diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7dc1451000a..826b500aa4a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ endif
 endif
 INSTALL = install
 RM = rm -f
+PKG_CONFIG = pkg-config
 
 ifndef VALID_CONFIG_$(CONFIG)
 $(error Invalid CONFIG value '$(CONFIG)')
@@ -331,7 +332,7 @@ HOST_LDLIBS = $(LDLIBS)
 # These are automatically computed variables.
 # There shouldn't be any need to change anything from now on.
 
-HAS_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell command -v pkg-config >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo true || echo false)
+HAS_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell command -v $(PKG_CONFIG) >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo true || echo false)
 
 PC_TEMPLATE = prefix=$(prefix)\nexec_prefix=\$${prefix}\nincludedir=\$${prefix}/include\nlibdir=\$${exec_prefix}/lib\n\nName: $(PC_NAME)\nDescription: $(PC_DESCRIPTION)\nVersion: $(VERSION)\nCflags: -I\$${includedir} $(PC_CFLAGS)\nRequires.private: $(PC_REQUIRES_PRIVATE)\nLibs: -L\$${libdir} $(PC_LIB)\nLibs.private: $(PC_LIBS_PRIVATE)
 
@@ -372,10 +373,10 @@ OPENSSL_REQUIRES_DL = true
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
-OPENSSL_ALPN_CHECK_CMD = pkg-config --atleast-version=1.0.2 openssl
-ZLIB_CHECK_CMD = pkg-config --exists zlib
-PERFTOOLS_CHECK_CMD = pkg-config --exists profiler
-PROTOBUF_CHECK_CMD = pkg-config --atleast-version=3.0.0-alpha-3 protobuf
+OPENSSL_ALPN_CHECK_CMD = $(PKG_CONFIG) --atleast-version=1.0.2 openssl
+ZLIB_CHECK_CMD = $(PKG_CONFIG) --exists zlib
+PERFTOOLS_CHECK_CMD = $(PKG_CONFIG) --exists profiler
+PROTOBUF_CHECK_CMD = $(PKG_CONFIG) --atleast-version=3.0.0-alpha-3 protobuf
 else # HAS_PKG_CONFIG
 
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM),MINGW32)
@@ -473,8 +474,8 @@ DEP_MISSING += zlib
 endif
 else
 ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
-CPPFLAGS += $(shell pkg-config --cflags zlib)
-LDFLAGS += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L zlib)
+CPPFLAGS += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags zlib)
+LDFLAGS += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L zlib)
 PC_REQUIRES_GRPC += zlib
 else
 PC_LIBS_GRPC += -lz
@@ -490,11 +491,11 @@ ifeq ($(HAS_SYSTEM_OPENSSL_ALPN),true)
 ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
 OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG = true
 PC_REQUIRES_SECURE = openssl
-CPPFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --cflags openssl) $(CPPFLAGS)
-LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L openssl)
+CPPFLAGS := $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags openssl) $(CPPFLAGS)
+LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L openssl)
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM),Linux)
 ifneq ($(LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG),)
-LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L openssl | sed s/L/Wl,-rpath,/)
+LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L openssl | sed s/L/Wl,-rpath,/)
 endif
 endif
 LDFLAGS := $(LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG) $(LDFLAGS)
@@ -521,7 +522,7 @@ endif
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG),true)
-LDLIBS_SECURE += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-l openssl)
+LDLIBS_SECURE += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-l openssl)
 else
 LDLIBS_SECURE += $(addprefix -l, $(LIBS_SECURE))
 endif
@@ -553,11 +554,11 @@ ifeq ($(HAS_SYSTEM_PROTOBUF),true)
 ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
 PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = true
 PC_REQUIRES_GRPCXX = protobuf
-CPPFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --cflags protobuf) $(CPPFLAGS)
-LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L protobuf)
+CPPFLAGS := $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags protobuf) $(CPPFLAGS)
+LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L protobuf)
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM),Linux)
 ifneq ($(LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG),)
-LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L protobuf | sed s/L/Wl,-rpath,/)
+LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L protobuf | sed s/L/Wl,-rpath,/)
 endif
 endif
 else
@@ -580,7 +581,7 @@ LIBS_PROTOC = protoc protobuf
 HOST_LDLIBS_PROTOC += $(addprefix -l, $(LIBS_PROTOC))
 
