diff --git a/source/CMakeLists.txt b/source/CMakeLists.txt
index b3dbfbea..907a9a87 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 PUBLIC ${ZLIB_LIBRARY_RELEASE})
+target_link_libraries(xlnt PRIVATE ${ZLIB_LIBRARY_RELEASE})
 target_include_directories(xlnt PRIVATE ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR})
 target_link_libraries(xlnt PRIVATE ${CRYPTOPP_LIBRARY_RELEASE})
 target_include_directories(xlnt PRIVATE ${CRYPTOPP_INCLUDE_DIR})
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 45c49760..99a2f02b 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ if(NOT COMBINED_PROJECT)
     add_subdirectory(${LIBRARY_SOURCE_DIR} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/source)
 endif()
 
+# Tests uses the private interface of xlnt (source/detail) so it needs to explicitly link zlib
+# as zlib is not part of xlnt's default link interface
+find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
+
 file(GLOB CELL_TESTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../source/cell/tests/test_*.hpp)
 file(GLOB CHARTS_TESTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../source/charts/tests/test_*.hpp)
 file(GLOB CHARTSHEET_TESTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../source/chartsheet/tests/test_*.hpp)
@@ -39,11 +43,11 @@ endif()
 add_executable(xlnt.test ${TEST_HELPERS} ${TESTS} ${RUNNER})
 target_link_libraries(xlnt.test
     PRIVATE xlnt)
+target_link_libraries(xlnt.test PRIVATE ${ZLIB_LIBRARY_RELEASE})    
 target_include_directories(xlnt.test
     PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
     PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../source
-    PRIVATE ${CXXTEST_INCLUDE_DIR}
-    PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../third-party/libstudxml)
+    PRIVATE ${CXXTEST_INCLUDE_DIR})
 set(XLNT_TEST_DATA_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/data)
 target_compile_definitions(xlnt.test PRIVATE XLNT_TEST_DATA_DIR=${XLNT_TEST_DATA_DIR})