diff --git a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/conanfile.py b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/conanfile.py
index 4d55e3973374d..6f5453c4384df 100644
--- a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/conanfile.py
+++ b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/conanfile.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from conan.tools.scm import Version
 import os
 
-required_conan_version = ">=1.50.0"
+required_conan_version = ">=1.53.0"
 
 
 class ZlibNgConan(ConanFile):
@@ -43,23 +43,17 @@ def config_options(self):
 
     def configure(self):
         if self.options.shared:
-            del self.options.fPIC
-        try:
-            del self.settings.compiler.libcxx
-        except Exception:
-            pass
-        try:
-            del self.settings.compiler.cppstd
-        except Exception:
-            pass
+            self.options.rm_safe("fPIC")
+        self.settings.rm_safe("compiler.cppstd")
+        self.settings.rm_safe("compiler.libcxx")
+
+    def layout(self):
+        cmake_layout(self, src_folder="src")
 
     def validate(self):
         if self.info.options.zlib_compat and not self.info.options.with_gzfileop:
             raise ConanInvalidConfiguration("The option 'with_gzfileop' must be True when 'zlib_compat' is True.")
 
-    def layout(self):
-        cmake_layout(self, src_folder="src")
-
     def source(self):
         get(self, **self.conan_data["sources"][self.version],
             destination=self.source_folder, strip_root=True)
diff --git a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package/CMakeLists.txt b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package/CMakeLists.txt
index 2df95ab4bd46a..1afe7de5d08fc 100644
--- a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.15)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.8)
 project(test_package LANGUAGES C)
 
-find_package(zlib-ng REQUIRED)
+find_package(zlib-ng REQUIRED CONFIG)
 
 add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} test_package.c)
-target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} zlib-ng::zlib-ng)
-set_property(TARGET ${PROJECT_NAME} PROPERTY C_STANDARD 99)
+target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE zlib-ng::zlib-ng)
+target_compile_features(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE c_std_99)
diff --git a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package/conanfile.py b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package/conanfile.py
index cfc828a00a52e..0f34761d1525c 100644
--- a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package/conanfile.py
+++ b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package/conanfile.py
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
-import os
-
 from conan import ConanFile
+from conan.tools.build import can_run
 from conan.tools.cmake import CMake, cmake_layout
-from conan.tools.build import cross_building
+import os
 
 
 class TestPackageConan(ConanFile):
-    settings = "os", "compiler", "build_type", "arch"
+    settings = "os", "arch", "compiler", "build_type"
     generators = "CMakeDeps", "CMakeToolchain", "VirtualRunEnv"
+    test_type = "explicit"
+
+    def layout(self):
+        cmake_layout(self)
 
     def requirements(self):
         self.requires(self.tested_reference_str)
@@ -17,10 +20,7 @@ def build(self):
         cmake.configure()
         cmake.build()
 
-    def layout(self):
-        cmake_layout(self)
-
     def test(self):
-        if not cross_building(self):
+        if can_run(self):
             cmd = os.path.join(self.cpp.build.bindirs[0], "test_package")
             self.run(cmd, env="conanrun")
diff --git a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package_v1/CMakeLists.txt b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package_v1/CMakeLists.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 1082fa2e76e06..0000000000000
--- a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package_v1/CMakeLists.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1)
-project(test_package LANGUAGES C)
-
-include(${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/conanbuildinfo.cmake)
-conan_basic_setup(TARGETS)
-
-add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../test_package/test_package.c)
-target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} CONAN_PKG::zlib-ng)
-set_property(TARGET ${PROJECT_NAME} PROPERTY C_STANDARD 99)
diff --git a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_v1_package/CMakeLists.txt b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_v1_package/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0d20897301b68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_v1_package/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1)
+project(test_package)
+
+include(${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/conanbuildinfo.cmake)
+conan_basic_setup(TARGETS)
+
+add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../test_package
+                 ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/test_package)
diff --git a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package_v1/conanfile.py b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_v1_package/conanfile.py
similarity index 84%
rename from recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package_v1/conanfile.py
rename to recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_v1_package/conanfile.py
index 364b9cbe73827..38f4483872d47 100644
--- a/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_package_v1/conanfile.py
+++ b/recipes/zlib-ng/all/test_v1_package/conanfile.py
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
-# pylint: skip-file
-import os
 from conans import ConanFile, CMake, tools
+import os
 
 
 class TestPackageConan(ConanFile):
-    settings = "os", "compiler", "build_type", "arch"
+    settings = "os", "arch", "compiler", "build_type"
     generators = "cmake", "cmake_find_package_multi"
 
     def build(self):