 ifeq ($(PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG),true)
-LDLIBS_PROTOBUF += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-l protobuf)
+LDLIBS_PROTOBUF += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-l protobuf)
 else
 LDLIBS_PROTOBUF += $(addprefix -l, $(LIBS_PROTOBUF))
 endif
diff --git a/templates/Makefile.template b/templates/Makefile.template
index c6cedc9c7f5..7d98e90484a 100644
--- a/templates/Makefile.template
+++ b/templates/Makefile.template
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ endif
 endif
 INSTALL = install
 RM = rm -f
+PKG_CONFIG = pkg-config
 
 ifndef VALID_CONFIG_$(CONFIG)
 $(error Invalid CONFIG value '$(CONFIG)')
@@ -345,7 +346,7 @@ HOST_LDLIBS = $(LDLIBS)
 # These are automatically computed variables.
 # There shouldn't be any need to change anything from now on.
 
-HAS_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell command -v pkg-config >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo true || echo false)
+HAS_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell command -v $(PKG_CONFIG) >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo true || echo false)
 
 PC_TEMPLATE = prefix=$(prefix)\n\
 exec_prefix=${'\$${prefix}'}\n\
@@ -397,10 +398,10 @@ OPENSSL_REQUIRES_DL = true
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
-OPENSSL_ALPN_CHECK_CMD = pkg-config --atleast-version=1.0.2 openssl
-ZLIB_CHECK_CMD = pkg-config --exists zlib
-PERFTOOLS_CHECK_CMD = pkg-config --exists profiler
-PROTOBUF_CHECK_CMD = pkg-config --atleast-version=3.0.0-alpha-3 protobuf
+OPENSSL_ALPN_CHECK_CMD = $(PKG_CONFIG) --atleast-version=1.0.2 openssl
+ZLIB_CHECK_CMD = $(PKG_CONFIG) --exists zlib
+PERFTOOLS_CHECK_CMD = $(PKG_CONFIG) --exists profiler
+PROTOBUF_CHECK_CMD = $(PKG_CONFIG) --atleast-version=3.0.0-alpha-3 protobuf
 else # HAS_PKG_CONFIG
 
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM),MINGW32)
@@ -498,8 +499,8 @@ DEP_MISSING += zlib
 endif
 else
 ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
-CPPFLAGS += $(shell pkg-config --cflags zlib)
-LDFLAGS += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L zlib)
+CPPFLAGS += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags zlib)
+LDFLAGS += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L zlib)
 PC_REQUIRES_GRPC += zlib
 else
 PC_LIBS_GRPC += -lz
@@ -515,11 +516,11 @@ ifeq ($(HAS_SYSTEM_OPENSSL_ALPN),true)
 ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
 OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG = true
 PC_REQUIRES_SECURE = openssl
-CPPFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --cflags openssl) $(CPPFLAGS)
-LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L openssl)
+CPPFLAGS := $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags openssl) $(CPPFLAGS)
+LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L openssl)
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM),Linux)
 ifneq ($(LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG),)
-LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L openssl | sed s/L/Wl,-rpath,/)
+LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L openssl | sed s/L/Wl,-rpath,/)
 endif
 endif
 LDFLAGS := $(LDFLAGS_OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG) $(LDFLAGS)
@@ -546,7 +547,7 @@ endif
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(OPENSSL_PKG_CONFIG),true)
-LDLIBS_SECURE += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-l openssl)
+LDLIBS_SECURE += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-l openssl)
 else
 LDLIBS_SECURE += $(addprefix -l, $(LIBS_SECURE))
 endif
@@ -578,11 +579,11 @@ ifeq ($(HAS_SYSTEM_PROTOBUF),true)
 ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
 PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = true
 PC_REQUIRES_GRPCXX = protobuf
-CPPFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --cflags protobuf) $(CPPFLAGS)
-LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L protobuf)
+CPPFLAGS := $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags protobuf) $(CPPFLAGS)
+LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L protobuf)
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM),Linux)
 ifneq ($(LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG),)
-LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-L protobuf | sed s/L/Wl,-rpath,/)
+LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L protobuf | sed s/L/Wl,-rpath,/)
 endif
 endif
 else
@@ -605,7 +606,7 @@ LIBS_PROTOC = protoc protobuf
 HOST_LDLIBS_PROTOC += $(addprefix -l, $(LIBS_PROTOC))
 
 ifeq ($(PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG),true)
-LDLIBS_PROTOBUF += $(shell pkg-config --libs-only-l protobuf)
+LDLIBS_PROTOBUF += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-l protobuf)
 else
 LDLIBS_PROTOBUF += $(addprefix -l, $(LIBS_PROTOBUF))
 endif