diff --git a/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/main.c b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/main.c
index 09d1509bb316..58208521a956 100644
--- a/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/main.c	
+++ b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/main.c	
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "zlib.h"
 
 int main(void) {
-    printf("%s\n", zlibVersion());
-    return 0;
+    const char * const v = zlibVersion();
+    printf("%s\n", v ? v : "<NULL>");
+    return !v;
 }
diff --git a/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/meson.build b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/meson.build
index fb0e3537a94f..3fedad97bfe0 100644
--- a/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/meson.build	
@@ -1,36 +1,30 @@
-project('static dynamic', 'c')
+# This test uses zlib to verify static and dynamic linkages.
+# A C program is used to call a single zlib function (zlibVersion).
+# The nm utility is then used to check for the existence of this symbol
+# in the resulting binary.
 
-# Solaris does not ship static libraries
-if host_machine.system() == 'sunos'
-  has_static = false
-else
-  has_static = true
-endif
+project('zlib linkage', 'c')
+
+s = get_option('static')
 
 cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
 
-z_default = cc.find_library('z')
-if has_static
-  z_static = cc.find_library('z', static: true)
-endif
-z_dynamic = cc.find_library('z', static: false)
-
-exe_default = executable('main_default', 'main.c', dependencies: [z_default])
-if has_static
-  exe_static = executable('main_static', 'main.c', dependencies: [z_static])
-endif
-exe_dynamic = executable('main_dynamic', 'main.c', dependencies: [z_dynamic])
-
-test('test default', exe_default)
-if has_static
-  test('test static', exe_static)
-endif
-test('test dynamic', exe_dynamic)
-
-if has_static
-  test('verify static linking', find_program('verify_static.py'),
-      args: ['--platform=' + host_machine.system(), exe_static.full_path()])
-endif
-test('verify dynamic linking', find_program('verify_static.py'),
-    args: ['--platform=' + host_machine.system(), exe_dynamic.full_path()],
-    should_fail: true)
+z = cc.find_library('z', static: s)
+
+exe = executable('print_zlib_version', 'main.c', dependencies: [z])
+
+# first step: the executable should compile and work
+test('test zlib', exe)
+
+# to check the zlib static/dynamic symbols in the resulting binary
+find_program('nm')
+
+# second step: static linkage
+test('verify static zlib linking', find_program('verify_zlib_linkage.py'),
+  args: ['--platform=' + host_machine.system(), '--static', exe.full_path()],
+  should_fail: not s)
+
+# third step: dynamic linkage
+test('verify dynamic zlib linking', find_program('verify_zlib_linkage.py'),
+  args: ['--platform=' + host_machine.system(), exe.full_path()],
+  should_fail: s)
diff --git a/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/meson_options.txt b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/meson_options.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..019feaf383f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/meson_options.txt	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+option('static', type: 'boolean', value: false)
diff --git a/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/test.json b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..da2162b0786d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/test.json	
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "matrix": {
+    "options": {
+      "static": [
+        { "val": "true", "skip_on_env": [ "SKIP_STATIC_ZLIB" ] },
+        { "val": "false" }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/verify_static.py b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/verify_static.py
deleted file mode 100755
index 25e97f368bb1..000000000000
--- a/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/verify_static.py	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""Test script that checks if zlib was statically linked to executable"""
-import subprocess
-import sys
-
-def handle_common(path):
-    """Handle the common case."""
-    try:
-        output = subprocess.check_output(['nm', '--defined-only', '-P', '-A', path]).decode('utf-8')
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-        # some NMs only support -U. Older binutils only supports --defined-only.
-        output = subprocess.check_output(['nm', '-UPA', path]).decode('utf-8')
-    # POSIX format. Prints all *defined* symbols, looks like this:
-    # builddir/main_static: zlibVersion T 1190 39
-    # or
-    # builddir/main_static: zlibVersion D 1fde0 30
-    if ': zlibVersion ' in output:
-        return 0
-    return 1
-
-def handle_cygwin(path):
-    """Handle the Cygwin case."""
-    output = subprocess.check_output(['nm', path]).decode('utf-8')
-    if (('I __imp_zlibVersion' in output) or ('D __imp_zlibVersion' in output)):
-        return 1
-    return 0
-
-def main():
-    """Main function"""
-    if len(sys.argv) > 2 and sys.argv[1] == '--platform=cygwin':
-        return handle_cygwin(sys.argv[2])
-    else:
-        return handle_common(sys.argv[2])
-
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/verify_zlib_linkage.py b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/verify_zlib_linkage.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..1782eb144187
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/linuxlike/14 static dynamic linkage/verify_zlib_linkage.py	
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Test script that checks if zlib was statically or dynamically linked to executable"""
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import argparse
+
+def check_zlib_symbol_common(path, is_static):
+    """Tests if the binary contains zlibVersion symbol (non-Cygwin version)."""
+    try:
+        sym_opt = '--defined-only' if is_static else '--undefined-only'
+        output = subprocess.check_output(['nm', sym_opt, '-P', '-A', path]).decode('utf-8')
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+        # some NMs only support -U. Older binutils only supports --defined-only.
+        opts = '-UPA' if is_static else '-uPA'
+        output = subprocess.check_output(['nm', opts, path]).decode('utf-8')
+    # POSIX format. Prints all *defined* symbols, looks like this:
+    # builddir/main_static: zlibVersion T 1190 39
+    # or
+    # builddir/main_static: zlibVersion D 1fde0 30
+    if ': zlibVersion ' in output:
+        return 0
+    return 1
+
+def check_zlib_symbol_cygwin(path, is_static):
+    """Tests if the binary contains zlibVersion symbol (Cygwin case)."""
+    output = subprocess.check_output(['nm', path]).decode('utf-8')
+    # No matter static or dynamic, the name must exist in nm output
+    if ' zlibVersion' not in output:
+        return 2
+    is_dynamic = ('I __imp_zlibVersion' in output) or ('D __imp_zlibVersion' in output)
+    if is_dynamic == is_static: # expected/got mismatch?
+        return 3
+    return 0
+
+def main():
+    """Main function"""
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('path', help='executable path')
+    parser.add_argument('-p', '--platform')
+    parser.add_argument('-s', '--static', action='store_true', default=False)
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    if args.platform == 'cygwin':
+        return check_zlib_symbol_cygwin(args.path, args.static)
+    else:
+        return check_zlib_symbol_common(args.path, args.static)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    sys.exit(main())