diff --git a/xbps-src/shutils/buildvars_funcs.sh b/xbps-src/shutils/buildvars_funcs.sh
index da4ef0e021a..78c2e0af1f8 100644
--- a/xbps-src/shutils/buildvars_funcs.sh
+++ b/xbps-src/shutils/buildvars_funcs.sh
@@ -48,11 +48,14 @@ set_build_vars()
 		export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$LDLIBPATH"
 		export PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR="$PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR"
 		export PKG_CONFIG="$PKG_CONFIG"
+	else
+		PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR="/usr/lib/pkgconfig"
 	fi
 	CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $XBPS_CFLAGS"
 	CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS $XBPS_CXXFLAGS"
 
-	export CFLAGS="$CFLAGS" CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
+	export PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR="$PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR" \
+		CFLAGS="$CFLAGS" CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
 }
 
 unset_build_vars()
@@ -62,5 +65,5 @@ unset_build_vars()
 		unset PKG_CONFIG LD_LIBRARY_PATH
 		export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$SAVE_LDLIBPATH
 	fi
-	unset CFLAGS CXXFLAGS
+	unset PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR CFLAGS CXXFLAGS
 }