diff --git a/cli/main.c b/cli/main.c
index 9006549..3a3c6c2 100644
--- a/cli/main.c
+++ b/cli/main.c
@@ -711,6 +711,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	char *logfile_arg = NULL;
 	char *want_env_prefix = NULL;
 	unsigned int want_client_flags = PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_NONE;
+	const pkgconf_cross_personality_t *personality;
 
 	want_flags = 0;
 
@@ -789,7 +790,8 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		pkgconf_client_set_trace_handler(&pkg_client, error_handler, NULL);
 	}
 
-	pkgconf_client_init(&pkg_client, error_handler, NULL, pkgconf_cross_personality_default());
+	personality = pkgconf_cross_personality_default();
+	pkgconf_client_init(&pkg_client, error_handler, NULL, personality);
 
 	while ((ret = pkg_getopt_long_only(argc, argv, "", options, NULL)) != -1)
 	{
@@ -983,7 +985,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pkgconf_client_set_flags(&pkg_client, want_client_flags);
 
 	/* at this point, want_client_flags should be set, so build the dir list */
-	pkgconf_pkg_dir_list_build(&pkg_client);
+	pkgconf_client_dir_list_build(&pkg_client, personality);
 
 	if (required_pkgconfig_version != NULL)
 	{
diff --git a/libpkgconf/client.c b/libpkgconf/client.c
index 2a04a48..e4f0500 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/client.c
+++ b/libpkgconf/client.c
@@ -45,6 +45,27 @@ trace_path_list(const pkgconf_client_t *client, const char *desc, pkgconf_list_t
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * !doc
+ *
+ * .. c:function:: void pkgconf_client_dir_list_build(pkgconf_client_t *client)
+ *
+ *    Bootstraps the package search paths.  If the ``PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_ENV_ONLY`` `flag` is set on the client,
+ *    then only the ``PKG_CONFIG_PATH`` environment variable will be used, otherwise both the
+ *    ``PKG_CONFIG_PATH`` and ``PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR`` environment variables will be used.
+ *
+ *    :param pkgconf_client_t* client: The pkgconf client object to bootstrap.
+ *    :return: nothing
+ */
+void
+pkgconf_client_dir_list_build(pkgconf_client_t *client, const pkgconf_cross_personality_t *personality)
+{
+	pkgconf_path_build_from_environ("PKG_CONFIG_PATH", NULL, &client->dir_list, true);
+
+	if (!(client->flags & PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_ENV_ONLY) && (pkgconf_path_build_from_environ("PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR", NULL, &client->dir_list, true)) < 1)
+		pkgconf_path_copy_list(&client->dir_list, &personality->dir_list);
+}
+
 /*
  * !doc
  *
diff --git a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
index 2bf1e72..307e96e 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
+++ b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ PKGCONF_API pkgconf_error_handler_func_t pkgconf_client_get_error_handler(const
 PKGCONF_API void pkgconf_client_set_error_handler(pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_error_handler_func_t error_handler, void *error_handler_data);
 PKGCONF_API pkgconf_error_handler_func_t pkgconf_client_get_trace_handler(const pkgconf_client_t *client);
 PKGCONF_API void pkgconf_client_set_trace_handler(pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_error_handler_func_t trace_handler, void *trace_handler_data);
+PKGCONF_API void pkgconf_client_dir_list_build(pkgconf_client_t *client, const pkgconf_cross_personality_t *personality);
 
 /* personality.c */
 PKGCONF_API const pkgconf_cross_personality_t *pkgconf_cross_personality_default(void);
@@ -282,7 +283,6 @@ PKGCONF_API pkgconf_pkg_t *pkgconf_builtin_pkg_get(const char *name);
 
 PKGCONF_API int pkgconf_compare_version(const char *a, const char *b);
 PKGCONF_API pkgconf_pkg_t *pkgconf_scan_all(pkgconf_client_t *client, void *ptr, pkgconf_pkg_iteration_func_t func);
-PKGCONF_API void pkgconf_pkg_dir_list_build(pkgconf_client_t *client);
 
 /* parse.c */
 PKGCONF_API pkgconf_pkg_t *pkgconf_pkg_new_from_file(pkgconf_client_t *client, const char *path, FILE *f);
diff --git a/libpkgconf/personality.c b/libpkgconf/personality.c
index af05b6e..3474ac5 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/personality.c
+++ b/libpkgconf/personality.c
@@ -22,6 +22,54 @@ static pkgconf_cross_personality_t default_personality = {
 	.name = "default",
 };
 
