diff --git a/recipes/libpq/all/conanfile.py b/recipes/libpq/all/conanfile.py
index 469f97282e2faf..201f18a173f78d 100644
--- a/recipes/libpq/all/conanfile.py
+++ b/recipes/libpq/all/conanfile.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from conan import ConanFile
-from conan.tools.apple import fix_apple_shared_install_name
+from conan.tools.apple import fix_apple_shared_install_name, is_apple_os
 from conan.tools.build import cross_building
 from conan.tools.env import Environment, VirtualBuildEnv, VirtualRunEnv
 from conan.tools.files import apply_conandata_patches, chdir, copy, export_conandata_patches, get, replace_in_file, rm, rmdir
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ def config_options(self):
             # TODO: add Windows support for these
             del self.options.with_icu
             del self.options.with_zlib
+        if is_apple_os(self) and cross_building(self):
+            # FIXME: not sure why this one fails when cross-building on macOS
+            # zlib symbols are not found when linking
+            del self.options.with_zlib
 
     def configure(self):
         if self.options.shared: