diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1a87ec191..ee1c6f0b2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([libmnl],
 	)],
 	[mnl=$enableval], [mnl="yes"])
 AS_IF([test "x$mnl" = "xyes"], [
-	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(LIBMNL, libmnl)
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(LIBMNL, libmnl, [AC_SUBST(LIBMNL_PC, [libmnl])])
 	AC_DEFINE([ENABLE_LIBMNL], [1], [Enable netlink socket support via libmnl])
 ])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_LIBMNL, test "x$mnl" = "xyes")
diff --git a/libosmocore.pc.in b/libosmocore.pc.in
index d804b8e2e..6479221e1 100644
--- a/libosmocore.pc.in
+++ b/libosmocore.pc.in
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ includedir=@includedir@
 Name: Osmocom Core Library
 Description: C Utility Library
 Version: @VERSION@
-Requires: talloc
+Requires: talloc @LIBMNL_PC@
 Requires.private: @LIBSCTP_PC@
 Libs: -L${libdir} -losmocore
 Libs.private: @PTHREAD_LIBS@ @LIBSCTP_LIBS@