diff --git a/Framework/Utilities/CMakeLists.txt b/Framework/Utilities/CMakeLists.txt
index f0dbc8991b9ab8e835ef8dc867114c3fc86ef2fb..b1c8ebed03c4d13a1c55589399e1b4d4afef29f8 100644
--- a/Framework/Utilities/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Framework/Utilities/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ else ()
   endif()
 endif ()
 
-find_package(ZLIB)
-
 #
 # library setup
 #
@@ -60,7 +58,6 @@ target_link_libraries (
   C8::ext::boost # so far only for MetaProgramming
   C8::ext::eigen3 # for COMboost
   cnpy # for SaveBoostHistogram
-  ZLIB::ZLIB # for SaveBoostHistogram
   )
 
 target_include_directories (
diff --git a/ThirdParty/cnpy/CMakeLists.txt b/ThirdParty/cnpy/CMakeLists.txt
index ef3d2ea98a11b4b803223691286e68785612d802..868aafd1d751aac93cea5f8f597f090a83149de7 100644
--- a/ThirdParty/cnpy/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/ThirdParty/cnpy/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,13 +24,12 @@ set_target_properties (
 #  PUBLIC_HEADER "${MODEL_HEADERS}"
   )
 
+find_package(ZLIB)
+
 # target dependencies on other libraries (also the header onlys)
 target_link_libraries (
   cnpy
-  CORSIKAunits
-  CORSIKAparticles
-  CORSIKAgeometry
-  CORSIKAsetup
+  ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}
   )
 
 target_include_directories (