diff --git a/packages/devel/binutils/package.mk b/packages/devel/binutils/package.mk
index 082a811f4b..cbc662a7d0 100644
--- a/packages/devel/binutils/package.mk
+++ b/packages/devel/binutils/package.mk
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ PKG_LICENSE="GPL"
 PKG_SITE="http://www.gnu.org/software/binutils/"
 PKG_URL="http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/binutils/$PKG_NAME-$PKG_VERSION.tar.gz"
 PKG_DEPENDS_HOST="ccache:host bison:host flex:host linux:host"
-PKG_DEPENDS_TARGET="toolchain binutils:host"
+PKG_DEPENDS_TARGET="toolchain zlib binutils:host"
 PKG_LONGDESC="A GNU collection of binary utilities."
 
 PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_HOST="--target=$TARGET_NAME \
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_HOST="--target=$TARGET_NAME \
 PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_TARGET="--target=$TARGET_NAME \
                          --with-sysroot=$SYSROOT_PREFIX \
                          --with-lib-path=$SYSROOT_PREFIX/lib:$SYSROOT_PREFIX/usr/lib \
+                         --with-system-zlib \
                          --without-ppl \
                          --without-cloog \
                          --enable-static \