diff --git a/calma/CalmaWrite.c b/calma/CalmaWrite.c
index 749d1bce..67c28cec 100644
--- a/calma/CalmaWrite.c
+++ b/calma/CalmaWrite.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ static const char rcsid[] __attribute__ ((unused)) ="$Header: /usr/cvsroot/magic
 #include "utils/geometry.h"
 #include "tiles/tile.h"
 #include "utils/utils.h"
+#include "utils/magic_zlib.h"
 #include "utils/hash.h"
 #include "database/database.h"
 #include "database/databaseInt.h"
diff --git a/calma/CalmaWriteZ.c b/calma/CalmaWriteZ.c
index 886743db..bb58ec53 100644
--- a/calma/CalmaWriteZ.c
+++ b/calma/CalmaWriteZ.c
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ static const char rcsid[] __attribute__ ((unused)) ="$Header: /usr/cvsroot/magic
 #include "utils/geometry.h"
 #include "tiles/tile.h"
 #include "utils/utils.h"
+#include "utils/magic_zlib.h"
 #include "utils/hash.h"
 #include "database/database.h"
 #include "database/databaseInt.h"
diff --git a/commands/CmdCD.c b/commands/CmdCD.c
index 7ba4458d..5882e2f4 100644
--- a/commands/CmdCD.c
+++ b/commands/CmdCD.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ static const char rcsid[] __attribute__ ((unused)) = "$Header: /usr/cvsroot/magi
 #include "utils/main.h"
 #include "commands/commands.h"
 #include "utils/utils.h"
+#include "utils/magic_zlib.h"
 #include "textio/textio.h"
 #include "drc/drc.h"
 #include "graphics/graphics.h"
diff --git a/database/DBio.c b/database/DBio.c
index bf5238c5..9f707de8 100644
--- a/database/DBio.c
+++ b/database/DBio.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ static char rcsid[] __attribute__ ((unused)) = "$Header: /usr/cvsroot/magic-8.0/
 #include "utils/geometry.h"
 #include "tiles/tile.h"
 #include "utils/utils.h"
+#include "utils/magic_zlib.h"
 #include "utils/hash.h"
 #include "database/database.h"
 #include "database/databaseInt.h"
diff --git a/utils/flock.c b/utils/flock.c
index 56b44258..e5e98f66 100644
--- a/utils/flock.c
+++ b/utils/flock.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "database/database.h"
 #include "windows/windows.h"
 #include "utils/malloc.h"
+#include "utils/magic_zlib.h"
 
 /* C99 compat */
 #include "textio/textio.h"
diff --git a/utils/magic_zlib.h b/utils/magic_zlib.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a052b99b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/magic_zlib.h
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/* zlib.h --
+ *
+ * Routines relating to the external dependency zlib
+ *
+ *     *********************************************************************
+ *     * Copyright (C) 2022, 2024 Regents of the University of California. *
+ *     * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this              *
+ *     * software and its documentation for any purpose and without        *
+ *     * fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright          *
+ *     * notice appear in all copies.  The University of California        *
+ *     * makes no representations about the suitability of this            *
+ *     * software for any purpose.  It is provided "as is" without         *
+ *     * express or implied warranty.  Export of this software outside     *
+ *     * of the United States of America may require an export license.    *
+ *     *********************************************************************
+ *
+ * rcsid="$Header"
+ */
+
+#ifndef _MAGIC__UTILS__MAGIC_ZLIB_H
+#define _MAGIC__UTILS__MAGIC_ZLIB_H
+
+#ifdef HAVE_ZLIB
+
+#include <zlib.h>
+
+extern gzFile PaZOpen(const char *file, const char *mode, const char *ext, const char *path, const char *library,
+                      char **pRealName);
+extern gzFile PaLockZOpen(const char *file, const char *mode, const char *ext, const char *path, const char *library,
+                          char **pRealName, bool *is_locked, int *fdp);
+extern char *PaCheckCompressed(const char *filename);
+
+#ifdef FILE_LOCKS
+extern gzFile flock_zopen();
+#endif
+
+#endif
+
+#endif /* _MAGIC__UTILS__MAGIC_ZLIB_H */
diff --git a/utils/path.c b/utils/path.c
index 3f1bfd62..decc84f3 100644
--- a/utils/path.c
+++ b/utils/path.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ static char rcsid[] __attribute__ ((unused)) = "$Header: /usr/cvsroot/magic-8.0/
 #include "utils/hash.h"
 #include "utils/malloc.h"
 #include "utils/utils.h"
+#include "utils/magic_zlib.h"
 
 /* Library routines: */
 
diff --git a/utils/utils.h b/utils/utils.h
index 846507f8..4067d0e0 100644
--- a/utils/utils.h
+++ b/utils/utils.h
@@ -21,12 +21,8 @@
 #ifndef _UTILS_H
 #define _UTILS_H 1
 
-#ifdef HAVE_ZLIB
-#include <zlib.h>
-#endif
-
-#include "utils/tech.h"
 #include "utils/magic.h"
+#include "utils/tech.h"
 
 /*
  * Cast second argument to LookupStruct() to (LookupTable *) to
@@ -76,21 +72,10 @@ extern void SetNoisyInt(int *parm, const char *valueS, FILE *file);
 extern void SetNoisyDI(dlong *parm, const char *valueS, FILE *file);
 extern bool ParsSplit();
 
-#ifdef HAVE_ZLIB
-extern gzFile PaZOpen(const char *file, const char *mode, const char *ext, const char *path, const char *library,
-                      char **pRealName);
-extern gzFile PaLockZOpen(const char *file, const char *mode, const char *ext, const char *path, const char *library,
-                          char **pRealName, bool *is_locked, int *fdp);
-extern char *PaCheckCompressed(const char *filename);
-#endif
-
 extern int SetNoisyBool(bool *parm, const char *valueS, FILE *file);
 
 #ifdef FILE_LOCKS
 extern FILE *flock_open();
-#ifdef HAVE_ZLIB
-extern gzFile flock_zopen();
-#endif
 #endif
 
 /* The following macro takes an integer and returns another integer that