+static inline void
+build_default_search_path(pkgconf_list_t* dirlist)
+{
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	char namebuf[MAX_PATH];
+	char outbuf[MAX_PATH];
+	char *p;
+
+	int sizepath = GetModuleFileName(NULL, namebuf, sizeof namebuf);
+	char * winslash;
+	namebuf[sizepath] = '\0';
+	while ((winslash = strchr (namebuf, '\\')) != NULL)
+	{
+		*winslash = '/';
+	}
+	p = strrchr(namebuf, '/');
+	if (p == NULL)
+		pkgconf_path_split(PKG_DEFAULT_PATH, dirlist, true);
+
+	*p = '\0';
+	pkgconf_strlcpy(outbuf, namebuf, sizeof outbuf);
+	pkgconf_strlcat(outbuf, "/", sizeof outbuf);
+	pkgconf_strlcat(outbuf, "../lib/pkgconfig", sizeof outbuf);
+	pkgconf_path_add(outbuf, dirlist, true);
+	pkgconf_strlcpy(outbuf, namebuf, sizeof outbuf);
+	pkgconf_strlcat(outbuf, "/", sizeof outbuf);
+	pkgconf_strlcat(outbuf, "../share/pkgconfig", sizeof outbuf);
+	pkgconf_path_add(outbuf, dirlist, true);
+#elif __HAIKU__
+	char **paths;
+	size_t count;
+	if (find_paths(B_FIND_PATH_DEVELOP_LIB_DIRECTORY, "pkgconfig", &paths, &count) == B_OK) {
+		for (size_t i = 0; i < count; i++)
+			pkgconf_path_add(paths[i], dirlist, true);
+		free(paths);
+		paths = NULL;
+	}
+	if (find_paths(B_FIND_PATH_DATA_DIRECTORY, "pkgconfig", &paths, &count) == B_OK) {
+		for (size_t i = 0; i < count; i++)
+			pkgconf_path_add(paths[i], dirlist, true);
+		free(paths);
+		paths = NULL;
+	}
+#else
+	pkgconf_path_split(PKG_DEFAULT_PATH, dirlist, true);
+#endif
+}
+
 /*
  * !doc
  *
@@ -38,6 +86,8 @@ pkgconf_cross_personality_default(void)
 	if (default_personality_init)
 		return &default_personality;
 
+	build_default_search_path(&default_personality.dir_list);
+
 	pkgconf_path_split(SYSTEM_LIBDIR, &default_personality.filter_libdirs, true);
 	pkgconf_path_split(SYSTEM_INCLUDEDIR, &default_personality.filter_includedirs, true);
 
diff --git a/libpkgconf/pkg.c b/libpkgconf/pkg.c
index 4faaaed..50cbba9 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/pkg.c
+++ b/libpkgconf/pkg.c
@@ -49,54 +49,6 @@ str_has_suffix(const char *str, const char *suffix)
 	return !strncasecmp(str + str_len - suf_len, suffix, suf_len);
 }
 
-static inline void
-build_default_pkgconfig_path(pkgconf_list_t* dirlist)
-{
-#ifdef _WIN32
-	char namebuf[MAX_PATH];
-	char outbuf[MAX_PATH];
-	char *p;
-
-	int sizepath = GetModuleFileName(NULL, namebuf, sizeof namebuf);
-	char * winslash;
-	namebuf[sizepath] = '\0';
-	while ((winslash = strchr (namebuf, '\\')) != NULL)
-	{
-		*winslash = '/';
-	}
-	p = strrchr(namebuf, '/');
-	if (p == NULL)
-		pkgconf_path_split(PKG_DEFAULT_PATH, dirlist, true);
-
-	*p = '\0';
-	pkgconf_strlcpy(outbuf, namebuf, sizeof outbuf);
-	pkgconf_strlcat(outbuf, "/", sizeof outbuf);
-	pkgconf_strlcat(outbuf, "../lib/pkgconfig", sizeof outbuf);
-	pkgconf_path_add(outbuf, dirlist, true);
-	pkgconf_strlcpy(outbuf, namebuf, sizeof outbuf);
-	pkgconf_strlcat(outbuf, "/", sizeof outbuf);
-	pkgconf_strlcat(outbuf, "../share/pkgconfig", sizeof outbuf);
-	pkgconf_path_add(outbuf, dirlist, true);
-#elif __HAIKU__
-	char **paths;
-	size_t count;
-	if (find_paths(B_FIND_PATH_DEVELOP_LIB_DIRECTORY, "pkgconfig", &paths, &count) == B_OK) {
-		for (size_t i = 0; i < count; i++)
-			pkgconf_path_add(paths[i], dirlist, true);
-		free(paths);
-		paths = NULL;
-	}
-	if (find_paths(B_FIND_PATH_DATA_DIRECTORY, "pkgconfig", &paths, &count) == B_OK) {
-		for (size_t i = 0; i < count; i++)
-			pkgconf_path_add(paths[i], dirlist, true);
-		free(paths);
-		paths = NULL;
-	}
-#else
-	pkgconf_path_split(PKG_DEFAULT_PATH, dirlist, true);
-#endif
-}
-
 static const char *
 pkg_get_parent_dir(pkgconf_pkg_t *pkg, char *buf, size_t buflen)
 {
@@ -112,27 +64,6 @@ pkg_get_parent_dir(pkgconf_pkg_t *pkg, char *buf, size_t buflen)
 	return buf;
 }
 
-/*
- * !doc
- *
- * .. c:function:: void pkgconf_pkg_dir_list_build(pkgconf_client_t *client)
- *
- *    Bootstraps the package search paths.  If the ``PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_ENV_ONLY`` `flag` is set on the client,
- *    then only the ``PKG_CONFIG_PATH`` environment variable will be used, otherwise both the
- *    ``PKG_CONFIG_PATH`` and ``PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR`` environment variables will be used.
- *
- *    :param pkgconf_client_t* client: The pkgconf client object to bootstrap.
- *    :return: nothing
- */
-void
-pkgconf_pkg_dir_list_build(pkgconf_client_t *client)
-{
-	pkgconf_path_build_from_environ("PKG_CONFIG_PATH", NULL, &client->dir_list, true);
-
-	if (!(client->flags & PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_ENV_ONLY) && (pkgconf_path_build_from_environ("PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR", NULL, &client->dir_list, true)) < 1)
-		build_default_pkgconfig_path(&client->dir_list);
-}
-
 typedef void (*pkgconf_pkg_parser_keyword_func_t)(const pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_pkg_t *pkg, const char *keyword, const size_t lineno, const ptrdiff_t offset, char *value);
 typedef struct {
 	const char *keyword;