--- Makefile.orig	2020-02-12 08:22:40.000000000 -0800
+++ Makefile	2020-03-30 21:03:40.586161000 -0700
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@
     RANLIB ?= $(shell which ranlib)
     AR ?= $(shell which ar)
     PKG_CONFIG ?= pkg-config
+    ifeq ($(shell which $(PKG_CONFIG)),)
+	NO_PKG_CONFIG = yes
+    endif
     # For now, assume !windows == unix.
     OS_TYPE ?= unix
     UNAME_S := $(shell uname -s)
@@ -122,13 +125,19 @@
 	LDFLAGS += -L/opt/local/lib
 	CURSES_LDFLAGS += -lcurses
     else
-    # If we have pkg-config, that good.  Otherwise maybe warn later.
-    ifneq (, $(shell which $(PKG_CONFIG)))
-	CURSES_LDFLAGS += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) $(CURSES) --libs)
-	CURSES_CFLAGS += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) $(CURSES) --cflags)
+
+    # If we don't have pkg-config, try something obvious
+    ifdef NO_PKG_CONFIG
+	CURSES_LDFLAGS += -l$(CURSES)
     else
-	NO_PKG_CONFIG = yes
+	ifneq ($(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --exists),)
+	    CURSES_LDFLAGS += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) $(CURSES) --libs)
+	    CURSES_CFLAGS += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) $(CURSES) --cflags)
+	else
+	    CURSES_LDFLAGS += -l$(CURSES)
+	endif
     endif
+
     # NetBSD
     ifeq ($(UNAME_S),NetBSD)
 	NETBSD = yes