diff --git a/cmake/externals/zlib/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/externals/zlib/CMakeLists.txt
index 69dbca714d..0d279cc469 100644
--- a/cmake/externals/zlib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/externals/zlib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,28 +1,31 @@
+set(EXTERNAL_NAME zlib)
+string(TOUPPER ${EXTERNAL_NAME} EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER)
 
-if (WIN32)
-  set(EXTERNAL_NAME zlib)
-  string(TOUPPER ${EXTERNAL_NAME} EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER)
+include(ExternalProject)
 
-  include(ExternalProject)
-  ExternalProject_Add(
-    ${EXTERNAL_NAME}
-    URL http://zlib.net/zlib128.zip
-    URL_MD5 126f8676442ffbd97884eb4d6f32afb4
-    INSTALL_COMMAND ""
-    LOG_DOWNLOAD 1
-  )
+ExternalProject_Add(
+${EXTERNAL_NAME}
+URL http://zlib.net/zlib128.zip
+CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=<INSTALL_DIR>
+BINARY_DIR ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_PREFIX}/build
+LOG_DOWNLOAD 1
+LOG_CONFIGURE 1
+LOG_BUILD 1
+)
+  
+# Hide this external target (for ide users)
+set_target_properties(${EXTERNAL_NAME} PROPERTIES FOLDER "hidden/externals")
 
-  # Hide this external target (for ide users)
-  set_target_properties(${EXTERNAL_NAME} PROPERTIES FOLDER "hidden/externals")
+ExternalProject_Get_Property(${EXTERNAL_NAME} INSTALL_DIR)
+set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_INCLUDE_DIR ${INSTALL_DIR}/include CACHE PATH "List of zlib include directories")
+set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_INCLUDE_DIRS ${${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_INCLUDE_DIR} CACHE PATH "List of zlib include directories")
+set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_DLL_PATH ${INSTALL_DIR}/bin CACHE FILEPATH "Location of ZLib DLL")
+set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_RELEASE ${INSTALL_DIR}/lib/zlib.lib CACHE FILEPATH "Location of zlib release library")
+set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_DEBUG ${INSTALL_DIR}/lib/zlibd.lib CACHE FILEPATH "Location of zlib debug library")
 
-  ExternalProject_Get_Property(${EXTERNAL_NAME} SOURCE_DIR)
+include(SelectLibraryConfigurations)
+select_library_configurations(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER})
 
-  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_INCLUDE_DIRS ${SOURCE_DIR}/include CACHE PATH "List of zlib include directories")
-
-  ExternalProject_Get_Property(${EXTERNAL_NAME} BINARY_DIR)
-
-  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_DLL_PATH ${BINARY_DIR}/Release CACHE FILEPATH "Location of GLEW DLL")
-  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_RELEASE ${BINARY_DIR}/Release/zlib.lib CACHE FILEPATH "Location of ZLib release library")
-  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_DEBUG "" CACHE FILEPATH "Location of ZLib debug library")
-
-endif ()
\ No newline at end of file
+# Force selected libraries into the cache
+set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY ${${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY} CACHE FILEPATH "Location of zlib libraries")
+set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARIES ${${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARIES} CACHE FILEPATH "Location of zlib libraries") 
diff --git a/cmake/macros/TargetZlib.cmake b/cmake/macros/TargetZlib.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..11eb8c132e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/macros/TargetZlib.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# 
+#  Copyright 2015 High Fidelity, Inc.
+#  Created by Bradley Austin Davis on 2015/10/10
+#
+#  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+#  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+# 
+macro(TARGET_ZLIB)
+    if (WIN32)
+        add_dependency_external_projects(zlib)
+        add_paths_to_fixup_libs(${ZLIB_DLL_PATH})
+    else()
+        find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
+    endif()
+    target_include_directories(${TARGET_NAME} SYSTEM PRIVATE ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES})
+endmacro()
diff --git a/libraries/shared/CMakeLists.txt b/libraries/shared/CMakeLists.txt
index d9df5eba7f..2691c51128 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libraries/shared/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,14 +3,4 @@ set(TARGET_NAME shared)
 # TODO: there isn't really a good reason to have Script linked here - let's get what is requiring it out (RegisteredMetaTypes.cpp)
 setup_hifi_library(Gui Network Script Widgets)
 
-find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
-target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES})
-target_include_directories(${TARGET_NAME} PUBLIC ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-
-if (WIN32)
-  # Birarda will fix this when he finds it.
-  get_filename_component(ZLIB_LIB_DIR "${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}" DIRECTORY)
-  get_filename_component(ZLIB_DIR "${ZLIB_LIB_DIR}" DIRECTORY)
-  set(ZLIB_BIN_DIR "${ZLIB_DIR}/bin")
-  add_paths_to_fixup_libs(${ZLIB_BIN_DIR})
-endif ()
+target_zlib()