diff --git a/config/user-zlib.m4 b/config/user-zlib.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..999c409eda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/user-zlib.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+dnl #
+dnl # Check for zlib
+dnl #
+AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER_ZLIB], [
+	AC_CHECK_HEADER([zlib.h], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([
+		*** zlib.h missing, the zlib-devel package is required])])
+	AC_CHECK_LIB([z], [compress2], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([
+		*** compress2() missing, the zlib-devel package is required])])
+	AC_CHECK_LIB([z], [uncompress], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([
+		*** uncompress() missing, the zlib-devel package is required])])
+])
diff --git a/config/user.m4 b/config/user.m4
index 063d582bbd..febc2941d8 100644
--- a/config/user.m4
+++ b/config/user.m4
@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER], [
 	ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER_LIBDISKMGT
 	ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER_LIBSHARE
 	ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER_IOCTL
+	ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER_ZLIB
 ])