diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index a2a0f9f8c34b..5abeeba8ab7f 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ environment:
     - PYTHON_VERSION: "3.6"
       CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN: "C:\\Miniconda36-x64"
       TEST_ALL: "no"
+      MPLSTATICBUILD: True
 
 # We always use a 64-bit machine, but can build x86 distributions
 # with the PYTHON_ARCH variable
@@ -74,17 +75,6 @@ install:
     curl -sL https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/1224.patch |
     patch -fsup 1 -d %CONDA_PREFIX% ) || cmd /c "exit /b 0"
 
-  # Let the install prefer the static builds of the libs
-  - set LIBRARY_LIB=%CONDA_PREFIX%\Library\lib
-  - mkdir lib || cmd /c "exit /b 0"
-  - copy /y %LIBRARY_LIB%\zlibstatic.lib lib\z.lib
-  - copy /y %LIBRARY_LIB%\libpng_static.lib lib\png.lib
-  # These z.lib / png.lib are not static versions but files which end up as
-  # dependencies to the dll file. This is fine for the conda build, but not here
-  # and for the wheels
-  - del %LIBRARY_LIB%\png.lib
-  - del %LIBRARY_LIB%\z.lib
-  - set MPLBASEDIRLIST=%CONDA_PREFIX%\Library\;.
   # enables the local freetype build
   - copy ci\travis\setup.cfg .
   # Show the installed packages + versions
@@ -95,9 +85,9 @@ test_script:
   - pip install -ve .
   # these should show no z, png, or freetype dll...
   - set "DUMPBIN=%VS140COMNTOOLS%\..\..\VC\bin\dumpbin.exe"
-  - '"%DUMPBIN%" /DEPENDENTS lib\matplotlib\ft2font*.pyd | findstr freetype.*.dll && exit /b 1 || exit /b 0'
-  - '"%DUMPBIN%" /DEPENDENTS lib\matplotlib\_png*.pyd | findstr z.*.dll && exit /b 1 || exit /b 0'
-  - '"%DUMPBIN%" /DEPENDENTS lib\matplotlib\_png*.pyd | findstr png.*.dll && exit /b 1 || exit /b 0'
+  - 'if x%MPLSTATICBUILD% == xTrue "%DUMPBIN%" /DEPENDENTS lib\matplotlib\ft2font*.pyd | findstr freetype.*.dll && exit /b 1 || exit /b 0'
+  - 'if x%MPLSTATICBUILD% == xTrue "%DUMPBIN%" /DEPENDENTS lib\matplotlib\_png*.pyd | findstr z.*.dll && exit /b 1 || exit /b 0'
+  - 'if x%MPLSTATICBUILD% == xTrue "%DUMPBIN%" /DEPENDENTS lib\matplotlib\_png*.pyd | findstr png.*.dll && exit /b 1 || exit /b 0'
 
   # this are optional dependencies so that we don't skip so many tests...
   - if x%TEST_ALL% == xyes conda install -q ffmpeg inkscape miktex pillow
@@ -114,6 +104,7 @@ test_script:
 after_test:
   # After the tests were a success, build wheels with the static libs
   # Hide the output, the copied files really clutter the build log...
+  - set MPLSTATICBUILD=True
   - 'python setup.py bdist_wheel > NUL:'
   - dir dist\
   - echo finished...
diff --git a/INSTALL.rst b/INSTALL.rst
index fdcfecbf1d86..24d205e48c19 100644
--- a/INSTALL.rst
+++ b/INSTALL.rst
@@ -332,22 +332,12 @@ without fiddling with environment variables::
   # for Python 2.7
   conda install -c conda-forge backports.functools_lru_cache
 
-  # copy the libs which have "wrong" names
-  set LIBRARY_LIB=%CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV%\Library\lib
-  mkdir lib || cmd /c "exit /b 0"
-  copy %LIBRARY_LIB%\zlibstatic.lib lib\z.lib
-  copy %LIBRARY_LIB%\libpng_static.lib lib\png.lib
-
-  # Make the header files and the rest of the static libs available during the build
-  # CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV is a env variable which is set to the currently active environment path
-  set MPLBASEDIRLIST=%CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV%\Library\;.
+  # force the build against static libpng and zlib libraries
+  set MPLSTATICBUILD=True
 
