diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e4842026..a7590db7 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-EXTRA_DIST = mksymlinks.sh
+EXTRA_DIST = mksymlinks.sh acsite.m4 acconfig.h
 
 dist-hook:
 	tar cf - src/metar | (cd $(distdir); tar xvf -)
diff --git a/acconfig.h b/acconfig.h
index 4e22afc2..a5fe5539 100644
--- a/acconfig.h
+++ b/acconfig.h
@@ -181,6 +181,9 @@
 /* Define if you have the wait3 system call.  */
 #undef HAVE_WAIT3
 
+/* Define if you have zlib installed system wide.  */
+#undef HAVE_ZLIB
+
 /* Define as __inline if that's what the C compiler calls it.  */
 #undef inline
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 7061ba35..2c2e266c 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ dnl $Id$
 AC_INIT(src/bucket/newbucket.cxx)
 
 dnl Initialize the automake stuff
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(SimGear, 0.0.2)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(SimGear, 0.0.3)
 
 dnl Checks for programs.
 AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
@@ -198,7 +198,9 @@ fi
 
 dnl Check for system installed zlib
 AC_CHECK_HEADER(zlib.h)
-if test "x$ac_cv_header_zlib_h" != "xyes"; then
+if test "x$ac_cv_header_zlib_h" = "xyes"; then
+    AC_DEFINE( HAVE_ZLIB )
+else
     echo "no zlib found, building."
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_ZLIB, test "x$ac_cv_header_zlib_h" = "xyes" )
diff --git a/mksymlinks.sh b/mksymlinks.sh
index e654cf19..8b8cc960 100755
--- a/mksymlinks.sh
+++ b/mksymlinks.sh
@@ -37,3 +37,6 @@ ln -s ../../misc/fgstream.hxx src/simgear/misc/fgstream.hxx
 ln -s ../../misc/zfstream.hxx src/simgear/misc/zfstream.hxx
 
 ln -s ../../xgl/xgl.h src/simgear/xgl/xgl.h
+
+ln -s ../../zlib/zlib.h src/simgear/zlib/zlib.h
+ln -s ../../zlib/zconf.h src/simgear/zlib/zconf.h
diff --git a/simgear/math/Makefile.am b/simgear/math/Makefile.am
index 5bac7d07..4faaf013 100644
--- a/simgear/math/Makefile.am
+++ b/simgear/math/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 includedir = @includedir@/math
 
+if HAVE_ZLIB
+ZLIB_INCL =
+else
+ZLIB_INCL = -I$(top_builddir)/src/zlib
+endif
+
 lib_LIBRARIES = libsgmath.a
 
 include_HEADERS = \
@@ -29,4 +35,4 @@ libsgmath_a_SOURCES = \
 	polar3d.cxx \
 	vector.cxx
 
-INCLUDES += -I$(top_builddir)/src
+INCLUDES += -I$(top_builddir)/src $(ZLIB_INCL)
diff --git a/simgear/misc/Makefile.am b/simgear/misc/Makefile.am
index 26112ff7..44d4a796 100644
--- a/simgear/misc/Makefile.am
+++ b/simgear/misc/Makefile.am
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ includedir = @includedir@/misc
 if HAVE_ZLIB
 ZLIB_INCL =
 else
-ZLIB_INCL = -I$(top_builddir)/zlib
+ZLIB_INCL = -I$(top_builddir)/src/zlib
 endif
 
 lib_LIBRARIES = libsgmisc.a
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@ libsgmisc_a_SOURCES = \
 	texcoord.cxx \
 	zfstream.cxx
 
-INCLUDES += -I$(top_builddir)/src
+INCLUDES += -I$(top_builddir)/src $(ZLIB_INCL)
diff --git a/simgear/misc/zfstream.hxx b/simgear/misc/zfstream.hxx
index 41b3d04d..b093499f 100644
--- a/simgear/misc/zfstream.hxx
+++ b/simgear/misc/zfstream.hxx
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@
 
 #include <simgear/compiler.h>
 
-#include <zlib.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_ZLIB
+#  include <zlib.h>
+#else
+#  include <simgear/zlib/zlib.h>
+#endif
 
 #ifdef FG_HAVE_STD_INCLUDES