diff --git a/package/assimp/Config.in b/package/assimp/Config.in
index 833e559a6f..5ffb50cd79 100644
--- a/package/assimp/Config.in
+++ b/package/assimp/Config.in
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_ASSIMP
 	bool "assimp"
 	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	depends on BR2_USE_WCHAR
-	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_LIBZLIB
 	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_GCC_BUG_64735 # exception_ptr
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB_FORCE_LIBZLIB
 	help
 	  Open Asset Import Library (assimp) is a portable Open Source
 	  library to import various well-known 3D model formats in a
@@ -14,11 +15,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_ASSIMP
 	  http://www.assimp.org
 
 comment "assimp needs a toolchain w/ C++, wchar"
-	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_LIBZLIB
 	depends on !BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP || !BR2_USE_WCHAR
 
-comment "assimp needs libzlib"
-	depends on !BR2_PACKAGE_LIBZLIB
-
 comment "assimp needs exception_ptr"
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_GCC_BUG_64735