diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index cb00d4f21e..80fb5f6c91 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 	url = ../../RPCS3/cereal.git
 	ignore = dirty
 [submodule "3rdparty/zlib"]
-	path = 3rdparty/zlib
+	path = 3rdparty/zlib/zlib
 	url = ../../madler/zlib
 	ignore = dirty
 [submodule "3rdparty/hidapi"]
diff --git a/3rdparty/CMakeLists.txt b/3rdparty/CMakeLists.txt
index fdd8472893..338d756b0b 100644
--- a/3rdparty/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/3rdparty/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,21 +7,7 @@ add_library(3rdparty_dummy_lib INTERFACE)
 
 
 # ZLib
-if (USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
-	find_package(ZLIB QUIET)
-endif()
-
-if (NOT ZLIB_FOUND)
-	message(STATUS "Using builtin ZLIB")
-	set(SKIP_INSTALL_ALL ON)
-	add_subdirectory(zlib EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
-	set(ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/zlib" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/zlib")
-	set(ZLIB_LIBRARY zlibstatic)
-endif()
-
-add_library(3rdparty_zlib INTERFACE)
-target_link_libraries(3rdparty_zlib INTERFACE ${ZLIB_LIBRARY})
-target_include_directories(3rdparty_zlib INTERFACE ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR})
+add_subdirectory(zlib EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 
 # 7z sdk
 add_subdirectory(7z EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
diff --git a/3rdparty/libpng/libpng.vcxproj b/3rdparty/libpng/libpng.vcxproj
index bab0d61dbb..658a9acf5f 100644
--- a/3rdparty/libpng/libpng.vcxproj
+++ b/3rdparty/libpng/libpng.vcxproj
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     <Keyword>Win32Proj</Keyword>
     <RootNamespace>libpng</RootNamespace>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\3rdparty\zlib.props" />
+  <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\3rdparty\zlib\zlib.props" />
   <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\buildfiles\msvc\common_default.props" />
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
   <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\buildfiles\msvc\common_default_macros.props" />
diff --git a/3rdparty/libpng/pnglibconf.vcxproj b/3rdparty/libpng/pnglibconf.vcxproj
index 245efc49fe..e4a22c8af6 100644
--- a/3rdparty/libpng/pnglibconf.vcxproj
+++ b/3rdparty/libpng/pnglibconf.vcxproj
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     <WholeProgramOptimization>true</WholeProgramOptimization>
     <CharacterSet>MultiByte</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\3rdparty\zlib.props" />
+  <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\3rdparty\zlib\zlib.props" />
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.props" />
   <PropertyGroup>
     <PreferredToolArchitecture>x64</PreferredToolArchitecture>
diff --git a/3rdparty/zlib/CMakeLists.txt b/3rdparty/zlib/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..048ae1dcf5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/3rdparty/zlib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+if (USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
+    message(STATUS "-- RPCS3: Using syztem ZLIB")
+    find_package(ZLIB QUIET)
+else()
+	message(STATUS "-- RPCS3: Using builtin ZLIB")
+	set(SKIP_INSTALL_ALL ON)
+	add_subdirectory(zlib EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+	set(ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/zlib" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/zlib")
+	set(ZLIB_LIBRARY zlibstatic)
+endif()
+
+add_library(3rdparty_zlib INTERFACE)
+target_link_libraries(3rdparty_zlib INTERFACE ${ZLIB_LIBRARY})
+target_include_directories(3rdparty_zlib INTERFACE ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR})
diff --git a/3rdparty/zlib b/3rdparty/zlib/zlib
similarity index 100%
rename from 3rdparty/zlib
rename to 3rdparty/zlib/zlib
diff --git a/3rdparty/zlib.props b/3rdparty/zlib/zlib.props
similarity index 96%
rename from 3rdparty/zlib.props
rename to 3rdparty/zlib/zlib.props
index 8a99353108..3fd38a426f 100644
--- a/3rdparty/zlib.props
+++ b/3rdparty/zlib/zlib.props
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 	 versions do not match.  The zlib version used in this build is recorded
 	 below:
      -->
-    <ZLibSrcDir>$(SolutionDir)3rdparty\zlib\</ZLibSrcDir>
+    <ZLibSrcDir>$(SolutionDir)3rdparty\zlib\zlib\</ZLibSrcDir>
 
     <!-- The following line allows compilation for an ARM target with Visual
          Studio 2012.  Notice that this is not supported by the Visual Studio
diff --git a/3rdparty/zlib.vcxproj b/3rdparty/zlib/zlib.vcxproj
similarity index 98%
rename from 3rdparty/zlib.vcxproj
rename to 3rdparty/zlib/zlib.vcxproj
index 2158f1613d..2f39f358f2 100644
--- a/3rdparty/zlib.vcxproj
+++ b/3rdparty/zlib/zlib.vcxproj
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     <Keyword>Win32Proj</Keyword>
