diff --git a/ports/stm/boards/meowbit_v121/mpconfigboard.mk b/ports/stm/boards/meowbit_v121/mpconfigboard.mk
index 15ae33c4c8..77b046ada7 100644
--- a/ports/stm/boards/meowbit_v121/mpconfigboard.mk
+++ b/ports/stm/boards/meowbit_v121/mpconfigboard.mk
@@ -26,5 +26,6 @@ CIRCUITPY_BLEIO_HCI = 0
 CIRCUITPY_GIFIO = 0
 CIRCUITPY_ULAB = 0
 CIRCUITPY_STAGE = 1
+CIRCUITPY_ZLIB = 0
 
 FROZEN_MPY_DIRS += $(TOP)/frozen/circuitpython-stage/meowbit
diff --git a/ports/stm/boards/thunderpack_v11/mpconfigboard.mk b/ports/stm/boards/thunderpack_v11/mpconfigboard.mk
index 5b5c098e16..0aa8ce6746 100644
--- a/ports/stm/boards/thunderpack_v11/mpconfigboard.mk
+++ b/ports/stm/boards/thunderpack_v11/mpconfigboard.mk
@@ -21,3 +21,4 @@ CIRCUITPY_BITMAPTOOLS = 0
 CIRCUITPY_BLEIO_HCI = 0
 CIRCUITPY_VECTORIO = 0
 CIRCUITPY_ULAB = 0
+CIRCUITPY_ZLIB = 0