diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 5a50b64a..414ddf93 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
     - run: cargo test --features cloudflare_zlib --no-default-features
       if: matrix.build != 'mingw'
     - run: |
-        if ! cargo check --no-default-features 2>&1 | grep "You need to choose" ; then 
+        if (! cargo check --no-default-features 2>&1 | grep "You need to choose") ; then 
           echo "expected message stating a zlib backend must be chosen"
           exit 1
         fi
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 10cf92ec..0dbe5397 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -32,13 +32,14 @@ quickcheck = { version = "1.0", default-features = false }
 
 [features]
 default = ["rust_backend"]
-any_zlib = [] # note: this is not a real user-facing feature
+any_zlib = ["any_impl"] # note: this is not a real user-facing feature
+any_impl = [] # note: this is not a real user-facing feature
 zlib = ["any_zlib", "libz-sys"]
 zlib-default = ["any_zlib", "libz-sys/default"]
 zlib-ng-compat = ["zlib", "libz-sys/zlib-ng"]
 zlib-ng = ["any_zlib", "libz-ng-sys"]
 cloudflare_zlib = ["any_zlib", "cloudflare-zlib-sys"]
-rust_backend = ["miniz_oxide"]
+rust_backend = ["miniz_oxide", "any_impl"]
 miniz-sys = ["rust_backend"] # For backwards compatibility
 
 [package.metadata.docs.rs]
diff --git a/src/ffi/mod.rs b/src/ffi/mod.rs
index 8bac6e42..20b3cae6 100644
--- a/src/ffi/mod.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/mod.rs
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ mod c;
 #[cfg(feature = "any_zlib")]
 pub use self::c::*;
 
-#[cfg(not(feature = "any_zlib"))]
+#[cfg(all(not(feature = "any_zlib"), feature = "miniz_oxide"))]
 mod rust;
-#[cfg(not(feature = "any_zlib"))]
+#[cfg(all(not(feature = "any_zlib"), feature = "miniz_oxide"))]
 pub use self::rust::*;
 
 impl std::fmt::Debug for ErrorMessage {
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index b84865e9..738875c5 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@
 #![cfg_attr(test, deny(warnings))]
 #![cfg_attr(docsrs, feature(doc_auto_cfg))]
 
+#[cfg(not(feature = "any_impl",))]
+compile_error!("You need to choose a zlib backend");
+
 pub use crate::crc::{Crc, CrcReader, CrcWriter};
 pub use crate::gz::GzBuilder;
 pub use crate::gz::GzHeader;