diff --git a/src/cmake/build_zlib.cmake b/src/cmake/build_zlib.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..980fec8fe5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmake/build_zlib.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# Copyright Contributors to the OpenImageIO project.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+# https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenImageIO
+
+######################################################################
+# ZLIB by hand!
+######################################################################
+
+set_cache (ZLIB_BUILD_VERSION 1.3.1 "ZLIB version for local builds")
+set (ZLIB_GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/madler/zlib")
+set (ZLIB_GIT_TAG "v${ZLIB_BUILD_VERSION}")
+
+set_cache (ZLIB_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS ${LOCAL_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS_DEFAULT}
+           DOC "Should execute a local ZLIB build, if necessary, build shared libraries" ADVANCED)
+
+string (MAKE_C_IDENTIFIER ${ZLIB_BUILD_VERSION} ZLIB_VERSION_IDENT)
+
+build_dependency_with_cmake(ZLIB
+    VERSION         ${ZLIB_BUILD_VERSION}
+    GIT_REPOSITORY  ${ZLIB_GIT_REPOSITORY}
+    GIT_TAG         ${ZLIB_GIT_TAG}
+    CMAKE_ARGS
+        -D BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=${ZLIB_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS}
+        -D CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON
+        -D CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib
+    )
+
+# Set some things up that we'll need for a subsequent find_package to work
+set (ZLIB_ROOT ${ZLIB_LOCAL_INSTALL_DIR})
+
+# Signal to caller that we need to find again at the installed location
+set (ZLIB_REFIND TRUE)
+set (ZLIB_VERSION ${ZLIB_BUILD_VERSION})
+set (ZLIB_REFIND_VERSION ${ZLIB_BUILD_VERSION})
+
+if (ZLIB_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    install_local_dependency_libs (ZLIB ZLIB)
+endif ()