diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/zlib/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/zlib/default.nix
index ce66108b70a6d..0882da7f45dce 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/zlib/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/zlib/default.nix
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@
   shared ? !stdenv.hostPlatform.isStatic,
   static ? true,
   # If true, a separate .static output is created and the .a is moved there.
-  # In this case `pkg-config` auto detection does not currently work if the
-  # .static output is given as `buildInputs` to another package (#66461), because
-  # the `.pc` file lists only the main output's lib dir.
   # If false, and if `{ static = true; }`, the .a stays in the main output.
   splitStaticOutput ? shared && static,
   testers,
@@ -70,6 +67,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     export CHOST=${stdenv.hostPlatform.config}
   '';
 
+  configureFlags = [
+    "--includedir=${placeholder "dev"}/include"
+    "--sharedlibdir=${placeholder "out"}/lib"
+    "--libdir=${placeholder (if splitStaticOutput then "static" else "out")}/lib"
+  ]
   # For zlib's ./configure (as of version 1.2.11), the order
   # of --static/--shared flags matters!
   # `--shared --static` builds only static libs, while
@@ -82,7 +84,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   # `--static --shared`, `--shared` and giving nothing.
   # Of these, we choose `--static --shared`, for clarity and simpler
   # conditions.
-  configureFlags = lib.optional static "--static" ++ lib.optional shared "--shared";
+  ++ lib.optional static "--static"
+  ++ lib.optional shared "--shared";
   # We do the right thing manually, above, so don't need these.
   dontDisableStatic = true;
   dontAddStaticConfigureFlags = true;
@@ -96,13 +99,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   # but we don't do it simply to avoid mass rebuilds.
 
   postInstall =
-    lib.optionalString splitStaticOutput ''
-      moveToOutput lib/libz.a "$static"
-    ''
     # jww (2015-01-06): Sometimes this library install as a .so, even on
     # Darwin; others time it installs as a .dylib.  I haven't yet figured out
     # what causes this difference.
-    + lib.optionalString stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin ''
+    lib.optionalString stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin ''
       for file in $out/lib/*.so* $out/lib/*.dylib* ; do
         ${stdenv.cc.bintools.targetPrefix}install_name_tool -id "$file" $file
       done
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
 
   makeFlags = [
     "PREFIX=${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}"
+    "pkgconfigdir=${placeholder "dev"}/share/pkgconfig"
   ]
   ++ lib.optionals (stdenv.hostPlatform.isMinGW || stdenv.hostPlatform.isCygwin) [
     "-f"