diff --git a/package/neon/neon.mk b/package/neon/neon.mk
index e7872df3c9..39abbaef48 100644
--- a/package/neon/neon.mk
+++ b/package/neon/neon.mk
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ NEON_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf $(TARGET_NLS_DEPENDENCIES)
 NEON_CONF_ENV = ne_cv_libsfor_bindtextdomain=$(TARGET_NLS_LIBS)
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_NEON_ZLIB),y)
-NEON_CONF_OPTS += --with-zlib=$(STAGING_DIR)
+NEON_CONF_OPTS += --with-zlib
 NEON_DEPENDENCIES += zlib
 else
 NEON_CONF_OPTS += --without-zlib