diff --git a/build/pkgs/zlib/spkg-configure.m4 b/build/pkgs/zlib/spkg-configure.m4
index c2e3b7059c0..adb36006813 100644
--- a/build/pkgs/zlib/spkg-configure.m4
+++ b/build/pkgs/zlib/spkg-configure.m4
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 SAGE_SPKG_CONFIGURE([zlib], [
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([zlib], [zlib >= 1.2.11], [zlib_cv_pc=yes], [zlib_cv_pc=no])
     AC_CHECK_LIB([z], [inflateEnd], [zlib_cv_libz=yes], [zlib_cv_libz=no])
     AC_CHECK_HEADER([zlib.h], [zlib_cv_zlib_h=yes], [zlib_cv_zlib_h=no])
-    if test "$zlib_cv_libz" = "yes" && test "$zlib_cv_zlib_h" = "yes"; then
+    if test "$zlib_cv_pc" = "yes" && test "$zlib_cv_libz" = "yes" && test "$zlib_cv_zlib_h" = "yes"; then
         PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBPNG], [libpng >= 1.2], [], [
             dnl inflateValidate is needed for Sage's libpng, newer than 1.2; this ensures
             dnl we have the minimum required for building zlib version