diff --git a/pkgs/tools/graphics/pngcheck/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/graphics/pngcheck/default.nix
index d288e7018e60..38efa0236b2e 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/graphics/pngcheck/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/graphics/pngcheck/default.nix
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   # '';
 
   makefile = "Makefile.unx";
-  makeFlags = "ZPATH=${zlib.out}/lib";
+  makeFlags = "ZPATH=${zlib.static}/lib";
 
   buildInputs = [ zlib ];
 
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 6367d3fec834..94f1ac9d3c29 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -2953,7 +2953,9 @@ in
 
   plowshare = callPackage ../tools/misc/plowshare { };
 
-  pngcheck = callPackage ../tools/graphics/pngcheck { };
+  pngcheck = callPackage ../tools/graphics/pngcheck {
+    zlib = zlibStatic;
+  };
 
   pngcrush = callPackage ../tools/graphics/pngcrush { };