diff --git a/package/php/Config.ext b/package/php/Config.ext
index 193bc1bd03..66ee935cf0 100644
--- a/package/php/Config.ext
+++ b/package/php/Config.ext
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_PHP_EXT_GD
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_FREETYPE
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_JPEG
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBPNG
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB
 	help
 	  GD support
 
diff --git a/package/php/php.mk b/package/php/php.mk
index 8282bb1cc7..4d2f1b8f63 100644
--- a/package/php/php.mk
+++ b/package/php/php.mk
@@ -327,12 +327,10 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_PHP_EXT_GD),y)
 PHP_CONF_OPTS += \
-	--with-gd \
-	--with-jpeg-dir=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr \
-	--with-png-dir=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr \
-	--with-zlib-dir=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr \
-	--with-freetype-dir=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr
-PHP_DEPENDENCIES += jpeg libpng freetype
+	--enable-gd \
+	--with-jpeg \
+	--with-freetype
+PHP_DEPENDENCIES += jpeg libpng freetype zlib
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_PHP_SAPI_FPM),y)