diff --git a/lib/pack.js b/lib/pack.js
index 09b6ac59..a11f848d 100644
--- a/lib/pack.js
+++ b/lib/pack.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class PackJob {
 }
 
 const MiniPass = require('minipass')
-const zlib = require('minizlib')
+const zlib = require('../lib/zlib.js')
 const ReadEntry = require('./read-entry.js')
 const WriteEntry = require('./write-entry.js')
 const WriteEntrySync = WriteEntry.Sync
diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index 63c7ee9c..e3396677 100644
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const Yallist = require('yallist')
 const maxMetaEntrySize = 1024 * 1024
 const Entry = require('./read-entry.js')
 const Pax = require('./pax.js')
-const zlib = require('minizlib')
+const zlib = require('./zlib.js')
 
 const gzipHeader = new Buffer([0x1f, 0x8b])
 const STATE = Symbol('state')
diff --git a/lib/zlib.js b/lib/zlib.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6f059e54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/zlib.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+'use strict'
+const semver = require('semver')
+
+module.exports = select(process.version)
+module.exports._SELECT_ZLIB = select
+
+function select (version) {
+  return semver.gt(version, 'v9.0.0-0') ? require('zlib') : require('minizlib')
+}
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 2b38edd8..3b475211 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -2639,6 +2639,11 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-aSLEDudu6OoRr/2rU609gRmnYboRLxgDG1z9o2Q0os7236FwvcqIOO8r8U5JUEwivZOhDaKlFO4SbPTJYyBEyQ==",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "semver": {
+      "version": "5.4.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/semver/-/semver-5.4.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-WfG/X9+oATh81XtllIo/I8gOiY9EXRdv1cQdyykeXK17YcUW3EXUAi2To4pcH6nZtJPr7ZOpM5OMyWJZm+8Rsg=="
+    },
     "signal-exit": {
       "version": "3.0.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/signal-exit/-/signal-exit-3.0.2.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b4423281..9e137805 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     "minipass": "^2.0.2",
     "minizlib": "^1.0.3",
     "mkdirp": "^0.5.0",
+    "semver": "^5.4.1",
     "yallist": "^3.0.2"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/test/pack.js b/test/pack.js
index baec9acb..338104cb 100644
--- a/test/pack.js
+++ b/test/pack.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const tars = path.resolve(fixtures, 'tars')
 const chmodr = require('chmodr')
 const Header = require('../lib/header.js')
 const zlib = require('zlib')
-const miniz = require('minizlib')
+const miniz = require('../lib/zlib.js')
 const mutateFS = require('mutate-fs')
 const MiniPass = require('minipass')
 process.env.USER = 'isaacs'
@@ -457,70 +457,81 @@ t.test('very deep gzip path, sync', t => {
   pack.pause()
   pack.resume()
 
-  const zipped = pack.read()
-  t.isa(zipped, Buffer)
-  const data = zlib.unzipSync(zipped)
-  const entries = []
-  for (var i = 0; i < data.length; i += 512) {
-    const slice = data.slice(i, i + 512)
-    const h = new Header(slice)
-    if (h.nullBlock)
-      entries.push('null block')
-    else if (h.cksumValid)
-      entries.push([h.type, h.path])
-    else if (entries[entries.length-1][0] === 'File')
-      entries[entries.length-1].push(slice.toString().replace(/\0.*$/, ''))
-  }
-
-  const expect = [
-    [ 'Directory', 'dir/' ],
-    [ 'File', 'dir/x' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/' ],
-    [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/' ],
-    [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/a.txt', 'short\n' ],
-    [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc', '1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111' ],
-    [ 'ExtendedHeader', 'PaxHeader/ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc'],
-    [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc', '2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222' ],
-    [ 'ExtendedHeader', 'PaxHeader/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc' ],
-    [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc', 'cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc' ],
-    [ 'ExtendedHeader', 'PaxHeader/Ω.txt' ],
-    [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/Ω.txt', 'Ω' ],
-    'null block',
-    'null block'
-  ]
+  // these have to be declared before the on('data') call because
+  // on('data') is synchronous with minizlib. We have to use data
+  // events because zlib is NOT synchronous and it could be either type now.
+  pack.on('end', onEnd)
+  pack.on('error', onEnd)
+
+  const chunks = []
+  pack.on('data', data => chunks.push(data))
+
+  function onEnd () {
+    const zipped = Buffer.concat(chunks)
+    t.isa(zipped, Buffer)
+    const data = zlib.unzipSync(zipped)
+    const entries = []
+    for (var i = 0; i < data.length; i += 512) {
+      const slice = data.slice(i, i + 512)
+      const h = new Header(slice)
+      if (h.nullBlock)
+        entries.push('null block')
+      else if (h.cksumValid)
+        entries.push([h.type, h.path])
+      else if (entries[entries.length-1][0] === 'File')
+        entries[entries.length-1].push(slice.toString().replace(/\0.*$/, ''))
+    }
 
