diff --git a/package/s390-tools/Config.in b/package/s390-tools/Config.in
index a553b5eeab..4aede4e265 100644
--- a/package/s390-tools/Config.in
+++ b/package/s390-tools/Config.in
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_S390_TOOLS
 	depends on BR2_s390x
 	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_USES_GLIBC
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB
 	help
 	  Tools for use with the s390 Linux kernel and device drivers.
 
diff --git a/package/s390-tools/s390-tools.mk b/package/s390-tools/s390-tools.mk
index 4d4c8188fe..d186f85cd3 100644
--- a/package/s390-tools/s390-tools.mk
+++ b/package/s390-tools/s390-tools.mk
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ S390_TOOLS_VERSION = 2.14.0
 S390_TOOLS_SITE = $(call github,ibm-s390-tools,s390-tools,v$(S390_TOOLS_VERSION))
 S390_TOOLS_LICENSE = MIT
 S390_TOOLS_LICENSE_FILES = LICENSE
+S390_TOOLS_DEPENDENCIES = zlib
 
 S390_TOOLS_MAKE_OPTS = \
 	ARCH=$(BR2_ARCH) \