diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 9bfe112d30..f79ac4b12e 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ if rootlibdir == ''
 endif
 
 # Dirs of external packages
-pkgconfigdatadir = join_paths(datadir, 'pkgconfig')
-pkgconfiglibdir = join_paths(libdir, 'pkgconfig')
+pkgconfigdatadir = get_option('pkgconfigdatadir') == '' ? join_paths(datadir, 'pkgconfig') : get_option('pkgconfigdatadir')
+pkgconfiglibdir = get_option('pkgconfiglibdir') == '' ? join_paths(libdir, 'pkgconfig') : get_option('pkgconfiglibdir')
 polkitpolicydir = join_paths(datadir, 'polkit-1/actions')
 polkitrulesdir = join_paths(datadir, 'polkit-1/rules.d')
 polkitpkladir = join_paths(localstatedir, 'lib/polkit-1/localauthority/10-vendor.d')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index a927473b9b..e3140c8c11 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ option('dbussessionservicedir', type : 'string',
        description : 'D-Bus session service directory')
 option('dbussystemservicedir', type : 'string',
        description : 'D-Bus system service directory')
-option('pkgconfigdatadir', type : 'string', value : 'share/pkgconfig',
+option('pkgconfigdatadir', type : 'string', value : '',
        description : 'directory for ')
 option('pkgconfiglibdir', type : 'string', value : '',
        description : 'directory for ')