diff --git a/package/ngircd/Config.in b/package/ngircd/Config.in
index f1d8bea904..9b3d430922 100644
--- a/package/ngircd/Config.in
+++ b/package/ngircd/Config.in
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_NGIRCD
 	bool "ngircd"
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU # fork()
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB
 	help
 	  Next Generation IRC server deamon.
 
diff --git a/package/ngircd/ngircd.mk b/package/ngircd/ngircd.mk
index 06318a9df3..9fa30da24c 100644
--- a/package/ngircd/ngircd.mk
+++ b/package/ngircd/ngircd.mk
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 NGIRCD_VERSION = 24
 NGIRCD_SOURCE = ngircd-$(NGIRCD_VERSION).tar.xz
 NGIRCD_SITE = https://arthur.barton.de/pub/ngircd
-NGIRCD_DEPENDENCIES = zlib
 NGIRCD_LICENSE = GPL-2.0+
 NGIRCD_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 
@@ -24,4 +23,11 @@ NGIRCD_CONF_OPTS += --without-gnutls
 endif
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB),y)
+NGIRCD_CONF_OPTS += --with-zlib=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr
+NGIRCD_DEPENDENCIES += zlib
+else
+NGIRCD_CONF_OPTS += --without-zlib
+endif
+
 $(eval $(autotools-package))