diff --git a/pkg.m4 b/pkg.m4
index 0354609..75a89ec 100644
--- a/pkg.m4
+++ b/pkg.m4
@@ -197,6 +197,21 @@ m4_popdef([pkg_default])
 m4_popdef([pkg_description])
 ]) dnl PKG_NOARCH_INSTALLDIR
 
+
+# PKG_CHECK_VAR(VARIABLE, MODULE, CONFIG-VARIABLE,
+# [ACTION-IF-FOUND], [ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND])
+# -------------------------------------------
+# Retrieves the value of the pkg-config variable for the given module.
+AC_DEFUN([PKG_CHECK_VAR],
+[AC_REQUIRE([PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG])dnl
+AC_ARG_VAR([$1], [value of $3 for $2, overriding pkg-config])dnl
+
+_PKG_CONFIG([$1], [variable="][$3]["], [$2])
+AS_VAR_COPY([$1], [pkg_cv_][$1])
+
+AS_VAR_IF([$1], [""], [$5], [$4])dnl
+])# PKG_CHECK_VAR
+
 # PKG_WITH_MODULES(VARIABLE-PREFIX, MODULES,
 #                  [ACTION-IF-FOUND],[ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND],
 #                  [DESCRIPTION], [DEFAULT])