problems cross compilling arm

Hello

I want to compile to arm-linux the 1.1.8 release of kaffe

NM=arm-linux-ar STRIP=arm-linux-strip ./configure \
--host=arm-linux --prefix=/eBook_SDK/kaffe \
--libexecdir=/eBook_SDK/kaffe/bin --with-engine=intrp \
--disable-x --disable-debug --disable-xprofiling --disable-xdebugging  \
--disable-feedback --disable-profiling --without-stats --disable-gtk-peer \
--with-kaffe-nanox-awt \
--with-nanox-include=/usr/local/src/ebr/microwin/src/include \
--with-nanox-library=/usr/local/src/ebr/microwin/src/lib \
--disable-gcj \
--disable-sound \
--without-alsa \
--without-esd

ends by the message :

checking for ESD - version >= 0.2.1... no
*** The esd-config script installed by ESD could not be found
*** If ESD was installed in PREFIX, make sure PREFIX/bin is in
*** your path, or set the ESD_CONFIG environment variable to the
*** full path to esd-config.
Useable version of ESD not found.
Information: Using native math library
checking if malloc debugging is wanted... no
configure: error: Can't find or can't use system zlib.h


But I don't want esd :(

And zlib.h is in prefix/include directories

If I add --with-zlib-include or -with-include pointing to zlib.h I don't 
have any change ...

Any idea ?

Thanks

Gilles