diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1d91a2bcdf9..8e3f55ede36 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2455,6 +2455,7 @@ PUBLIC_HEADERS_C += \
 LIBZ_OBJS = $(addprefix $(OBJDIR)/$(CONFIG)/, $(addsuffix .o, $(basename $(LIBZ_SRC))))
 
 $(LIBZ_OBJS): CFLAGS += -fvisibility=hidden
+$(LIBZ_OBJS): CPPFLAGS += -DHAVE_UNISTD_H
 
 $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libz.a:  $(LIBZ_OBJS) 
 	$(E) "[AR]      Creating $@"
diff --git a/build_handwritten.yaml b/build_handwritten.yaml
index 7494e3bc01b..27a3573187e 100644
--- a/build_handwritten.yaml
+++ b/build_handwritten.yaml
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ defaults:
     LDFLAGS: -g
   zlib:
     CFLAGS: -fvisibility=hidden
+    CPPFLAGS: -DHAVE_UNISTD_H
 php_config_m4:
   deps:
   - grpc