diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index fdc25805..fd8f8c0f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBUDEV], [libudev])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBSYSTEMD], [libsystemd >= 227])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBRATBAG], [libratbag >= 0.2])
 
-libratbag_data_dir=`$PKG_CONFIG --variable pkgdatadir libratbag`
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([LIBRATBAG_DATA_DIR], ["$libratbag_data_dir"], [Directory for libratbag's SVG files])
+PKG_CHECK_VAR([libratbag_data_dir], [libratbag], [pkgdatadir],
+	      [AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([LIBRATBAG_DATA_DIR], ["$libratbag_data_dir"], [Directory for libratbag's SVG files])])
 
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