diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5306f2825..a33c3b0ad 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,8 +41,14 @@ ENDIF()
 OPTION(CONFIG_BUILD_GLSLANG "Build glslangValidator from source instead of using the SDK" ${DEFAULT_BUILD_GLSLANG})
 OPTION(CONFIG_BUILD_IPO "Enable interprocedural optimizations" OFF)
 OPTION(CONFIG_BUILD_SHADER_DEBUG_INFO "Build shaders with debug info" OFF)
+OPTION(USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB "Prefer system ZLIB instead of the bundled one" OFF)
 set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY USE_FOLDERS ON)
 
+# use dynamic zlib for steam runtime
+IF(CONFIG_LINUX_STEAM_RUNTIME_SUPPORT)
+  SET(USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB ON)
+ENDIF()
+
 include(CheckIPOSupported)
 
 IF(CONFIG_BUILD_IPO)
@@ -152,6 +158,10 @@ IF(CONFIG_LINUX_PACKAGING_SUPPORT)
 
     set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "libvulkan1")
 
+    IF(USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
+      set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "zlib1g")
+    ENDIF()
+
     set(CPACK_DEB_PACKAGE_COMPONENT ON)
     set(CPACK_DEB_COMPONENT_INSTALL ON)
     set(CPACK_DEBIAN_ENABLE_COMPONENT_DEPENDS ON)
diff --git a/extern/CMakeLists.txt b/extern/CMakeLists.txt
index 9f188b3d3..151c2b6c8 100644
--- a/extern/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/extern/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 # ZLIB
 #
 
-if (NOT CONFIG_LINUX_STEAM_RUNTIME_SUPPORT)
+if(USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
+    find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
+else()
     add_subdirectory(zlib)
     target_include_directories(zlibstatic PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/zlib> $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/zlib>)
 
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ if (IS_64_BIT)
     option(SDL_TEST OFF)
 
     if (CONFIG_LINUX_STEAM_RUNTIME_SUPPORT)
-    	option(INPUT_TSLIB OFF)
+        option(INPUT_TSLIB OFF)
     endif()
 
     add_subdirectory(SDL2)
@@ -57,9 +59,7 @@ endif()
 #
 # CURL
 #
-
 if(CONFIG_USE_CURL)
-
     option(BUILD_CURL_EXE "" OFF)
     option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "" OFF)
     option(CURL_STATICLIB "" ON)
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ if(CONFIG_USE_CURL)
     set(CURL_CA_PATH "none" CACHE PATH "")
 
     set(CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX "" CACHE STRING "Override CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX, which curl sets to '-d'")
-    
+
     set(ZLIB_DIR "{CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/zlib")
 
     add_subdirectory(curl)
@@ -111,4 +111,4 @@ if (IS_64_BIT)
     set_target_properties(OpenAL PROPERTIES FOLDER extern/openal-soft)
     set_target_properties(common PROPERTIES FOLDER extern/openal-soft)
     set_target_properties(ex-common PROPERTIES FOLDER extern/openal-soft)
-endif()
\ No newline at end of file
+endif()
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index f6908ca5b..1a6631c25 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -549,25 +549,33 @@ TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(game PRIVATE ../inc)
 
 IF(TARGET client)
     TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(client PRIVATE ../inc)
-    TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(client PRIVATE "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+    IF(NOT USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
+      TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(client PRIVATE "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+    ENDIF()
 ENDIF()
 
 TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(server PRIVATE ../inc)
-TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(server PRIVATE "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
 
-# Use dynamic zlib for steam runtime
-if (CONFIG_LINUX_STEAM_RUNTIME_SUPPORT)
-    IF(TARGET client)
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(client SDL2main SDL2-static z)
-    ENDIF()
+if(NOT USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
+    TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(server PRIVATE "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+endif()
+
+if(TARGET client)
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(client SDL2main SDL2-static)
+endif()
+
+if(USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
     TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(server z)
     TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(game z)
+    if(TARGET client)
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(client z)
+    endif()
 else()
-    IF(TARGET client)
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(client SDL2main SDL2-static zlibstatic)
-    ENDIF()
     TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(server zlibstatic)
     TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(game zlibstatic)
+    if(TARGET client)
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(client zlibstatic)
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 IF(UNIX)