diff --git a/utils/scripts/vcxproj_dependencies.py b/utils/scripts/vcxproj_dependencies.py
index c7bcf0e00..f50c9aec4 100644
--- a/utils/scripts/vcxproj_dependencies.py
+++ b/utils/scripts/vcxproj_dependencies.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def fixup_path(project_path, dependency_path):
                 leading = leading[:leading.rfind('/')]
                 trailing = trailing[3:]
             trailing = trailing.lower()
-            trailing = '{0}/{1};'.format(leading, trailing)
+            trailing = '{0}/{1}'.format(leading, trailing)
         else:  # unix
             print '..processing unix-style path fix-up'
             while '../' in trailing:
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ def check_for_version_discrepancies():
         6: 'submodule'
     }
     # use all lowercase for path description
-    # use forward slash ('/') for directory name breaks
+    # use forward slash ('/') for directory name separators
     # use '|' token for multiple hints ('my_file_path_1|my_file_path_2')
     # use '!!' token for explicit argument ('/perl/core!!' will find '../perl/core' but not '../perl/core/perl512.lib')
     # use '##' token for joined hints ('my_file_##_1')
@@ -341,16 +341,16 @@ def check_for_version_discrepancies():
                 '',  # 'install'
                 '/server/dependencies/zlib_x##/include',  # 'dependencies'
                 # not sure if this should be '/libs/zlibng' or '/build/libs/zlibng' based on cmake behavior
-                '/server/build/libs/zlibng',  # 'libs'
+                '/server/build/libs/zlibng!!',  # 'libs'
                 '/server/vcpkg/vcpkg-export-##/installed/x##-windows/include',  # 'vcpkg'
-                '/server/build/libs/zlibng',  # 'static'
+                '/server/build/libs/zlibng!!',  # 'static'
                 ''  # 'submodule'
             ],
             'source': [
                 '',  # 'NOT FOUND'
                 '',  # 'install'
                 '',  # 'dependencies'
-                '/server/libs/zlibng',  # 'libs'
+                '/server/libs/zlibng!!',  # 'libs'
                 '',  # 'vcpkg'
                 '',  # 'static'
                 ''  # 'submodule'
@@ -362,7 +362,8 @@ def check_for_version_discrepancies():
                 '',  # 'libs'
                 '/server/vcpkg/vcpkg-export-##/installed/x##-windows/&&lib/zlib.lib!!'
                 '^debug/lib/zlibd.lib!!@',  # 'vcpkg'
-                '/server/build/libs/zlibng/##&&zlibstatic.lib!!^zlibstaticd.lib!!@',  # 'static'
+                '/server/build/libs/zlibng/&&debug/zlibstaticd.lib!!^minsizerel/zlibstatic.lib!!'
+                '^release/zlibstatic.lib!!^relwithdebinfo/zlibstatic.lib!!@',  # 'static'
                 ''  # 'submodule'
             ]
         },
@@ -571,6 +572,16 @@ def check_for_version_discrepancies():
                                             break
                                     if hint_found is True:
                                         break
+    # loop for hack to fix odd behavior caused by 'FindZLIB.cmake' - ref: '../server/build/libs/zlibng/zconf.h'
+    # this does not change anything in the build files..only silences a false discrepancy due to mixing priority types
+    if global_priorities['zlib'] == 5:
+        for project in context_tree:
+            for build in context_tree[project]:
+                for resource in context_tree[project][build]:
+                    if context_tree[project][build][resource]['zlib']['source'] == 3:
+                        context_tree[project][build][resource]['zlib']['source'] = 5
+                    if context_tree[project][build][resource]['zlib']['include'] == 3:
+                        context_tree[project][build][resource]['zlib']['include'] = 5
     # loop for dumping 'global_priorities'
     twrite('{0}<Global>'.format(col1))
     for library in libraries: