diff --git a/package/mysql/mysql.mk b/package/mysql/mysql.mk
index 5b30d84758..d338c31746 100644
--- a/package/mysql/mysql.mk
+++ b/package/mysql/mysql.mk
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ MYSQL_CONF_OPT = \
 	--enable-thread-safe-client \
 	--disable-mysql-maintainer-mode
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB),y)
+MYSQL_DEPENDENCIES += zlib
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_MYSQL_SERVER),y)
 MYSQL_DEPENDENCIES += host-mysql host-bison
 HOST_MYSQL_DEPENDENCIES =