diff --git a/.ci_support/linux_64_.yaml b/.ci_support/linux_64_.yaml
index 94cb8b4962..6acf309cfd 100644
--- a/.ci_support/linux_64_.yaml
+++ b/.ci_support/linux_64_.yaml
@@ -43,3 +43,5 @@ zip_keys:
   - cxx_compiler_version
 - - python
   - numpy
+zlib:
+- '1.2'
diff --git a/.ci_support/osx_64_.yaml b/.ci_support/osx_64_.yaml
index 0ada0d9074..66b5d048d9 100644
--- a/.ci_support/osx_64_.yaml
+++ b/.ci_support/osx_64_.yaml
@@ -41,3 +41,5 @@ zip_keys:
   - cxx_compiler_version
 - - python
   - numpy
+zlib:
+- '1.2'
diff --git a/conda.recipe/meta.yaml b/conda.recipe/meta.yaml
index 0f52e4d537..1bc44f1b61 100644
--- a/conda.recipe/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda.recipe/meta.yaml
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ requirements:
     - hdf5
     - python
     - rapidjson
+    - zlib
   run:
     - matplotlib-base
     - numpy
diff --git a/sparta/cmake/sparta-config.cmake b/sparta/cmake/sparta-config.cmake
index 5a086e4793..c5d1ba3e00 100644
--- a/sparta/cmake/sparta-config.cmake
+++ b/sparta/cmake/sparta-config.cmake
@@ -70,13 +70,18 @@ message (STATUS "Using RapidJSON CPP ${RapidJSON_VERSION}")
 find_package (SQLite3 3.19 REQUIRED)
 message (STATUS "Using SQLite3 ${SQLite3_VERSION}")
 
+# Find zlib
+find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
+message (STATUS "Using zlib ${ZLIB_VERSION_STRING}")
+include_directories(SYSTEM ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+
 # Find HDF5. Need to enable C language for HDF5 testing
 enable_language (C)
 find_package (HDF5 1.10 REQUIRED)
 
 # Populate the Sparta_LIBS variable with the required libraries for
 # basic Sparta linking
-set (Sparta_LIBS sparta simdb ${HDF5_LIBRARIES} sqlite3 yaml-cpp z pthread
+set (Sparta_LIBS sparta simdb ${HDF5_LIBRARIES} sqlite3 yaml-cpp ZLIB::ZLIB pthread
   Boost::date_time Boost::iostreams Boost::serialization Boost::timer Boost::program_options)
 
 # On Linux we need to link against rt as well
diff --git a/sparta/src/AsyncNonTimeseriesReport.cpp b/sparta/src/AsyncNonTimeseriesReport.cpp
index f42b5b4257..bea472332b 100644
--- a/sparta/src/AsyncNonTimeseriesReport.cpp
+++ b/sparta/src/AsyncNonTimeseriesReport.cpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include <cstdint>
 
 //SQLite-specific headers
-#include "zlib.h"
+#include <zlib.h>
 
 namespace sparta {
 namespace async {
diff --git a/sparta/src/AsyncTimeseriesReport.cpp b/sparta/src/AsyncTimeseriesReport.cpp
index 2529536955..33577c6f5a 100644
--- a/sparta/src/AsyncTimeseriesReport.cpp
+++ b/sparta/src/AsyncTimeseriesReport.cpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #include "sparta/async/AsyncTimeseriesReport.hpp"
 
 //SQLite-specific headers
-#include "zlib.h"
+#include <zlib.h>
 
 //! Compress buffered SI values and write them to the database.
 //! This is called on a background thread.
diff --git a/sparta/src/Report.cpp b/sparta/src/Report.cpp
index e34b1fbb42..f909daf32e 100644
--- a/sparta/src/Report.cpp
+++ b/sparta/src/Report.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <filesystem>
 
+//SQLite-specific headers
+#include <zlib.h>
+
 #include "sparta/parsers/YAMLTreeEventHandler.hpp"
 #include "sparta/utils/Printing.hpp"
 
@@ -39,9 +42,6 @@
 #include "sparta/report/db/StatInstValueLookup.hpp"
 #include "sparta/report/db/DatabaseContextCounter.hpp"
 
-//SQLite-specific headers
-#include "zlib.h"
-
 namespace sparta
 {
     typedef std::pair<YAMLTreeEventHandler::node_uid_t, TreeNode*> parent_node_info_t;
diff --git a/sparta/src/ReportTimeseries.cpp b/sparta/src/ReportTimeseries.cpp
index 786b7c9262..b71dbe72d4 100644
--- a/sparta/src/ReportTimeseries.cpp
+++ b/sparta/src/ReportTimeseries.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
 #include <utility>
+#include <zlib.h>
 
 #include "sparta/report/db/ReportHeader.hpp"
 #include "sparta/report/db/Schema.hpp"
@@ -22,7 +23,6 @@
 #include "simdb/impl/sqlite/SQLiteConnProxy.hpp"
 //SQLite-specific headers
 #include "simdb/impl/sqlite/TransactionUtils.hpp"
-#include "zlib.h"
 #include "simdb/Constraints.hpp"
 #include "simdb/DbConnProxy.hpp"
 #include "simdb/Errors.hpp"
diff --git a/sparta/src/SingleUpdateReport.cpp b/sparta/src/SingleUpdateReport.cpp
index 86c1adc26d..38ca014979 100644
--- a/sparta/src/SingleUpdateReport.cpp
+++ b/sparta/src/SingleUpdateReport.cpp
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@
 
 #include <cassert>
 #include <utility>
+#include <zlib.h>
 
 #include "simdb/ObjectManager.hpp"
 #include "simdb/ObjectRef.hpp"
 #include "simdb/TableRef.hpp"
 #include "simdb/utils/ObjectQuery.hpp"
 #include "sparta/utils/SpartaException.hpp"
-#include "zlib.h"
 #include "simdb/Constraints.hpp"
 #include "simdb/schema/ColumnTypedefs.hpp"