diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -651,7 +651,12 @@
                      build_tests=$enableval, build_tests=yes)
 AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_TESTS], [test "x$build_tests" != xno])
 
-pkg_config_libdir=$libdir/pkgconfig
+if expr $libdir : "/$host\$" >/dev/null; then
+  # let the script detect dynamically
+  pkg_config_libdir=unknown
+else
+  pkg_config_libdir=$libdir/pkgconfig
+fi
 AC_SUBST(pkg_config_libdir)
 #
 # Substitution
diff --git a/src/gpg-error-config-new.in b/src/gpg-error-config-new.in
--- a/src/gpg-error-config-new.in
+++ b/src/gpg-error-config-new.in
@@ -13,6 +13,14 @@
 prefix=@prefix@
 exec_prefix=@exec_prefix@
 pkg_config_libdir=${PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR:-@pkg_config_libdir@}
+if [ "$pkg_config_libdir" = unknown ]; then
+    if [ -z "$CC" ]; then
+	triplet=$(gcc -dumpmachine)
+    else
+	triplet=${CC%-gcc}
+    fi
+    pkg_config_libdir=@exec_prefix@/lib/$triplet/pkgconfig
+fi
 PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$PKG_CONFIG_PATH${PKG_CONFIG_PATH:+:}$pkg_config_libdir"
 #