diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e62b016c..3707d73c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Release history for s390-tools (MIT version)
   Changes of existing tools:
   - dbginfo.sh: rework crypto data collection
   - dbginfo.sh: add nstat for network and SNMP stats
+  - `pkg-config` is now mandatory for the build process
 
   Bug Fixes:
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2dbdb40d..f558dfdd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -325,8 +325,8 @@ This table lists additional build or install options:
 | initramfs-tools  | `HAVE_INITRAMFS`             | zdev, zipl               |
 |                  | `ZDEV_ALWAYS_UPDATE_INITRD`  | zdev                     |
 
-The s390-tools build process uses "pkg-config" if available and hard-coded
-compiler and linker options otherwise.
+The s390-tools build process uses "pkg-config" and therefore it must be
+available.
 
 Build and runtime requirements for specific tools
 -------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/cmsfs-fuse/Makefile b/cmsfs-fuse/Makefile
index 4ebe6b11..a77206bd 100644
--- a/cmsfs-fuse/Makefile
+++ b/cmsfs-fuse/Makefile
@@ -22,13 +22,8 @@ check_dep:
 
 all: check_dep cmsfs-fuse
 
-ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
 FUSE_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags fuse3)
 FUSE_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs fuse3)
-else
-FUSE_CFLAGS = -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -I/usr/include/fuse3
-FUSE_LDLIBS = -lfuse3
-endif
 ALL_CFLAGS += -DHAVE_SETXATTR $(FUSE_CFLAGS)
 LDLIBS += $(FUSE_LDLIBS) -lm
 
diff --git a/dasdview/Makefile b/dasdview/Makefile
index af52be56..4e54821f 100644
--- a/dasdview/Makefile
+++ b/dasdview/Makefile
@@ -16,13 +16,8 @@ check_dep:
 
 BUILDTARGET = check_dep
 
-ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
 CURL_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libcurl)
 CURL_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libcurl)
-else
-CURL_CFLAGS = -I/usr/include/s390x-linux-gnu/curl
-CURL_LDLIBS = -lcurl
-endif # shell
 
 endif # HAVE_CURL
 
diff --git a/genprotimg/src/Makefile b/genprotimg/src/Makefile
index 6c80ed25..a59ff935 100644
--- a/genprotimg/src/Makefile
+++ b/genprotimg/src/Makefile
@@ -36,21 +36,12 @@ ALL_CPPFLAGS += $(INCLUDE_PARMS)
 LDLIBS += $(GLIB2_LIBS) $(LIBCRYPTO_LIBS) $(LIBCURL_LIBS)
 
 
-ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
 GLIB2_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags glib-2.0)
 GLIB2_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs glib-2.0)
 LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libcrypto)
 LIBCRYPTO_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libcrypto)
 LIBCURL_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libcurl)
 LIBCURL_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libcurl)
-else
-GLIB2_CFLAGS := -I/usr/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/lib64/glib-2.0/include
-GLIB2_LIBS := -lglib-2.0
-LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS :=
-LIBCRYPTO_LIBS := -lcrypto
-LIBCURL_CFLAGS :=
-LIBCURL_LIBS := -lcurl
-endif
 
 BUILD_TARGETS := skip-$(bin_PROGRAM)
 INSTALL_TARGETS := skip-$(bin_PROGRAM)
diff --git a/hmcdrvfs/Makefile b/hmcdrvfs/Makefile
index 46afc5e2..3908ca35 100644
--- a/hmcdrvfs/Makefile
+++ b/hmcdrvfs/Makefile
@@ -19,13 +19,8 @@ check_dep:
 		"fuse3-devel or libfuse3-dev", \
 		"HAVE_FUSE=0")
 
-ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
 FUSE_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags fuse3)
 FUSE_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs fuse3)
-else
-FUSE_CFLAGS = -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -I/usr/include/fuse3
-FUSE_LDLIBS = -lfuse3
-endif
 ALL_CFLAGS += -DFUSE_USE_VERSION=30 -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE $(FUSE_CFLAGS)
 LDLIBS += $(FUSE_LDLIBS) -lpthread -lrt -ldl -lm
 
diff --git a/hsavmcore/Makefile b/hsavmcore/Makefile
index 666f0c0e..4d3deb98 100644
--- a/hsavmcore/Makefile
+++ b/hsavmcore/Makefile
@@ -22,26 +22,16 @@ else # HAVE_FUSE
 #
 # FUSE
 #
-ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
-  FUSE_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags fuse3)
-  FUSE_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs fuse3)
-else
-  FUSE_CFLAGS = -I/usr/include/fuse3
-  FUSE_LDLIBS = -lfuse3
-endif
+FUSE_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags fuse3)
+FUSE_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs fuse3)
 
 #
 # systemd
 #
 ifneq (${HAVE_SYSTEMD},0)
   ifeq ($(call check_header_prereq,"systemd/sd-daemon.h"),yes)
-    ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
-      SYSTEMD_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libsystemd)
-      SYSTEMD_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libsystemd)
-    else
-      SYSTEMD_CFLAGS =
-      SYSTEMD_LDLIBS = -lsystemd
-    endif
+    SYSTEMD_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libsystemd)
+    SYSTEMD_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libsystemd)
     ALL_CPPFLAGS += -DHAVE_SYSTEMD
   else
     $(warning "systemd support disabled")
diff --git a/libpv/Makefile b/libpv/Makefile
index 9bd0dbd3..3ee27868 100644
--- a/libpv/Makefile
+++ b/libpv/Makefile
@@ -5,21 +5,12 @@ include ../common.mak
 
