \
                          webp/encode.h
 libwebpincludedir = $(includedir)/webp