diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f48ad707a1..04f0b67b5c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -416,8 +416,17 @@ endif
 
 # zlib config
 ifdef WITH_ZLIB
-	CDEFS +=  -DWITH_ZLIB
-	LIBS += -lz
+	CDEFS += -DWITH_ZLIB
+	ifdef STATIC
+		ifdef OSX
+		# OSX links dynamically to zlib, even in static builds since it's always present in the system
+			LIBS += -lz
+		else
+			LIBS += $(STATIC_ZLIB_PATH)
+		endif
+	else
+		LIBS += -lz
+	endif
 endif
 
 # libpng config
diff --git a/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer b/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
index 2f3351a32d..a305c89d0b 100644
--- a/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
+++ b/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ $(MAKE_CONFIG):
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,WITH_ZLIB:=$(WITH_ZLIB))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,WITH_SDL:=$(WITH_SDL))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,WITH_PNG:=$(WITH_PNG))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,STATIC_ZLIB_PATH:=$(STATIC_ZLIB_PATH))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,WITH_COCOA:=$(WITH_COCOA))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,)
 
diff --git a/makefiledir/Makefile.libdetection b/makefiledir/Makefile.libdetection
index a8859505f1..ade09c076c 100644
--- a/makefiledir/Makefile.libdetection
+++ b/makefiledir/Makefile.libdetection
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ WITH_SDL:=$(shell $(SDL-CONFIG) --version 2>/dev/null)
 WITH_PNG:=$(shell $(LIBPNG-CONFIG) --version 2>/dev/null)
 
 ifdef WITH_PNG
-# LibPNG depends on Zlib
-WITH_ZLIB:=1
+	# LibPNG depends on Zlib
+	WITH_ZLIB:=1
 else
 # We go looking for zlib with a little hack
 WITH_ZLIB:=$(shell ls /usr/include | grep "zlib.h" 2>/dev/null) \
@@ -92,6 +92,22 @@ WITH_ZLIB:=1
 endif
 endif
 
+ifdef WITH_ZLIB
+	TEMP:=$(shell ls /lib 2>/dev/null | grep "zlib.a")$(shell ls /lib 2>/dev/null | grep "libz.a")
+	ifdef TEMP
+		STATIC_ZLIB_PATH:=/lib/$(TEMP)
+	else
+		TEMP:=$(shell ls /usr/lib 2>/dev/null | grep "zlib.a")$(shell ls /usr/lib 2>/dev/null | grep "libz.a")
+		ifdef TEMP
+			STATIC_ZLIB_PATH:=/usr/lib/$(TEMP)
+		else
+			TEMP:=$(shell ls /usr/local/lib 2>/dev/null | grep "zlib.a")$(shell ls /usr/local/lib 2>/dev/null | grep "libz.a")
+			ifdef TEMP
+				STATIC_ZLIB_PATH:=/usr/local/lib/$(TEMP)
+			endif
+		endif
+	endif
+endif
 
 # sets the default paths
 ifdef UNIX