diff --git a/build-aux/m4/pkg_installdir_compat.m4 b/build-aux/m4/pkg_compat.m4
similarity index 50%
rename from build-aux/m4/pkg_installdir_compat.m4
rename to build-aux/m4/pkg_compat.m4
index 2bbe156e..6d16adfb 100644
--- a/build-aux/m4/pkg_installdir_compat.m4
+++ b/build-aux/m4/pkg_compat.m4
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-# pkg.m4 - Macros to locate and utilise pkg-config.   -*- Autoconf -*-
-# serial 11 (pkg-config-0.29.1)
+# pkg.m4 - Macros to locate and use pkg-config.   -*- Autoconf -*-
+# serial 12 (pkg-config-0.29.2)
 
 # Copyright © 2004 Scott James Remnant <scott@netsplit.com>.
 # Copyright © 2012-2015 Dan Nicholson <dbn.lists@gmail.com>
@@ -25,6 +25,47 @@
 # the same distribution terms that you use for the rest of that
 # program.
 
+# PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG_COMPAT([MIN-VERSION], [ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND])
+# ---------------------------------------------------------
+# Backported from pkg-config 0.29.2.
+#
+# Search for the pkg-config tool and set the PKG_CONFIG variable to
+# first found in the path. Checks that the version of pkg-config found
+# is at least MIN-VERSION. If MIN-VERSION is not specified, 0.9.0 is
+# used since that's the first version where most current features of
+# pkg-config existed.
+#
+# If pkg-config is not found or older than specified, it will result
+# in an empty PKG_CONFIG variable. To avoid widespread issues with
+# scripts not checking it, ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND defaults to aborting.
+# You can specify [PKG_CONFIG=false] as an action instead, which would
+# result in pkg-config tests failing, but no bogus error messages.
+AC_DEFUN([PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG_COMPAT],
+[m4_pattern_forbid([^_?PKG_[A-Z_]+$])
+m4_pattern_allow([^PKG_CONFIG(_(PATH|LIBDIR|SYSROOT_DIR|ALLOW_SYSTEM_(CFLAGS|LIBS)))?$])
+m4_pattern_allow([^PKG_CONFIG_(DISABLE_UNINSTALLED|TOP_BUILD_DIR|DEBUG_SPEW)$])
+AC_ARG_VAR([PKG_CONFIG], [path to pkg-config utility])
+AC_ARG_VAR([PKG_CONFIG_PATH], [directories to add to pkg-config's search path])
+AC_ARG_VAR([PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR], [path overriding pkg-config's built-in search path])
+
+if test "x$ac_cv_env_PKG_CONFIG_set" != "xset"; then
+	AC_PATH_TOOL([PKG_CONFIG], [pkg-config])
+fi
+if test -n "$PKG_CONFIG"; then
+	_pkg_min_version=m4_default([$1], [0.9.0])
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([pkg-config is at least version $_pkg_min_version])
+	if $PKG_CONFIG --atleast-pkgconfig-version $_pkg_min_version; then
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+	else
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+		PKG_CONFIG=""
+	fi
+fi
+if test -z "$PKG_CONFIG"; then
+	m4_default([$2], [AC_MSG_ERROR([pkg-config not found])])
+fi[]
+])
+
 # PKG_INSTALLDIR_COMPAT([DIRECTORY])
 # -------------------------
 # Backported from pkg-config 0.27.
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 18179d1b..3cd7a0a4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -24,19 +24,15 @@ AH_BOTTOM(
 # PKG_INSTALLDIR may not be defined, but we have a
 # compatibility replacement.
 m4_pattern_allow([PKG_INSTALLDIR])
+PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG_COMPAT([0.27], [PKG_CONFIG=false])
+AS_IF([test x"$PKG_CONFIG" != xfalse],
+  [PKG_INSTALLDIR],
+  [PKG_INSTALLDIR_COMPAT])
 
 # Checks for programs.
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
 AC_PROG_CC
 
-# Dependencies
-PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
-if $PKG_CONFIG --atleast-pkgconfig-version 0.27; then
-  PKG_INSTALLDIR
-else
-  PKG_INSTALLDIR_COMPAT
-fi
-
 # C99 language and library features are used unconditionally.
 # Don't even try to build with an older compiler.
 case "$ac_prog_cc_stdc" in