   # build the wheel
   python setup.py bdist_wheel
 
-The `build_alllocal.cmd` script in the root folder automates these steps if
-you have already created and activated the conda environment.
-
 
 Conda packages
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
diff --git a/build_alllocal.cmd b/build_alllocal.cmd
deleted file mode 100644
index 7a357302c4ae..000000000000
--- a/build_alllocal.cmd
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-:: This assumes you have installed all the dependencies via conda packages:
-:: # create a new environment with the required packages
-:: conda create  -n "matplotlib_build" python=3.4 numpy python-dateutil pyparsing pytz tornado "cycler>=0.10" tk libpng zlib freetype
-:: activate matplotlib_build
-:: if you want qt backend, you also have to install pyqt
-:: conda install pyqt
-:: # this package is only available in the conda-forge channel
-:: conda install -c conda-forge msinttypes
-:: if you build on py2.7:
-:: conda install -c conda-forge backports.functools_lru_cache
-
-set TARGET=bdist_wheel
-IF [%1]==[] (
-    echo Using default target: %TARGET%
-) else (
-    set TARGET=%1
-    echo Using user supplied target: %TARGET%
-)
-
-IF NOT DEFINED CONDA_PREFIX (
-    echo No Conda env activated: you need to create a conda env with the right packages and activate it!
-    GOTO:eof
-)
-
-:: copy the libs which have "wrong" names
-set LIBRARY_LIB=%CONDA_PREFIX%\Library\lib
-mkdir lib || cmd /c "exit /b 0"
-copy %LIBRARY_LIB%\zlibstatic.lib lib\z.lib
-copy %LIBRARY_LIB%\libpng_static.lib lib\png.lib
-
-:: Make the header files and the rest of the static libs available during the build
-:: CONDA_PREFIX is a env variable which is set to the currently active environment path
-set MPLBASEDIRLIST=%CONDA_PREFIX%\Library\;.
-
-:: build the target
-python setup.py %TARGET%
diff --git a/setupext.py b/setupext.py
index 378b366f0c0e..6499e2d1dc2f 100644
--- a/setupext.py
+++ b/setupext.py
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ def _get_xdg_cache_dir():
     'display_status': True,
     'verbose': False,
     'backend': None,
-    'basedirlist': None
+    'basedirlist': None,
+    'staticbuild': False,
     }
 
 
@@ -119,6 +120,9 @@ def _get_xdg_cache_dir():
 lft = bool(os.environ.get('MPLLOCALFREETYPE', False))
 options['local_freetype'] = lft or options.get('local_freetype', False)
 
+staticbuild = bool(os.environ.get('MPLSTATICBUILD', True))
+options['staticbuild'] = staticbuild or options.get('staticbuild', False)
+
 
 def get_win32_compiler():
     """
@@ -307,6 +311,23 @@ def get_file_hash(filename):
     return hasher.hexdigest()
 
 
+def deplib(libname):
+    if sys.platform != 'win32':
+        return libname
+
+    known_libs = {
+        # TODO: support versioned libpng on build system revrite
+        'png': ('libpng', '_static'),
+        'z': ('zlib', 'static'),
+    }
+
+    libname, static_postfix = known_libs[libname]
+    if options['staticbuild']:
+        libname += static_postfix
+
+    return libname
+
+
 class PkgConfig(object):
     """
     This is a class for communicating with pkg-config.
@@ -1122,7 +1143,7 @@ def add_flags(self, ext):
                     'lib/freetype2/include/freetype2'],
                 default_library_dirs=[
                     'freetype2/lib'],
-                default_libraries=['freetype', 'z'])
+                default_libraries=['freetype', deplib('z')])
             ext.define_macros.append(('FREETYPE_BUILD_TYPE', 'system'))
 
     def do_custom_build(self):
@@ -1320,7 +1341,7 @@ def get_extension(self):
             ]
         ext = make_extension('matplotlib._png', sources)
         pkg_config.setup_extension(
-            ext, 'libpng', default_libraries=['png', 'z'],
+            ext, 'libpng', default_libraries=map(deplib, ['png', 'z']),
             alt_exec='libpng-config --ldflags')
         Numpy().add_flags(ext)
         return ext