 LIB := libpv.a
 
-ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
 GLIB2_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags glib-2.0)
 GLIB2_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs glib-2.0)
 LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libcrypto)
 LIBCRYPTO_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libcrypto)
 LIBCURL_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libcurl)
 LIBCURL_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libcurl)
-else
-GLIB2_CFLAGS := -I/usr/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/lib64/glib-2.0/include
-GLIB2_LIBS := -lglib-2.0
-LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS :=
-LIBCRYPTO_LIBS := -lcrypto
-LIBCURL_CFLAGS := -I/usr/include/s390x-linux-gnu
-LIBCURL_LIBS := -lcurl
-endif
 LDLIBS += $(GLIB2_LIBS) $(LIBCRYPTO_LIBS) $(LIBCURL_LIBS)
 
 WARNINGS := -Wall -Wextra -Wshadow \
diff --git a/pvattest/src/Makefile b/pvattest/src/Makefile
index d0aef3d2..458212cb 100644
--- a/pvattest/src/Makefile
+++ b/pvattest/src/Makefile
@@ -28,21 +28,12 @@ $(BIN_PROGRAM)_SRCS := \
 
 $(BIN_PROGRAM)_OBJS := $($(BIN_PROGRAM)_SRCS:.c=.o)
 
-ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
 GLIB2_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags glib-2.0)
 GLIB2_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs glib-2.0)
 LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libcrypto)
 LIBCRYPTO_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libcrypto)
 LIBCURL_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libcurl)
 LIBCURL_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libcurl)
-else
-GLIB2_CFLAGS := -I/usr/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/lib64/glib-2.0/include
-GLIB2_LIBS := -lglib-2.0
-LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS :=
-LIBCRYPTO_LIBS := -lcrypto
-LIBCURL_CFLAGS := -I/usr/include/s390x-linux-gnu
-LIBCURL_LIBS := -lcurl
-endif
 
 ALL_CFLAGS += -std=gnu11 \
 	      -DPKGDATADIR=$(PKGDATADIR) \
diff --git a/zdsfs/Makefile b/zdsfs/Makefile
index 979329b0..aeb511f5 100644
--- a/zdsfs/Makefile
+++ b/zdsfs/Makefile
@@ -39,17 +39,10 @@ check_dep:
 		"curl-devel or libcurl-dev", \
 		"HAVE_CURL=0")
 
-ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
 FUSE_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags fuse3)
 FUSE_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs fuse3)
 CURL_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libcurl)
 CURL_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libcurl)
-else
-FUSE_CFLAGS = -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -I/usr/include/fuse3
-FUSE_LDLIBS = -lfuse3
-CURL_CFLAGS = -I/usr/include/s390x-linux-gnu/curl
-CURL_LDLIBS = -lcurl
-endif
 ALL_CPPFLAGS += -DSYSFS
 ALL_CFLAGS += -DHAVE_SETXATTR -pthread $(FUSE_CFLAGS) $(CURL_CFLAGS)
 LDLIBS += $(FUSE_LDLIBS) $(CURL_LDLIBS) -lpthread -lrt -lm
diff --git a/zdump/Makefile b/zdump/Makefile
index 6538ef80..8b0462f0 100644
--- a/zdump/Makefile
+++ b/zdump/Makefile
@@ -79,17 +79,10 @@ OBJECTS = zgetdump.o opts.o zg.o zg_error.o zg_print.o \
 	  ngdump.o dt_ngdump.o dfi_ngdump.o dfi_vmdump.o \
 	  pv_utils.o
 
-ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
 GLIB2_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags glib-2.0)
 GLIB2_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs glib-2.0)
 LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags libcrypto)
 LIBCRYPTO_LIBS := $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs libcrypto)
-else
-GLIB2_CFLAGS := -I/usr/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/lib64/glib-2.0/include
-GLIB2_LIBS := -lglib-2.0
-LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS :=
-LIBCRYPTO_LIBS := -lcrypto
-endif
 
 LIBPV = $(rootdir)/libpv/libpv.a
 LIBPV_CFLAGS := -DOPENSSL_API_COMPAT=0x10100000L \
@@ -101,12 +94,9 @@ LIBPV_LIBS := $(GLIB2_LIBS) $(LIBCRYPTO_LIBS)
 ifeq ("$(HAVE_FUSE)","0")
 FUSE_CFLAGS = -DHAVE_FUSE=0 -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
 FUSE_LDLIBS =
-else ifneq ($(shell sh -c 'command -v pkg-config'),)
+else
 FUSE_CFLAGS = -DHAVE_FUSE=1 $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags fuse3)
 FUSE_LDLIBS = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --libs fuse3)
-else
-FUSE_CFLAGS = -DHAVE_FUSE=1 -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -I/usr/include/fuse3
-FUSE_LDLIBS = -lfuse3
 endif
 LDLIBS += -lz $(FUSE_LDLIBS) $(LIBPV_LIBS)
 ALL_CFLAGS += $(FUSE_CFLAGS) $(LIBPV_CFLAGS)