diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index 73243ed440..cb87bf782c 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -48,15 +48,6 @@ if [ -f .git/hooks/pre-commit.sample -a ! -f .git/hooks/pre-commit ] ; then
     echo "Activated pre-commit hook."
 fi
 
-# We check for this here, because if pkg-config is not found in the
-# system, it's likely that the pkg.m4 macro file is also not present,
-# which will make PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG be undefined and the generated
-# configure file faulty.
-if ! pkg-config --version &>/dev/null; then
-    echo "pkg-config is required to bootstrap this program" &>/dev/null
-    exit 1
-fi
-
 if type -p colorgcc > /dev/null ; then
    export CC=colorgcc
 fi
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f4e10367e0..7d73ed27b2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ AC_SEARCH_LIBS([clock_gettime], [rt], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([*** POSIX RT library no
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([cap_init], [cap], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([*** POSIX caps library not found])])
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/capability.h], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([*** POSIX caps headers not found])])
 
+# This makes sure pkg.m4 is available.
+m4_pattern_forbid([^_?PKG_[A-Z_]+$],[pkg.m4 missing, please install pkg-config])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(UDEV, [ libudev ])
 AC_SUBST(UDEV_CFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(UDEV_LIBS)