diff --git a/python/build/zlib.py b/python/build/zlib.py
index 0747a6d0d..c5aeb8c30 100644
--- a/python/build/zlib.py
+++ b/python/build/zlib.py
@@ -1,22 +1,32 @@
-import os.path, subprocess
+import subprocess
 
-from build.project import Project
+from build.makeproject import MakeProject
 
-class ZlibProject(Project):
+class ZlibProject(MakeProject):
     def __init__(self, url, md5, installed,
                  **kwargs):
-        Project.__init__(self, url, md5, installed, **kwargs)
+        MakeProject.__init__(self, url, md5, installed, **kwargs)
+
+    def get_make_args(self, toolchain):
+        return MakeProject.get_make_args(self, toolchain) + [
+            'CC=' + toolchain.cc + ' ' + toolchain.cppflags + ' ' + toolchain.cflags,
+            'CPP=' + toolchain.cc + ' -E ' + toolchain.cppflags,
+            'AR=' + toolchain.ar,
+            'ARFLAGS=' + toolchain.arflags,
+            'RANLIB=' + toolchain.ranlib,
+            'LDSHARED=' + toolchain.cc + ' -shared',
+            'libz.a'
+        ]
+
+    def get_make_install_args(self, toolchain):
+        return [
+            'RANLIB=' + toolchain.ranlib,
+            self.install_target
+        ]
 
     def _build(self, toolchain):
         src = self.unpack(toolchain, out_of_tree=False)
 
-        subprocess.check_call(['/usr/bin/make', '--quiet',
-            '-f', 'win32/Makefile.gcc',
-            'PREFIX=' + toolchain.arch + '-',
-            '-j12',
-            'install',
-            'INCLUDE_PATH='+ os.path.join(toolchain.install_prefix, 'include'),
-            'LIBRARY_PATH=' + os.path.join(toolchain.install_prefix, 'lib'),
-            'BINARY_PATH=' + os.path.join(toolchain.install_prefix, 'bin'),
-            ],
-            cwd=src, env=toolchain.env)
+        subprocess.check_call(['./configure', '--prefix=' + toolchain.install_prefix, '--static'],
+                              cwd=src, env=toolchain.env)
+        self.build_make(toolchain, src)