diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 50ee51fde3..0c367881bf 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1036,6 +1036,7 @@ LIB_OBJS += fsmonitor.o
 LIB_OBJS += fsmonitor-ipc.o
 LIB_OBJS += fsmonitor-settings.o
 LIB_OBJS += gettext.o
+LIB_OBJS += git-zlib.o
 LIB_OBJS += gpg-interface.o
 LIB_OBJS += graph.o
 LIB_OBJS += grep.o
@@ -1196,7 +1197,6 @@ LIB_OBJS += write-or-die.o
 LIB_OBJS += ws.o
 LIB_OBJS += wt-status.o
 LIB_OBJS += xdiff-interface.o
-LIB_OBJS += zlib.o
 
 BUILTIN_OBJS += builtin/add.o
 BUILTIN_OBJS += builtin/am.o
diff --git a/archive-tar.c b/archive-tar.c
index 497dad0b3a..4cd81d8161 100644
--- a/archive-tar.c
+++ b/archive-tar.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "alloc.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
+#include "git-zlib.h"
 #include "hex.h"
 #include "tar.h"
 #include "archive.h"
diff --git a/archive-zip.c b/archive-zip.c
index e6f5c10a14..ef538a90df 100644
--- a/archive-zip.c
+++ b/archive-zip.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #include "archive.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
+#include "git-zlib.h"
 #include "hex.h"
 #include "streaming.h"
 #include "utf8.h"
diff --git a/builtin/unpack-objects.c b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
index f2c1323e66..ddbdb3dd22 100644
--- a/builtin/unpack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #include "environment.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
+#include "git-zlib.h"
 #include "hex.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
 #include "object.h"
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 21db5da39a..c06778b69c 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
+#include "git-zlib.h"
 #include "hashmap.h"
 #include "list.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
@@ -14,30 +15,6 @@
 #include "repository.h"
 #include "statinfo.h"
 
-typedef struct git_zstream {
-	z_stream z;
-	unsigned long avail_in;
-	unsigned long avail_out;
-	unsigned long total_in;
-	unsigned long total_out;
-	unsigned char *next_in;
-	unsigned char *next_out;
-} git_zstream;
-
-void git_inflate_init(git_zstream *);
-void git_inflate_init_gzip_only(git_zstream *);
-void git_inflate_end(git_zstream *);
-int git_inflate(git_zstream *, int flush);
-
-void git_deflate_init(git_zstream *, int level);
-void git_deflate_init_gzip(git_zstream *, int level);
-void git_deflate_init_raw(git_zstream *, int level);
-void git_deflate_end(git_zstream *);
-int git_deflate_abort(git_zstream *);
-int git_deflate_end_gently(git_zstream *);
-int git_deflate(git_zstream *, int flush);
-unsigned long git_deflate_bound(git_zstream *, unsigned long);
-
 #if defined(DT_UNKNOWN) && !defined(NO_D_TYPE_IN_DIRENT)
 #define DTYPE(de)	((de)->d_type)
 #else
diff --git a/zlib.c b/git-zlib.c
similarity index 99%
rename from zlib.c
rename to git-zlib.c
index d594cba3fc..d43bbeb6da 100644
--- a/zlib.c
+++ b/git-zlib.c
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
  * zlib wrappers to make sure we don't silently miss errors
  * at init time.
  */
-#include "cache.h"
+#include "git-compat-util.h"
+#include "git-zlib.h"
 
 static const char *zerr_to_string(int status)
 {
diff --git a/git-zlib.h b/git-zlib.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d8a670aff9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/git-zlib.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#ifndef GIT_ZLIB_H
+#define GIT_ZLIB_H
+
+typedef struct git_zstream {
+	z_stream z;
+	unsigned long avail_in;
+	unsigned long avail_out;
+	unsigned long total_in;
+	unsigned long total_out;
+	unsigned char *next_in;
+	unsigned char *next_out;
+} git_zstream;
+
+void git_inflate_init(git_zstream *);
+void git_inflate_init_gzip_only(git_zstream *);
+void git_inflate_end(git_zstream *);
+int git_inflate(git_zstream *, int flush);
+
+void git_deflate_init(git_zstream *, int level);
+void git_deflate_init_gzip(git_zstream *, int level);
+void git_deflate_init_raw(git_zstream *, int level);
+void git_deflate_end(git_zstream *);
+int git_deflate_abort(git_zstream *);
+int git_deflate_end_gently(git_zstream *);
+int git_deflate(git_zstream *, int flush);
+unsigned long git_deflate_bound(git_zstream *, unsigned long);
+
+#endif /* GIT_ZLIB_H */
diff --git a/http-backend.c b/http-backend.c
index 89aad1b42c..d41b3b9e1e 100644
--- a/http-backend.c
+++ b/http-backend.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "alloc.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "environment.h"
+#include "git-zlib.h"
 #include "hex.h"
 #include "repository.h"
 #include "refs.h"
diff --git a/http.h b/http.h
index 77c042706c..783b2b09b8 100644
--- a/http.h
+++ b/http.h
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #ifndef HTTP_H
 #define HTTP_H
 
+struct packed_git;
+
 #include "cache.h"
+#include "git-zlib.h"
 
 #include <curl/curl.h>
 #include <curl/easy.h>