diff --git a/scripts/src/devices.lua b/scripts/src/devices.lua
index 9985586f6f9..a79b7afa03d 100644
--- a/scripts/src/devices.lua
+++ b/scripts/src/devices.lua
@@ -34,11 +34,6 @@ function devicesProject(_target, _subtarget)
 			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/expat/lib",
 		}
 	end
-	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-		includedirs {
-			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-		}
-	end
 	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-lua"] then
 		includedirs {
 			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/lua/src",
@@ -81,11 +76,6 @@ if (_OPTIONS["DRIVERS"] == nil) then
 			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/expat/lib",
 		}
 	end
-	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-		includedirs {
-			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-		}
-	end
 	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-lua"] then
 		includedirs {
 			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/lua/src",
@@ -119,11 +109,6 @@ end
 			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/expat/lib",
 		}
 	end
-	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-		includedirs {
-			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-		}
-	end
 	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-lua"] then
 		includedirs {
 			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/lua/src",
diff --git a/scripts/src/emu.lua b/scripts/src/emu.lua
index 3ccb8bdd248..547c57e2791 100644
--- a/scripts/src/emu.lua
+++ b/scripts/src/emu.lua
@@ -24,11 +24,6 @@ if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-expat"] then
 		MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/expat/lib",
 	}
 end
-if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-	includedirs {
-		MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-	}
-end
 if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-lua"] then
 	includedirs {
 		MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/lua/src",
diff --git a/scripts/target/ldplayer/ldplayer.lua b/scripts/target/ldplayer/ldplayer.lua
index cda19fdf2ba..d868c0778bf 100644
--- a/scripts/target/ldplayer/ldplayer.lua
+++ b/scripts/target/ldplayer/ldplayer.lua
@@ -71,11 +71,6 @@ function createProjects_ldplayer_ldplayer(_target, _subtarget)
 		MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty",
 		GEN_DIR  .. "mame/layout",
 	}
-	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-		includedirs {
-			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-		}
-	end
 
 	files{
 		MAME_DIR .. "src/emu/drivers/emudummy.c",
diff --git a/scripts/target/mame/arcade.lua b/scripts/target/mame/arcade.lua
index 0bb4028d8a4..0c1b8244cff 100644
--- a/scripts/target/mame/arcade.lua
+++ b/scripts/target/mame/arcade.lua
@@ -780,12 +780,6 @@ function createMAMEProjects(_target, _subtarget, _name)
 		MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty",
 		GEN_DIR  .. "mame/layout",
 	}
-
-	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-		includedirs {
-			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-		}
-end
 end
 
 function createProjects_mame_arcade(_target, _subtarget)
diff --git a/scripts/target/mame/dummy.lua b/scripts/target/mame/dummy.lua
index 7483629315a..9021b774859 100644
--- a/scripts/target/mame/dummy.lua
+++ b/scripts/target/mame/dummy.lua
@@ -32,11 +32,6 @@ function createProjects_mame_dummy(_target, _subtarget)
 		MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty",
 		GEN_DIR  .. "mess/layout",
 	}
-	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-		includedirs {
-			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-		}
-	end
 
 	files{
 		MAME_DIR .. "src/mess/drivers/coleco.c",
diff --git a/scripts/target/mame/mess.lua b/scripts/target/mame/mess.lua
index ef88e164b87..c3402ca5c0d 100644
--- a/scripts/target/mame/mess.lua
+++ b/scripts/target/mame/mess.lua
@@ -893,11 +893,6 @@ function createMESSProjects(_target, _subtarget, _name)
 		GEN_DIR  .. "mame/layout",
 		MAME_DIR .. "src/devices/cpu/m68000",
 	}
-	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-		includedirs {
-			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-		}
-	end
 end
 
 function createProjects_mame_mess(_target, _subtarget)
diff --git a/scripts/target/mame/nl.lua b/scripts/target/mame/nl.lua
index 08ade6a9e62..b3fb48454f3 100644
--- a/scripts/target/mame/nl.lua
+++ b/scripts/target/mame/nl.lua
@@ -101,12 +101,6 @@ function createProjects_mame_nl(_target, _subtarget)
 		GEN_DIR  .. "mame/layout",
 	}
 
-	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-		includedirs {
-			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-		}
-	end
-
 	files{
 		MAME_DIR .. "src/mame/drivers/pong.c",
 		MAME_DIR .. "src/mame/drivers/nl_pong.c",
diff --git a/scripts/target/mame/tiny.lua b/scripts/target/mame/tiny.lua
index f387a913059..d690c1f10f5 100644
--- a/scripts/target/mame/tiny.lua
+++ b/scripts/target/mame/tiny.lua
@@ -95,11 +95,6 @@ function createProjects_mame_tiny(_target, _subtarget)
 		MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty",
 		GEN_DIR  .. "mame/layout",
 	}
-	if _OPTIONS["with-bundled-zlib"] then
-		includedirs {
-			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/zlib",
-		}
-	end
 
 	files{
 		MAME_DIR .. "src/mame/machine/ticket.c",
diff --git a/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.c b/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.c
index 2eeb2e1af72..4803052b239 100644
--- a/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.c
+++ b/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.c
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
 #include "debugger.h"
 #include "uiinput.h"
 #include "xmlfile.h"
+#include "coreutil.h"
 #include <ctype.h>
-#include <zlib.h>
 
