diff --git a/build-aux/m4/bitcoin_qt.m4 b/build-aux/m4/bitcoin_qt.m4
index 74d910267..d26136cbe 100644
--- a/build-aux/m4/bitcoin_qt.m4
+++ b/build-aux/m4/bitcoin_qt.m4
@@ -331,8 +331,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([_BITCOIN_QT_FIND_STATIC_PLUGINS],[
           QT_LIBS="$QT_LIBS -L$qt_plugin_path/accessible"
         fi
       fi
-     m4_ifdef([PKG_CHECK_MODULES],[
      if test x$use_pkgconfig = xyes; then
+     : dnl
+     m4_ifdef([PKG_CHECK_MODULES],[
        PKG_CHECK_MODULES([QTPLATFORM], [Qt5PlatformSupport], [QT_LIBS="$QTPLATFORM_LIBS $QT_LIBS"])
        if test x$TARGET_OS = xlinux; then
          PKG_CHECK_MODULES([X11XCB], [x11-xcb], [QT_LIBS="$X11XCB_LIBS $QT_LIBS"])
@@ -342,12 +343,23 @@ AC_DEFUN([_BITCOIN_QT_FIND_STATIC_PLUGINS],[
        elif test x$TARGET_OS = xdarwin; then
          PKG_CHECK_MODULES([QTPRINT], [Qt5PrintSupport], [QT_LIBS="$QTPRINT_LIBS $QT_LIBS"])
        fi
+     ])
      else
-       if ${PKG_CONFIG} --exists "Qt5Core >= 5.6" 2>/dev/null; then
-         QT_LIBS="-lQt5PlatformSupport $QT_LIBS"
+       if test x$TARGET_OS = xwindows; then
+         AC_CACHE_CHECK(for Qt >= 5.6, bitcoin_cv_need_platformsupport,[AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM(
+             [[#include <QtCore>]],[[
+             #if QT_VERSION < 0x050600
+             choke;
+             #endif
+             ]])],
+           [bitcoin_cv_need_platformsupport=yes],
+           [bitcoin_cv_need_platformsupport=no])
+         ])
+         if test x$bitcoin_cv_need_platformsupport = xyes; then
+           BITCOIN_QT_CHECK(AC_CHECK_LIB([${QT_LIB_PREFIX}PlatformSupport],[main],,BITCOIN_QT_FAIL(lib$QT_LIB_PREFIXPlatformSupport not found)))
+         fi
        fi
      fi
-     ])
   else
     if test x$qt_plugin_path != x; then
       QT_LIBS="$QT_LIBS -L$qt_plugin_path/accessible"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 496e4ad9e..011af6bd1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -79,9 +79,6 @@ AC_PATH_TOOL(OBJCOPY, objcopy)
 
 AC_ARG_VAR(PYTHONPATH, Augments the default search path for python module files)
 
-dnl pkg-config check.
-PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
-
 # Enable wallet
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([wallet],
   [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-wallet],
@@ -375,6 +372,16 @@ case $host in
      ;;
 esac
 
+if test x$use_pkgconfig = xyes; then
+  m4_ifndef([PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG], [AC_MSG_ERROR(PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG macro not found. Please install pkg-config and re-run autogen.sh.)])
+  m4_ifdef([PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG], [
+  PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
+  if test x"$PKG_CONFIG" = "x"; then
+    AC_MSG_ERROR(pkg-config not found.)
+  fi
+  ])
+fi
+
 if test x$use_comparison_tool != xno; then
   AC_SUBST(JAVA_COMPARISON_TOOL, $use_comparison_tool)
 fi
@@ -752,12 +759,7 @@ fi
 fi
 
 if test x$use_pkgconfig = xyes; then
-
-  if test x"$PKG_CONFIG" = "x"; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR(pkg-config not found.)
-  fi
-
-  : #NOP
+  : dnl
   m4_ifdef(
     [PKG_CHECK_MODULES],
     [
@@ -1058,6 +1060,13 @@ AC_SUBST(TESTDEFS)
 AC_SUBST(LEVELDB_TARGET_FLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(MINIUPNPC_CPPFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(MINIUPNPC_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(CRYPTO_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(SSL_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(EVENT_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(EVENT_PTHREADS_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(ZMQ_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(PROTOBUF_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(QR_LIBS)
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile src/Makefile share/setup.nsi share/qt/Info.plist src/test/buildenv.py])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([qa/pull-tester/run-bitcoind-for-test.sh],[chmod +x qa/pull-tester/run-bitcoind-for-test.sh])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([qa/pull-tester/tests_config.py],[chmod +x qa/pull-tester/tests_config.py])