diff --git a/lib/internal/webstreams/compression.js b/lib/internal/webstreams/compression.js
index 6dfddbce248b7a..692f64af005af9 100644
--- a/lib/internal/webstreams/compression.js
+++ b/lib/internal/webstreams/compression.js
@@ -25,12 +25,11 @@ const {
   customInspectSymbol: kInspect,
 } = require('internal/util');
 
-const {
-  createDeflate,
-  createInflate,
-  createGzip,
-  createGunzip,
-} = require('zlib');
+let zlib;
+function lazyZlib() {
+  zlib ??= require('zlib');
+  return zlib;
+}
 
 const kHandle = Symbol('kHandle');
 const kTransform = Symbol('kTransform');
@@ -59,10 +58,10 @@ class CompressionStream {
     this[kType] = 'CompressionStream';
     switch (format) {
       case 'deflate':
-        this[kHandle] = createDeflate();
+        this[kHandle] = lazyZlib().createDeflate();
         break;
       case 'gzip':
-        this[kHandle] = createGzip();
+        this[kHandle] = lazyZlib().createGzip();
         break;
       default:
         throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_VALUE('format', format);
@@ -108,10 +107,10 @@ class DecompressionStream {
     this[kType] = 'DecompressionStream';
     switch (format) {
       case 'deflate':
-        this[kHandle] = createInflate();
+        this[kHandle] = lazyZlib().createInflate();
         break;
       case 'gzip':
-        this[kHandle] = createGunzip();
+        this[kHandle] = lazyZlib().createGunzip();
         break;
       default:
         throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_VALUE('format', format);