 
 /***************************************************************************
@@ -2746,7 +2746,7 @@ UINT32 device_debug::compute_opcode_crc32(offs_t pc) const
 	UINT32 numbytes = disassemble(diasmbuf, pc, opbuf, argbuf) & DASMFLAG_LENGTHMASK;
 
 	// return a CRC of the exact count of opcode bytes
-	return crc32(0, opbuf, numbytes);
+	return core_crc32(0, opbuf, numbytes);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/emu/output.c b/src/emu/output.c
index 37c4a112eda..54d2d91e85a 100644
--- a/src/emu/output.c
+++ b/src/emu/output.c
@@ -8,9 +8,7 @@
 ***************************************************************************/
 
 #include "emu.h"
-#include <zlib.h>
-
-
+#include "coreutil.h"
 
 /***************************************************************************
     CONSTANTS
@@ -82,7 +80,7 @@ static void output_exit(running_machine &machine);
 
 INLINE UINT32 get_hash(const char *string)
 {
-	return crc32(0, (UINT8 *)string, (UINT32)strlen(string));
+	return core_crc32(0, (UINT8 *)string, (UINT32)strlen(string));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/emu/rendfont.c b/src/emu/rendfont.c
index 2011119979c..5248bc326b5 100644
--- a/src/emu/rendfont.c
+++ b/src/emu/rendfont.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #include "rendfont.h"
 #include "rendutil.h"
 #include "emuopts.h"
-#include <zlib.h>
+#include "coreutil.h"
 
 #include "osdepend.h"
 #include "uismall.fh"
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ bool render_font::load_cached_bdf(const char *filename)
 		return false;
 
 	// has the chunk
-	UINT32 hash = crc32(0, (const UINT8 *)&m_rawdata[0], bytes) ^ (UINT32)m_rawsize;
+	UINT32 hash = core_crc32(0, (const UINT8 *)&m_rawdata[0], bytes) ^ (UINT32)m_rawsize;
 
 	// create the cached filename, changing the 'F' to a 'C' on the extension
 	std::string cachedname(filename);
diff --git a/src/emu/save.c b/src/emu/save.c
index ae4bf60b414..c6a1e5bd6fc 100644
--- a/src/emu/save.c
+++ b/src/emu/save.c
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@
 ***************************************************************************/
 
 #include "emu.h"
-
-#include <zlib.h>
+#include "coreutil.h"
 
 
 //**************************************************************************
@@ -333,13 +332,13 @@ UINT32 save_manager::signature() const
 	for (state_entry *entry = m_entry_list.first(); entry != NULL; entry = entry->next())
 	{
 		// add the entry name to the CRC
-		crc = crc32(crc, (UINT8 *)entry->m_name.c_str(), entry->m_name.length());
+		crc = core_crc32(crc, (UINT8 *)entry->m_name.c_str(), entry->m_name.length());
 
 		// add the type and size to the CRC
 		UINT32 temp[2];
 		temp[0] = LITTLE_ENDIANIZE_INT32(entry->m_typecount);
 		temp[1] = LITTLE_ENDIANIZE_INT32(entry->m_typesize);
-		crc = crc32(crc, (UINT8 *)&temp[0], sizeof(temp));
+		crc = core_crc32(crc, (UINT8 *)&temp[0], sizeof(temp));
 	}
 	return crc;
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/util/coreutil.c b/src/lib/util/coreutil.c
index a7c2ccb0f22..eb7d2a92d89 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/coreutil.c
+++ b/src/lib/util/coreutil.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 ***************************************************************************/
 
 #include "coreutil.h"
+#include <zlib.h>
 
 
 /***************************************************************************
@@ -115,3 +116,9 @@ void rand_memory(void *memory, size_t length)
 		bytes[i] = (UINT8) (seed >> 16);
 	}
 }
+
+
+UINT32 core_crc32(UINT32 crc, const UINT8 *buf, UINT32 len)
+{
+	return crc32(crc, buf, len);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/lib/util/coreutil.h b/src/lib/util/coreutil.h
index 5315d07ffdc..839e72686ea 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/coreutil.h
+++ b/src/lib/util/coreutil.h
@@ -39,5 +39,6 @@ int gregorian_days_in_month(int month, int year);
 
 void rand_memory(void *memory, size_t length);
 
+UINT32 core_crc32(UINT32 crc, const UINT8 *buf, UINT32 len);
 
 #endif /* __COREUTIL_H__ */
diff --git a/src/mess/drivers/psx.c b/src/mess/drivers/psx.c
index 3f5ea8c3efb..17f3d904a93 100644
--- a/src/mess/drivers/psx.c
+++ b/src/mess/drivers/psx.c
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 #include "imagedev/chd_cd.h"
 #include "sound/spu.h"
 #include "debugger.h"
-#include <zlib.h>
 #include "machine/psxcd.h"
 #include "bus/psx/ctlrport.h"