diff --git a/include/prereq-build.mk b/include/prereq-build.mk
index 6917716342..5b9a7e049d 100644
--- a/include/prereq-build.mk
+++ b/include/prereq-build.mk
@@ -76,11 +76,6 @@ else
   zlib_link_flags := -lz
 endif
 
-$(eval $(call TestHostCommand,zlib, \
-	Please install a static zlib. (Missing libz.a or zlib.h), \
-	echo 'int main(int argc, char **argv) { gzdopen(0, "rb"); return 0; }' | \
-		gcc -include zlib.h -x c -o $(TMP_DIR)/a.out - $(zlib_link_flags)))
-
 $(eval $(call TestHostCommand,perl-thread-queue, \
 	Please install the Perl Thread::Queue module, \
 	perl -MThread::Queue -e 1))
diff --git a/package/libs/zlib/Makefile b/package/libs/zlib/Makefile
index a7c61f7dd0..4a2a0e53b0 100644
--- a/package/libs/zlib/Makefile
+++ b/package/libs/zlib/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ PKG_CPE_ID:=cpe:/a:gnu:zlib
 
 PKG_CONFIG_DEPENDS:= CONFIG_ZLIB_OPTIMIZE_SPEED
 
-include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host-build.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/cmake.mk
 
@@ -95,6 +94,5 @@ define Package/zlib-dev/install
 	  $(1)/usr/lib/pkgconfig/
 endef
 
-$(eval $(call HostBuild))
 $(eval $(call BuildPackage,zlib))
 $(eval $(call BuildPackage,zlib-dev))
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index 50bd552d75..8dfab9892b 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ ifneq ($(CONFIG_SDK)$(CONFIG_PACKAGE_kmod-b43)$(CONFIG_PACKAGE_b43legacy-firmwar
 endif
 
 tools-$(BUILD_TOOLCHAIN) += gmp mpfr mpc libelf expat
-tools-y += m4 libtool autoconf automake flex bison pkg-config mklibs
+tools-y += m4 libtool autoconf automake flex bison pkg-config mklibs zlib
 tools-y += sstrip make-ext4fs e2fsprogs mtd-utils mkimage
 tools-y += firmware-utils patch-image quilt padjffs2
 tools-y += mm-macros missing-macros cmake scons bc findutils gengetopt patchelf
@@ -43,16 +43,16 @@ $(curdir)/bison/compile := $(curdir)/flex/compile
 $(curdir)/flex/compile := $(curdir)/libtool/compile
 $(curdir)/libtool/compile := $(curdir)/m4/compile $(curdir)/autoconf/compile $(curdir)/automake/compile $(curdir)/missing-macros/compile
 $(curdir)/squashfs/compile := $(curdir)/lzma-old/compile
-$(curdir)/squashfs4/compile := $(curdir)/xz/compile
+$(curdir)/squashfs4/compile := $(curdir)/xz/compile $(curdir)/zlib/compile
 $(curdir)/quilt/compile := $(curdir)/autoconf/compile $(curdir)/findutils/compile
 $(curdir)/autoconf/compile := $(curdir)/m4/compile
 $(curdir)/automake/compile := $(curdir)/m4/compile $(curdir)/autoconf/compile $(curdir)/pkg-config/compile $(curdir)/xz/compile
 $(curdir)/gmp/compile := $(curdir)/libtool/compile
 $(curdir)/mpc/compile := $(curdir)/mpfr/compile $(curdir)/gmp/compile
 $(curdir)/mpfr/compile := $(curdir)/gmp/compile
-$(curdir)/mtd-utils/compile := $(curdir)/e2fsprogs/compile
+$(curdir)/mtd-utils/compile := $(curdir)/e2fsprogs/compile $(curdir)/zlib/compile
 $(curdir)/mklibs/compile := $(curdir)/libtool/compile
-$(curdir)/qemu/compile := $(curdir)/e2fsprogs/compile
+$(curdir)/qemu/compile := $(curdir)/e2fsprogs/compile $(curdir)/zlib/compile
 $(curdir)/upslug2/compile := $(curdir)/libtool/compile
 $(curdir)/mm-macros/compile := $(curdir)/libtool/compile
 $(curdir)/missing-macros/compile := $(curdir)/autoconf/compile
@@ -69,8 +69,12 @@ $(curdir)/patchelf/compile := $(curdir)/libtool/compile
 $(curdir)/dosfstools/compile := $(curdir)/autoconf/compile $(curdir)/automake/compile
 $(curdir)/libressl/compile := $(curdir)/pkg-config/compile
 $(curdir)/mkimage/compile += $(curdir)/libressl/compile
-$(curdir)/firmware-utils/compile += $(curdir)/libressl/compile
+$(curdir)/firmware-utils/compile += $(curdir)/libressl/compile $(curdir)/zlib/compile
 $(curdir)/cmake/compile += $(curdir)/libressl/compile
+$(curdir)/zlib/compile := $(curdir)/cmake/compile
+$(curdir)/wrt350nv2-builder/compile := $(curdir)/zlib/compile
+$(curdir)/lzma-old/compile := $(curdir)/zlib/compile
+$(curdir)/make-ext4fs/compile := $(curdir)/zlib/compile
 
