diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 630cf0cfc..3ed4d7722 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -146,6 +146,10 @@ set(Launcher_BUILD_TIMESTAMP "${TODAY}")
 
 ################################ 3rd Party Libs ################################
 
+if(NOT Launcher_FORCE_BUNDLED_LIBS)
+    find_package(ZLIB QUIET)
+endif()
+
 # Find the required Qt parts
 include(QtVersionlessBackport)
 if(Launcher_QT_VERSION_MAJOR EQUAL 5)
@@ -306,6 +310,20 @@ add_subdirectory(libraries/systeminfo) # system information library
 add_subdirectory(libraries/hoedown) # markdown parser
 add_subdirectory(libraries/launcher) # java based launcher part for Minecraft
 add_subdirectory(libraries/javacheck) # java compatibility checker
+if(NOT ZLIB_FOUND)
+    message(STATUS "Using bundled zlib")
+    set(SKIP_INSTALL_ALL ON)
+    add_subdirectory(libraries/zlib EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+    
+    set(ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/libraries/zlib" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/libraries/zlib")
+    set_target_properties(zlibstatic PROPERTIES INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+    add_library(ZLIB::ZLIB ALIAS zlibstatic)
+    set(ZLIB_LIBRARY ZLIB::ZLIB)
+    set(ZLIB_FOUND true)
+    find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
+else()
+    message(STATUS "Using system zlib")
+endif()
 if (FORCE_BUNDLED_QUAZIP)
     message(STATUS "Using bundled QuaZip")
     set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS 0)  # link statically to avoid conflicts.
diff --git a/launcher/CMakeLists.txt b/launcher/CMakeLists.txt
index 7998f4f5e..a54a25f9b 100644
--- a/launcher/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/launcher/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -539,9 +539,6 @@ set(ATLAUNCHER_SOURCES
 
 ################################ COMPILE ################################
 
-# we need zlib
-find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
-
 set(LOGIC_SOURCES
     ${CORE_SOURCES}
     ${PATHMATCHER_SOURCES}