diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a3eb8aa1d2..0a4b3c1ae3 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -12216,6 +12216,9 @@ $as_echo "no" >&6; }
 		PKG_CONFIG=""
 	fi
 fi
+if test -z "$PKG_CONFIG"; then :
+  as_fn_error $? "The pkg-config script could not be found or is too old." "$LINENO" 5
+fi
 
 # Check whether --enable-buffer_useinline was given.
 if test "${enable_buffer_useinline+set}" = set; then :
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 19b4816540..1ee7afd88d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ AC_SUBST(BACKTRACECFLAGS)
 #
 
 PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
+AS_IF([test -z "$PKG_CONFIG"],
+      [AC_MSG_ERROR([The pkg-config script could not be found or is too old.])])
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(buffer_useinline,
 	      AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-buffer-useinline],