diff --git a/dev/conda/conda-build.sh b/dev/conda/conda-build.sh
index c6a700ac2..e88b7c117 100755
--- a/dev/conda/conda-build.sh
+++ b/dev/conda/conda-build.sh
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ if (( ! ${#R} )) {
 export USE_ANT=1
 export USE_GCC=1
 export USE_TK=0
+export USE_ZLIB=0
 export USE_ZSH=1
 
 # Allow platform to modify dependencies
diff --git a/dev/conda/linux-64/deps.sh b/dev/conda/linux-64/deps.sh
index aaaa17de1..cd8265fea 100644
--- a/dev/conda/linux-64/deps.sh
+++ b/dev/conda/linux-64/deps.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 
 # linux-64 DEPS SH
 
-# No changes to defaults.
+# For some reason zlib is not found on linux-64, Python 3.8
+#     as of 2024-12-11:
+if [[ $PYTHON_VERSION == 3.8* ]] USE_ZLIB=1
diff --git a/dev/conda/pkgs-gcc.yaml b/dev/conda/pkgs-gcc.yaml
index 9b544b8f4..587498317 100644
--- a/dev/conda/pkgs-gcc.yaml
+++ b/dev/conda/pkgs-gcc.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 # pkgs-gcc.yaml: START
 # Extra packages for gcc
     - gcc
+m4_ifelse(getenv(USE_ZLIB),1,
+`    - zlib'
+)
 # pkgs-gcc.yaml: STOP