diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c716f88e5ff99f..4ebb16cdfd0672 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1032,7 +1032,6 @@ $(TARBALL): release-only $(NODE_EXE) doc
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/deps/v8/samples
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/deps/v8/tools/profviz
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/deps/v8/tools/run-tests.py
-	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/deps/zlib/contrib # too big, unused
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/doc/images # too big
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/test*.tap
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/tools/cpplint.py
@@ -1043,6 +1042,7 @@ $(TARBALL): release-only $(NODE_EXE) doc
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/tools/osx-pkg.pmdoc
 	find $(TARNAME)/deps/v8/test/* -type d ! -regex '.*/test/torque$$' | xargs $(RM) -r
 	find $(TARNAME)/deps/v8/test -type f ! -regex '.*/test/torque/.*' | xargs $(RM)
+	find $(TARNAME)/deps/zlib/contrib/* -type d ! -regex '.*/contrib/optimizations$$' | xargs $(RM) -r
 	find $(TARNAME)/ -name ".eslint*" -maxdepth 2 | xargs $(RM)
 	find $(TARNAME)/ -type l | xargs $(RM) # annoying on windows
 	tar -cf $(TARNAME).tar $(TARNAME)