-  let ok = true
-  entries.forEach((entry, i) => {
-    ok = ok &&
-      t.equal(entry[0], expect[i][0]) &&
-      t.equal(entry[1], expect[i][1]) &&
-      (!entry[2] || t.equal(entry[2], expect[i][2]))
-  })
+    const expect = [
+      [ 'Directory', 'dir/' ],
+      [ 'File', 'dir/x' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/' ],
+      [ 'Directory', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/' ],
+      [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/a.txt', 'short\n' ],
+      [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc', '1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111' ],
+      [ 'ExtendedHeader', 'PaxHeader/ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc'],
+      [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc', '2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222' ],
+      [ 'ExtendedHeader', 'PaxHeader/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc' ],
+      [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc', 'cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc' ],
+      [ 'ExtendedHeader', 'PaxHeader/Ω.txt' ],
+      [ 'File', 'long-path/r/e/a/l/l/y/-/d/e/e/p/-/f/o/l/d/e/r/-/p/a/t/h/Ω.txt', 'Ω' ],
+      'null block',
+      'null block'
+    ]
+
+    let ok = true
+    entries.forEach((entry, i) => {
+      ok = ok &&
+        t.equal(entry[0], expect[i][0]) &&
+        t.equal(entry[1], expect[i][1]) &&
+        (!entry[2] || t.equal(entry[2], expect[i][2]))
+    })
 
-  // t.match(entries, expect)
-  t.end()
+    // t.match(entries, expect)
+    t.end()
+  }
 })
 
 t.test('write after end', t => {
diff --git a/test/parse.js b/test/parse.js
index cde112b8..1812fe2e 100644
--- a/test/parse.js
+++ b/test/parse.js
@@ -508,10 +508,15 @@ t.test('truncated gzip input', t => {
     const p = new Parse({ onwarn: message => warnings.push(message) })
     let aborted = false
     p.on('abort', _ => aborted = true)
+    p.on('abort', onEnd)
+    p.on('error', onEnd)
+    p.on('end', onEnd)
     p.end(trunc)
-    t.equal(aborted, true, 'aborted writing')
-    t.same(warnings, [ 'zlib error: unexpected end of file' ])
-    t.end()
+    function onEnd () {
+      t.equal(aborted, true, 'aborted writing')
+      t.same(warnings, [ 'zlib error: unexpected end of file' ])
+      t.end()
+    }
   })
 
   t.test('just wrong', t => {
@@ -519,13 +524,18 @@ t.test('truncated gzip input', t => {
     const p = new Parse({ onwarn: message => warnings.push(message) })
     let aborted = false
     p.on('abort', _ => aborted = true)
+    p.on('abort', onEnd)
+    p.on('error', onEnd)
+    p.on('end', onEnd)
     p.write(trunc)
     p.write(trunc)
     p.write(tgz.slice(split))
     p.end()
-    t.equal(aborted, true, 'aborted writing')
-    t.same(warnings, [ 'zlib error: incorrect data check' ])
-    t.end()
+    function onEnd () {
+      t.equal(aborted, true, 'aborted writing')
+      t.same(warnings, [ 'zlib error: incorrect data check' ])
+      t.end()
+    }
   })
 
   t.end()
diff --git a/test/select-zlib.js b/test/select-zlib.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca47c7fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/select-zlib.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+'use strict'
+const zlib = require('zlib')
+const minizlib = require('minizlib')
+const szlib = require('../lib/zlib.js')
+const select = szlib._SELECT_ZLIB
+const test = require('tap').test
+
+test('select the right zlib', t => {
+  t.is(select('v8.5.0'), minizlib, 'older nodes get faster zlib')
+  t.is(select('v9.0.0-pre'), zlib, 'newer nodes get compat zlib')
+  t.is(select('v9.1.0'), zlib, 'non-pre newer nodes get compat zlib')
+  t.is(select('v10.0.0-pre'), zlib, 'even newer pre-release nodes get compat zlib')
+  t.is(select('v10.0.0'), zlib, 'even newer nodes get compat zlib')
+  t.end()
+})
diff --git a/test/unpack.js b/test/unpack.js
index 2fb77b72..23d1098a 100644
--- a/test/unpack.js
+++ b/test/unpack.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const t = require('tap')
 
 const makeTar = require('./make-tar.js')
 const Header = require('../lib/header.js')
-const z = require('minizlib')
+const z = require('../lib/zlib.js')
 const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
 const fixtures = path.resolve(__dirname, 'fixtures')