 ifneq ($(HOST_OS),Linux)
   tools-y += coreutils
diff --git a/tools/lzma-old/Makefile b/tools/lzma-old/Makefile
index 5982eab5db..5204127a80 100644
--- a/tools/lzma-old/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lzma-old/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ LIB_DIR=$(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/C/7zip/Compress/LZMA_Lib
 ALONE_DIR=$(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/C/7zip/Compress/LZMA_Alone
 
 define Host/Compile
+	+$(HOST_MAKE_VARS) \
 	$(MAKE) -C $(LIB_DIR)
+	+$(HOST_MAKE_VARS) \
 	$(MAKE) -f makefile.gcc -C $(ALONE_DIR)
 endef
 
diff --git a/tools/lzma-old/patches/120-add-cflags.patch b/tools/lzma-old/patches/120-add-cflags.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9022e7cd27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/lzma-old/patches/120-add-cflags.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+--- a/C/7zip/Compress/LZMA_Lib/makefile
++++ b/C/7zip/Compress/LZMA_Lib/makefile
+@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ PROG = liblzma.a
+ CXX = g++ -O3 -Wall
+ AR = ar
+ RM = rm -f
+-CFLAGS = -c  -I ../../../
++CFLAGS += -c  -I ../../../
+ 
+ OBJS = \
+   ZLib.o \
diff --git a/tools/make-ext4fs/Makefile b/tools/make-ext4fs/Makefile
index f140101c8e..97f9e6369c 100644
--- a/tools/make-ext4fs/Makefile
+++ b/tools/make-ext4fs/Makefile
@@ -17,13 +17,7 @@ PKG_MIRROR_HASH:=d7ccd5e426b1d15331ff000a37dc15161f6eef594453e970fd584fcde5a2507
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host-build.mk
 
-ifeq ($(HOST_OS),Linux)
- MAKE_STATIC := STATIC=1
-endif
-
-define Host/Compile
-	$(MAKE) -C $(HOST_BUILD_DIR) make_ext4fs $(MAKE_STATIC)
-endef
+HOST_MAKE_FLAGS += STATIC=1
 
 define Host/Install
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) $(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/make_ext4fs $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/
diff --git a/tools/make-ext4fs/patches/100-add-ldflags.patch b/tools/make-ext4fs/patches/100-add-ldflags.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d9ce47bb80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/make-ext4fs/patches/100-add-ldflags.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+--- a/Makefile
++++ b/Makefile
+@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ OBJ := \
+ 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $^
+ 
+ make_ext4fs: $(OBJ) libsparse/libsparse.a
+-	$(CC) -o $@ $^ $(ZLIB)
++	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS)-o $@ $^ $(ZLIB)
+ 
+ libsparse/libsparse.a:
+ 	$(MAKE) -C libsparse/ libsparse.a
diff --git a/tools/squashfs4/Makefile b/tools/squashfs4/Makefile
index e9e2b7ca9a..409b1b5a23 100644
--- a/tools/squashfs4/Makefile
+++ b/tools/squashfs4/Makefile
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ HOST_BUILD_DIR:=$(BUILD_DIR_HOST)/squashfs$(PKG_VERSION)
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host-build.mk
 
 define Host/Compile
+	+$(HOST_MAKE_VARS) \
 	$(MAKE) -C $(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/squashfs-tools \
-		CC="$(HOSTCC)" \
 		XZ_SUPPORT=1 \
 		LZMA_XZ_SUPPORT=1 \
 		XATTR_SUPPORT= \
diff --git a/tools/zlib/Makefile b/tools/zlib/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..279851f758
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/zlib/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2006-2013 OpenWrt.org
+#
+# This is free software, licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.
+# See /LICENSE for more information.
+#
+
+include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
+
+PKG_NAME:=zlib
+PKG_VERSION:=1.2.11
+PKG_RELEASE:=1
+
+PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.xz
+PKG_SOURCE_URL:=@SF/libpng http://www.zlib.net
+PKG_HASH:=4ff941449631ace0d4d203e3483be9dbc9da454084111f97ea0a2114e19bf066
+
+PKG_LICENSE:=Zlib
+PKG_LICENSE_FILES:=README
+PKG_CPE_ID:=cpe:/a:gnu:zlib
+
+include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host-build.mk
+include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/cmake.mk
+
+HOST_CFLAGS +=-fPIC
+
+define Host/Install
+	$(CP) $(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/libz.a $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/lib/
+	$(CP) $(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/zconf.h $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/include/
+	$(CP) $(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/zlib.h $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/include/
+	$(CP) $(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/zlib.pc $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/lib/pkgconfig/
+endef
+
+define Host/Clean
+	rm -f $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/lib/libz.a
+	rm -f $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/include/zconf.h
+	rm -f $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/include/zlib.h
+	rm -f $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/lib/pkgconfig//zlib.pc
+endef
+
+$(eval $(call HostBuild))