diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index b1ca55dee4..5ad62e4b7a 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -15,11 +15,22 @@ subprojects = [
 ]
 
 cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
+
+# Make it possible to use msys2 built zlib which fails
+# when not using the mingw toolchain as it uses unistd.h
 if not meson.is_subproject() and cc.get_id() == 'msvc'
-  # Make it possible to use msys2 built zlib
-  # which fails when not using the mingw toolchain as
-  # it uses unistd.h
-  add_global_arguments('-DZ_SOLO', language: 'c')
+  uname = find_program('uname')
+  ret = run_command(uname, '-o')
+  if ret.returncode() == 0 and ret.stdout().lower() == 'msys'
+    ret = run_command(uname, '-r')
+    # The kernel version returned by uname is actually the msys version
+    if ret.returncode() == 0 and ret.stdout().startswith('2')
+      # If a system zlib is found, disable UNIX features in zlib.h and zconf.h
+      if cc.find_library('z').found()
+        add_global_arguments('-DZ_SOLO', language: 'c')
+      endif
+    endif
+  endif
 endif
 
 # FIXME Remove that check once we have ffmpeg as a gst-libav subproject