diff --git a/panda/src/express/CMakeLists.txt b/panda/src/express/CMakeLists.txt
index 631078215f..56d324bcbf 100644
--- a/panda/src/express/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/panda/src/express/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ composite_sources(p3express P3EXPRESS_SOURCES)
 
 add_library(p3express ${P3EXPRESS_SOURCES} ${P3EXPRESS_HEADERS})
 target_link_libraries(p3express p3pandabase p3dtool p3dtoolconfig
-  ${_TAR_LIBRARY})
+  ${_TAR_LIBRARY} ${_ZLIB_LIBRARY})
 target_interrogate(p3express ALL)
 
 install(TARGETS p3express DESTINATION lib)