diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/COMPRESS.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/COMPRESS.cmake
index c92767692a..4d392ab516 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/COMPRESS.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/COMPRESS.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
 target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE ZLIB::ZLIB)
 
-find_package(Zstd REQUIRED)
-target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE Zstd::Zstd)
+find_package(Zstd)
+
+if(Zstd_FOUND)
+    target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DLAMMPS_ZSTD)
+    target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE Zstd::Zstd)
+endif()
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/README b/src/COMPRESS/README
index 1a31445d0b..617757c476 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/README
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/README
@@ -10,5 +10,9 @@ alternative for compressed file I/O on systems where using a pipe can
 cause problems, e.g. when using RDMA communication with pinned memory
 like clusters with Infiniband or Myrinet.
 
+Update 08/2020: Added variants that use the Zstd compression library instead
+of zlib. To enable, set -DLAMMPS_ZSTD. These provide a wider range of
+compression levels. See http://facebook.github.io/zstd/ for more details.
+
 Currently a few selected dump styles are supported for writing via
 this packaging.
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_atom_zstd.cpp b/src/COMPRESS/dump_atom_zstd.cpp
index 30862ab854..c3085a3b56 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_atom_zstd.cpp
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_atom_zstd.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
+
 #include "dump_atom_zstd.h"
 #include "domain.h"
 #include "error.h"
@@ -189,3 +191,5 @@ int DumpAtomZstd::modify_param(int narg, char **arg)
   }
   return consumed;
 }
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_atom_zstd.h b/src/COMPRESS/dump_atom_zstd.h
index d1bfd9d00f..30108eeee9 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_atom_zstd.h
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_atom_zstd.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
+
 #ifdef DUMP_CLASS
 
 DumpStyle(atom/zstd,DumpAtomZstd)
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ class DumpAtomZstd : public DumpAtom {
 
 }
 
+#endif
 #endif
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_cfg_zstd.cpp b/src/COMPRESS/dump_cfg_zstd.cpp
index 2b683b4861..f153484164 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_cfg_zstd.cpp
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_cfg_zstd.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
 #include "dump_cfg_zstd.h"
 #include "atom.h"
 #include "domain.h"
@@ -192,3 +193,4 @@ int DumpCFGZstd::modify_param(int narg, char **arg)
   }
   return consumed;
 }
+#endif
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_cfg_zstd.h b/src/COMPRESS/dump_cfg_zstd.h
index 653ff6a776..6f4fe8face 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_cfg_zstd.h
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_cfg_zstd.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
 #ifdef DUMP_CLASS
 
 DumpStyle(cfg/zstd,DumpCFGZstd)
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ class DumpCFGZstd : public DumpCFG {
 
 }
 
+#endif
 #endif
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_custom_zstd.cpp b/src/COMPRESS/dump_custom_zstd.cpp
index 420425b050..d3bf3467eb 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_custom_zstd.cpp
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_custom_zstd.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
+
 #include "dump_custom_zstd.h"
 #include "domain.h"
 #include "error.h"
@@ -189,3 +191,5 @@ int DumpCustomZstd::modify_param(int narg, char **arg)
   }
   return consumed;
 }
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_custom_zstd.h b/src/COMPRESS/dump_custom_zstd.h
index fbda89d490..ce3f1325c5 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_custom_zstd.h
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_custom_zstd.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
+
 #ifdef DUMP_CLASS
 
 DumpStyle(custom/zstd,DumpCustomZstd)
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ class DumpCustomZstd : public DumpCustom {
 
 }
 
+#endif
 #endif
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_local_zstd.cpp b/src/COMPRESS/dump_local_zstd.cpp
index 643e29f2cc..73402bee47 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_local_zstd.cpp
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_local_zstd.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
+
 #include "dump_local_zstd.h"
 #include "domain.h"
 #include "error.h"
@@ -189,3 +191,5 @@ int DumpLocalZstd::modify_param(int narg, char **arg)
   }
   return consumed;
 }
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_local_zstd.h b/src/COMPRESS/dump_local_zstd.h
index 5f3ddb84f2..398b1c3337 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_local_zstd.h
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_local_zstd.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
+
 #ifdef DUMP_CLASS
 
 DumpStyle(local/zstd,DumpLocalZstd)
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ class DumpLocalZstd : public DumpLocal {
 
 }
 
+#endif
 #endif
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_xyz_zstd.cpp b/src/COMPRESS/dump_xyz_zstd.cpp
index e825051474..fb65af63e5 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_xyz_zstd.cpp
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_xyz_zstd.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
+
 #include "dump_xyz_zstd.h"
 #include "error.h"
 #include "update.h"
@@ -164,3 +166,5 @@ int DumpXYZZstd::modify_param(int narg, char **arg)
   }
   return consumed;
 }
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/COMPRESS/dump_xyz_zstd.h b/src/COMPRESS/dump_xyz_zstd.h
index e1991202d6..2422341557 100644
--- a/src/COMPRESS/dump_xyz_zstd.h
+++ b/src/COMPRESS/dump_xyz_zstd.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
    Contributing author: Richard Berger (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef LAMMPS_ZSTD
+
 #ifdef DUMP_CLASS
 
 DumpStyle(xyz/zstd,DumpXYZZstd)
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ class DumpXYZZstd : public DumpXYZ {
 
 }
 
+#endif
 #endif
 #endif