diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4b553ef9e..405ff538c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -446,46 +446,46 @@ ENDIF()
 
 # Search for external dependencies, and build them from source if not found
 # Search for zlib
-IF(ASSIMP_HUNTER_ENABLED)
-  hunter_add_package(ZLIB)
-  find_package(ZLIB CONFIG REQUIRED)
+#IF(ASSIMP_HUNTER_ENABLED)
+#  hunter_add_package(ZLIB)
+#  find_package(ZLIB CONFIG REQUIRED)#
 
-  add_definitions(-DASSIMP_BUILD_NO_OWN_ZLIB)
-  set(ZLIB_FOUND TRUE)
-  set(ZLIB_LIBRARIES ZLIB::zlib)
-  set(ASSIMP_BUILD_MINIZIP TRUE)
-ELSE()
-  IF ( NOT ASSIMP_BUILD_ZLIB )
-    FIND_PACKAGE(ZLIB)
-  ENDIF()
+#  add_definitions(-DASSIMP_BUILD_NO_OWN_ZLIB)
+#  set(ZLIB_FOUND TRUE)
+#  set(ZLIB_LIBRARIES ZLIB::zlib)
+#  set(ASSIMP_BUILD_MINIZIP TRUE)
+#ELSE()
+#  IF ( NOT ASSIMP_BUILD_ZLIB )
+#    FIND_PACKAGE(ZLIB)
+#  ENDIF()
 
-  IF( NOT ZLIB_FOUND )
-    MESSAGE(STATUS "compiling zlib from sources")
-    INCLUDE(CheckIncludeFile)
-    INCLUDE(CheckTypeSize)
-    INCLUDE(CheckFunctionExists)
+#  IF( NOT ZLIB_FOUND )
+#    MESSAGE(STATUS "compiling zlib from sources")
+#    INCLUDE(CheckIncludeFile)
+#    INCLUDE(CheckTypeSize)
+#    INCLUDE(CheckFunctionExists)
 
     # Explicitly turn off ASM686 and AMD64 cmake options.
     # The AMD64 option causes a build failure on MSVC and the ASM builds seem to have problems:
     #		https://github.com/madler/zlib/issues/41#issuecomment-125848075
     # Also prevents these options from "polluting" the cmake options if assimp is being
     # included as a submodule.
-    set( ASM686 FALSE CACHE INTERNAL "Override ZLIB flag to turn off assembly" FORCE )
-    set( AMD64 FALSE CACHE INTERNAL "Override ZLIB flag to turn off assembly" FORCE )
+#    set( ASM686 FALSE CACHE INTERNAL "Override ZLIB flag to turn off assembly" FORCE )
+#    set( AMD64 FALSE CACHE INTERNAL "Override ZLIB flag to turn off assembly" FORCE )
 
     # compile from sources
-    ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(contrib/zlib)
-    SET(ZLIB_FOUND 1)
-    SET(ZLIB_LIBRARIES zlibstatic)
-    SET(ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/contrib/zlib ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/contrib/zlib)
+ #   ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(contrib/zlib)
+ #   SET(ZLIB_FOUND 1)
+ #   SET(ZLIB_LIBRARIES zlibstatic)
+ #   SET(ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/contrib/zlib ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/contrib/zlib)
     # need to ensure we don't link with system zlib or minizip as well.
-    SET(ASSIMP_BUILD_MINIZIP 1)
-  ELSE()
-    ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DASSIMP_BUILD_NO_OWN_ZLIB)
-    SET(ZLIB_LIBRARIES_LINKED -lz)
-  ENDIF()
-  INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR})
-ENDIF()
+  #  SET(ASSIMP_BUILD_MINIZIP 1)
+  #ELSE()
+#    ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DASSIMP_BUILD_NO_OWN_ZLIB)
+#    SET(ZLIB_LIBRARIES_LINKED -lz)
+#  ENDIF()
+#  INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR})
+#ENDIF()
 
 IF( NOT IOS )
   IF( NOT ASSIMP_BUILD_MINIZIP )
diff --git a/code/CMakeLists.txt b/code/CMakeLists.txt
index bbcad86e5..0dbf712c1 100644
--- a/code/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -951,6 +951,53 @@ ELSE()
   SOURCE_GROUP( ziplib FILES ${ziplib_SRCS} )
 ENDIF()
 
+IF(ASSIMP_HUNTER_ENABLED)
+  hunter_add_package(ZLIB)
+  find_package(ZLIB CONFIG REQUIRED)
+
+  add_definitions(-DASSIMP_BUILD_NO_OWN_ZLIB)
+  set(ZLIB_FOUND TRUE)
+  set(ZLIB_LIBRARIES ZLIB::zlib)
+  set(ASSIMP_BUILD_MINIZIP TRUE)
+  SET(ZLIB_LIBRARIES_LINKED -lz)
+  INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR})
+ELSE()
+  IF ( NOT ASSIMP_BUILD_ZLIB )
+    FIND_PACKAGE(ZLIB)
+  ELSE()
+    SET( zlib_SRCS
+      ../contrib/zlib/crc32.h
+      ../contrib/zlib/deflate.h
+      ../contrib/zlib/gzguts.h
+      ../contrib/zlib/inffast.h
+      ../contrib/zlib/inffixed.h
+      ../contrib/zlib/inflate.h
+      ../contrib/zlib/inftrees.h
+      ../contrib/zlib/trees.h
+      ../contrib/zlib/zutil.h
+      ../contrib/zlib/adler32.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/compress.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/crc32.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/deflate.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/gzclose.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/gzlib.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/gzread.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/gzwrite.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/inflate.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/infback.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/inftrees.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/inffast.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/trees.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/uncompr.c
+      ../contrib/zlib/zutil.c
+    )
+    INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(../contrib/zlib/)
+    set( ASM686 FALSE CACHE INTERNAL "Override ZLIB flag to turn off assembly" FORCE )
+    set( AMD64 FALSE CACHE INTERNAL "Override ZLIB flag to turn off assembly" FORCE )
+    SOURCE_GROUP( zlib FILES ${zlib_SRCS} )
+  ENDIF()
+
+ENDIF()
 # openddlparser
 IF(ASSIMP_HUNTER_ENABLED)
   hunter_add_package(openddlparser)
@@ -1098,6 +1145,7 @@ SET( assimp_src
   ${open3dgc_SRCS}
   ${ziplib_SRCS}
   ${Pugixml_SRCS}
+  ${zlib_SRCS}
   # Necessary to show the headers in the project when using the VC++ generator:
 
   ${PUBLIC_HEADERS}