     <RootNamespace>zlib</RootNamespace>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\3rdparty\zlib.props" />
+  <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\3rdparty\zlib\zlib.props" />
   <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\buildfiles\msvc\common_default.props" />
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
   <PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/rpcs3.sln b/rpcs3.sln
index a1ee876660..88f852fb77 100644
--- a/rpcs3.sln
+++ b/rpcs3.sln
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Project("{8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942}") = "libpng", "3rdparty\libpng\l
 		{EB33566E-DA7F-4D28-9077-88C0B7C77E35} = {EB33566E-DA7F-4D28-9077-88C0B7C77E35}
 	EndProjectSection
 EndProject
-Project("{8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942}") = "zlib", "3rdparty\zlib.vcxproj", "{60F89955-91C6-3A36-8000-13C592FEC2DF}"
+Project("{8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942}") = "zlib", "3rdparty\zlib\zlib.vcxproj", "{60F89955-91C6-3A36-8000-13C592FEC2DF}"
 EndProject
 Project("{8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942}") = "glslang", "3rdparty\glslang\glslang.vcxproj", "{8F85B6CC-250F-4ACA-A617-E820A74E3E3C}"
 EndProject
diff --git a/rpcs3/emucore.vcxproj b/rpcs3/emucore.vcxproj
index b24d4b0c44..51727b08ff 100644
--- a/rpcs3/emucore.vcxproj
+++ b/rpcs3/emucore.vcxproj
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
   <ItemDefinitionGroup>
     <ClCompile>
       <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\3rdparty\wolfssl\;..\3rdparty\flatbuffers\include;..\3rdparty\libusb\libusb\libusb;..\3rdparty\zlib;..\llvm\include;..\llvm_build\include;$(VULKAN_SDK)\Include</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\3rdparty\wolfssl\;..\3rdparty\flatbuffers\include;..\3rdparty\libusb\libusb\libusb;..\3rdparty\zlib\zlib;..\llvm\include;..\llvm_build\include;$(VULKAN_SDK)\Include</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <Optimization Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">MaxSpeed</Optimization>
     </ClCompile>
     <PreBuildEvent>
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3.vcxproj b/rpcs3/rpcs3.vcxproj
index 8da431c931..994b61322f 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3.vcxproj
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3.vcxproj
@@ -62,12 +62,12 @@
     <IgnoreImportLibrary Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">true</IgnoreImportLibrary>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
-    <IncludePath>..\3rdparty\7z\src;..\3rdparty\hidapi\hidapi\hidapi;.\;..\;..\3rdparty\asmjit\asmjit\src;..\3rdparty\yaml-cpp\include;..\3rdparty\ffmpeg\include;..\3rdparty\cereal\include;$(VC_IncludePath);$(WindowsSDK_IncludePath);$(UniversalCRT_IncludePath);..\3rdparty\XAudio2Redist\include;..\3rdparty\libpng\libpng;..\3rdparty\GL;..\3rdparty\stblib\include;..\3rdparty\OpenAL\include;..\3rdparty\pugixml\src;..\3rdparty\Optional;..\3rdparty\discord-rpc\include;..\3rdparty\zlib</IncludePath>
+    <IncludePath>..\3rdparty\7z\src;..\3rdparty\hidapi\hidapi\hidapi;.\;..\;..\3rdparty\asmjit\asmjit\src;..\3rdparty\yaml-cpp\include;..\3rdparty\ffmpeg\include;..\3rdparty\cereal\include;$(VC_IncludePath);$(WindowsSDK_IncludePath);$(UniversalCRT_IncludePath);..\3rdparty\XAudio2Redist\include;..\3rdparty\libpng\libpng;..\3rdparty\GL;..\3rdparty\stblib\include;..\3rdparty\OpenAL\include;..\3rdparty\pugixml\src;..\3rdparty\Optional;..\3rdparty\discord-rpc\include;..\3rdparty\zlib\zlib</IncludePath>
     <LibraryPath>$(SolutionDir)lib\$(Configuration)-$(Platform)\;$(UniversalCRT_LibraryPath_x64);$(LibraryPath)</LibraryPath>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
     <LibraryPath>$(SolutionDir)lib\$(Configuration)-$(Platform)\;$(UniversalCRT_LibraryPath_x64);$(LibraryPath)</LibraryPath>
-    <IncludePath>..\3rdparty\7z\src;..\3rdparty\hidapi\hidapi\hidapi;.\;..\;..\3rdparty\asmjit\asmjit\src;..\3rdparty\yaml-cpp\include;..\3rdparty\ffmpeg\include;..\3rdparty\cereal\include;$(VC_IncludePath);$(WindowsSDK_IncludePath);$(UniversalCRT_IncludePath);..\3rdparty\XAudio2Redist\include;..\3rdparty\libpng\libpng;..\3rdparty\GL;..\3rdparty\stblib\include;..\3rdparty\OpenAL\include;..\3rdparty\pugixml\src;..\3rdparty\Optional;..\3rdparty\discord-rpc\include;..\3rdparty\zlib</IncludePath>
+    <IncludePath>..\3rdparty\7z\src;..\3rdparty\hidapi\hidapi\hidapi;.\;..\;..\3rdparty\asmjit\asmjit\src;..\3rdparty\yaml-cpp\include;..\3rdparty\ffmpeg\include;..\3rdparty\cereal\include;$(VC_IncludePath);$(WindowsSDK_IncludePath);$(UniversalCRT_IncludePath);..\3rdparty\XAudio2Redist\include;..\3rdparty\libpng\libpng;..\3rdparty\GL;..\3rdparty\stblib\include;..\3rdparty\OpenAL\include;..\3rdparty\pugixml\src;..\3rdparty\Optional;..\3rdparty\discord-rpc\include;..\3rdparty\zlib\zlib</IncludePath>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
     <ClCompile>