diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 14caef9949ed..268d5dc5f26c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -693,6 +693,19 @@ if test "$build_os" = "cygwin" -o -n "$WSL_ONLY_AS_HELPER"; then
         AC_MSG_WARN([pkgconf-2.4.3.exe not found - A windows version of pkgconf is required to build harfbuzz])
         add_warning "please add PKG_CONFIG=/path/to/pkgconf-2.4.3.exe to autogen.input or put it in PATH, a windows version of pkgconf is required to build harfbuzz"
     fi
+else
+    case "$build_os" in
+        darwin*)
+            # convenience check for a custom pkgconf used by meson - needs to be a version that uses macOS
+            # style paths. Needs to be checked before the configure-switches that use PKG_CHECK_MODULES as
+            # that would already set the PKG_CONFIG var and then bypass/skip this autoselection
+            AC_PATH_PROG(PKG_CONFIG,pkgconf,,[$PATH:$LODE_HOME/opt/bin])
+            if test -z "$PKG_CONFIG"; then
+                AC_MSG_WARN([pkgconf not found - pkgconf is required to build harfbuzz])
+                add_warning "please add PKG_CONFIG=/path/to/pkgconf to autogen.input or put it in PATH, a macOS version of pkgconf is required to build harfbuzz"
+            fi
+            ;;
+    esac
 fi
 
 # Set the ENABLE_LTO variable
diff --git a/distro-configs/Jenkins/MacOSX_dev_master.conf b/distro-configs/Jenkins/MacOSX_dev_master.conf
index a3914cc1d610..2c9cd0a9927d 100644
--- a/distro-configs/Jenkins/MacOSX_dev_master.conf
+++ b/distro-configs/Jenkins/MacOSX_dev_master.conf
@@ -3,4 +3,3 @@
 --enable-dbgutil
 --enable-odk
 --disable-online-update
-PKG_CONFIG=pkgconf
diff --git a/distro-configs/Jenkins/MacOSX_rel_master.conf b/distro-configs/Jenkins/MacOSX_rel_master.conf
index eddb65890f0e..485a092b2b99 100644
--- a/distro-configs/Jenkins/MacOSX_rel_master.conf
+++ b/distro-configs/Jenkins/MacOSX_rel_master.conf
@@ -2,4 +2,3 @@
 --build=x86_64-apple-darwin
 --enable-odk
 --disable-online-update
-PKG_CONFIG=pkgconf
diff --git a/distro-configs/Jenkins/macosx_clang_dbgutil b/distro-configs/Jenkins/macosx_clang_dbgutil
index c1618b91a0aa..ebb715a75960 100644
--- a/distro-configs/Jenkins/macosx_clang_dbgutil
+++ b/distro-configs/Jenkins/macosx_clang_dbgutil
@@ -4,4 +4,3 @@
 --enable-optimized
 --enable-odk
 --disable-online-update
-PKG_CONFIG=pkgconf
diff --git a/distro-configs/LibreOfficeMacOSX.conf b/distro-configs/LibreOfficeMacOSX.conf
index 20ac164cd831..68df63a63922 100644
--- a/distro-configs/LibreOfficeMacOSX.conf
+++ b/distro-configs/LibreOfficeMacOSX.conf
@@ -10,4 +10,3 @@
 --with-package-format=dmg
 --enable-odk
 --enable-mergelibs=more
-PKG_CONFIG=pkgconf