diff --git a/library/include/modules/Buildings.h b/library/include/modules/Buildings.h
index 50cbc898f..256e3b7e6 100644
--- a/library/include/modules/Buildings.h
+++ b/library/include/modules/Buildings.h
@@ -141,7 +141,9 @@ DFHACK_EXPORT bool getCorrectSize(df::coord2d &size, df::coord2d &center,
  */
 DFHACK_EXPORT bool checkFreeTiles(df::coord pos, df::coord2d size,
                                   df::building_extents *ext = NULL,
-                                  bool create_ext = false, bool allow_occupied = false);
+                                  bool create_ext = false,
+                                  bool allow_occupied = false,
+                                  bool is_civzone = false);
 
 /**
  * Returns the number of tiles included by the extent, or defval.
diff --git a/library/modules/Buildings.cpp b/library/modules/Buildings.cpp
index 5219395c1..3d708dc92 100644
--- a/library/modules/Buildings.cpp
+++ b/library/modules/Buildings.cpp
@@ -574,7 +574,9 @@ bool Buildings::getCorrectSize(df::coord2d &size, df::coord2d &center,
 
 bool Buildings::checkFreeTiles(df::coord pos, df::coord2d size,
                                df::building_extents *ext,
-                               bool create_ext, bool allow_occupied)
+                               bool create_ext,
+                               bool allow_occupied,
+                               bool is_civzone)
 {
     bool found_any = false;
 
@@ -609,7 +611,7 @@ bool Buildings::checkFreeTiles(df::coord pos, df::coord2d size,
             else
             {
                 auto tile = block->tiletype[btile.x][btile.y];
-                if (!HighPassable(tile))
+                if (!is_civzone && !HighPassable(tile))
                     allowed = false;
             }
 
@@ -659,7 +661,9 @@ static bool checkBuildingTiles(df::building *bld, bool can_change)
 
     return Buildings::checkFreeTiles(psize.first, psize.second, &bld->room,
                                      can_change && bld->isExtentShaped(),
-                                     !bld->isSettingOccupancy());
+                                     !bld->isSettingOccupancy(),
+                                     bld->getType() ==
+                                        df::building_type::Civzone);
 }
 
 int Buildings::countExtentTiles(df::building_extents *ext, int defval)