--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_LN_S
 AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
+PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
 
 
 # Internationalization
@@ -109,16 +110,13 @@
 	
 	echo "checking whether FOX was compiled with Xft support... yes"
 
-	# Check for FreeType2 headers
-	freetype_config=''
-	AC_CHECK_PROGS(freetype_config,freetype-config,)
-	if test -n "$freetype_config"; then
-	  freetype_cflags=`$freetype_config --cflags`
-	  freetype_libs=`$freetype_config --libs`
-	  LIBS="$LIBS $freetype_libs"
-	  CPPFLAGS="$freetype_cflags $CPPFLAGS"
-	fi
-	AC_CHECK_HEADER(config/ftheader.h,,[AC_CHECK_HEADER(freetype/config/ftheader.h,,AC_MSG_ERROR("ftheader.h not found"))])
+	# Check for FreeType2
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(FREETYPE, freetype2, [
+		freetype_cflags="$FREETYPE_CFLAGS"
+		freetype_libs="$FREETYPE_LIBS"
+		LIBS="$LIBS $freetype_libs"
+		CPPFLAGS="$freetype_cflags $CPPFLAGS"
+	], AC_MSG_ERROR("freetype not found"))
 
 	# Check for Xft headers
 	xft_config=''
@@ -131,15 +129,13 @@
 	  CXXFLAGS="${CXXFLAGS} -DHAVE_XFT_H"
 	else
 		# On some systems (e.g. Fedora) xft-config is deprecated and pkg-config should be used instead
-		pkg_config=''
-		AC_CHECK_PROGS(pkg_config,pkg-config,)
-		if test -n "$pkg_config"; then
-		  xft_cflags=`$pkg_config --cflags xft`
-		  xft_libs=`$pkg_config --libs xft`
-		  LIBS="$LIBS $xft_libs"
-		  CPPFLAGS="$xft_cflags $CPPFLAGS"
-		  CXXFLAGS="${CXXFLAGS} -DHAVE_XFT_H"
-		fi
+		PKG_CHECK_MODULES(XFT, xft, [
+			xft_cflags="$XFT_CFLAGS"
+			xft_libs="$XFT_LIBS"
+			LIBS="$LIBS $xft_libs"
+			CPPFLAGS="$xft_cflags $CPPFLAGS"
+			CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -DHAVE_XFT_H"
+		], AC_MSG_ERROR("Xft not found"))
 	fi
 	AC_CHECK_HEADER(X11/Xft/Xft.h,,AC_MSG_ERROR("Xft.h not found"))