diff --git a/source/CMakeLists.txt b/source/CMakeLists.txt
index 907a9a87..b3dbfbea 100644
--- a/source/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/source/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ add_dependencies(xlnt xlnt.third-party)
 target_link_libraries(xlnt PRIVATE libstudxml)
 target_include_directories(xlnt PUBLIC ${XLNT_INCLUDE_DIR})
 target_include_directories(xlnt PRIVATE ${XLNT_SOURCE_DIR})
-target_link_libraries(xlnt PRIVATE ${ZLIB_LIBRARY_RELEASE})
+target_link_libraries(xlnt PUBLIC ${ZLIB_LIBRARY_RELEASE})
 target_include_directories(xlnt PRIVATE ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR})
 target_link_libraries(xlnt PRIVATE ${CRYPTOPP_LIBRARY_RELEASE})
 target_include_directories(xlnt PRIVATE ${CRYPTOPP_INCLUDE_DIR})