diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index c0e2d4ef28..fdf42b9b0f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
             sudo apt-get install ${{ matrix.compiler }}
         fi
 
-        sudo apt-get install libbz2-dev libjemalloc-dev libboost-all-dev
+        sudo apt-get install libbz2-dev libjemalloc-dev libboost-all-dev libdeflate-dev
 
         if [ "${{ matrix.build_static }}" = "ON" ]; then
           # for static builds, compile curl ourselves
diff --git a/metagraph/CMakeLists.txt b/metagraph/CMakeLists.txt
index af91515f78..8114dc0052 100644
--- a/metagraph/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/metagraph/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ set_target_properties(metagraph PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME "metagraph_${CMAKE_DBG_AL
 
 set(METALIBS ${METALIBS}
   -lKMC
-  -lhts zlib
+  -lhts zlib deflate
   -lsdsl
   jsoncpp_lib
   progress_bar