diff --git a/depends/Makefile b/depends/Makefile
index 6d3b1d852d..269d75eca9 100644
--- a/depends/Makefile
+++ b/depends/Makefile
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ BASE_CACHE ?= $(BASEDIR)/built
 SDK_PATH ?= $(BASEDIR)/SDKs
 NO_QT ?=
 NO_WALLET ?=
+NO_ZMQ ?=
 NO_UPNP ?=
 FALLBACK_DOWNLOAD_PATH ?= https://bitcoincore.org/depends-sources
 
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ endif
 qt_packages_$(NO_QT) = $(qt_packages) $(qt_$(host_os)_packages) $(qt_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_packages)
 wallet_packages_$(NO_WALLET) = $(wallet_packages)
 upnp_packages_$(NO_UPNP) = $(upnp_packages)
+zmq_packages_$(NO_ZMQ) = $(zmq_packages)
 
 packages += $($(host_arch)_$(host_os)_packages) $($(host_os)_packages) $(qt_packages_) $(wallet_packages_) $(upnp_packages_)
 native_packages += $($(host_arch)_$(host_os)_native_packages) $($(host_os)_native_packages)
@@ -134,6 +136,10 @@ ifneq ($(qt_packages_),)
 native_packages += $(qt_native_packages)
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(zmq_packages_),)
+packages += $(zmq_packages)
+endif
+
 all_packages = $(packages) $(native_packages)
 
 meta_depends = Makefile funcs.mk builders/default.mk hosts/default.mk hosts/$(host_os).mk builders/$(build_os).mk
@@ -193,6 +199,7 @@ $(host_prefix)/share/config.site : config.site.in $(host_prefix)/.stamp_$(final_
             -e 's|@CPPFLAGS@|$(strip $(host_CPPFLAGS) $(host_$(release_type)_CPPFLAGS))|' \
             -e 's|@LDFLAGS@|$(strip $(host_LDFLAGS) $(host_$(release_type)_LDFLAGS))|' \
             -e 's|@no_qt@|$(NO_QT)|' \
+            -e 's|@no_zmq@|$(NO_ZMQ)|' \
             -e 's|@no_wallet@|$(NO_WALLET)|' \
             -e 's|@no_upnp@|$(NO_UPNP)|' \
             -e 's|@debug@|$(DEBUG)|' \
diff --git a/depends/README.md b/depends/README.md
index 320c5673f3..caaebe66b8 100644
--- a/depends/README.md
+++ b/depends/README.md
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ The following can be set when running make: `make FOO=bar`
 <dd>If a source file can't be fetched, try here before giving up</dd>
 <dt>NO_QT</dt>
 <dd>Don't download/build/cache qt and its dependencies</dd>
+<dt>NO_ZMQ</dt>
+<dd>Don't download/build/cache packages needed for enabling zeromq</dd>
 <dt>NO_WALLET</dt>
 <dd>Don't download/build/cache libs needed to enable the wallet</dd>
 <dt>NO_UPNP</dt>
diff --git a/depends/config.site.in b/depends/config.site.in
index 5cada6865d..0048f26b3e 100644
--- a/depends/config.site.in
+++ b/depends/config.site.in
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ if test -z $with_gui && test -n "@no_qt@"; then
   with_gui=no
 fi
 
+if test -z $enable_zmq && test -n "@no_zmq@"; then
+  enable_zmq=no
+fi
+
 if test -n "@debug@" && test -z "@no_qt@" && test "x$with_gui" != xno; then
   with_gui=qt5_debug
 fi
diff --git a/depends/packages/packages.mk b/depends/packages/packages.mk
index bcabf33b15..675af7f97b 100644
--- a/depends/packages/packages.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/packages.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-packages:=boost openssl libevent zeromq gmp bls-dash backtrace cmake immer
+packages:=boost openssl libevent gmp bls-dash backtrace cmake immer
 
 qt_native_packages = native_protobuf
 qt_packages = qrencode protobuf zlib
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ qt_mingw32_packages=qt
 
 wallet_packages=bdb
 
+zmq_packages=zeromq
+
 upnp_packages=miniupnpc
 
 darwin_native_packages = native_biplist native_ds_store native_mac_alias