diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/pkgconfig.py b/mesonbuild/modules/pkgconfig.py
index 60d4b3f0d..ce5f5e062 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/pkgconfig.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/pkgconfig.py
@@ -388,10 +388,15 @@ class PkgConfigModule(ExtensionModule):
             raise mesonlib.MesonException('URL is not a string.')
         conflicts = mesonlib.stringlistify(kwargs.get('conflicts', []))
 
-        deps = DependenciesHelper(filebase)
+        # Prepend the main library to public libraries list. This is required
+        # so dep.add_pub_libs() can handle dependency ordering correctly and put
+        # extra libraries after the main library.
+        libraries = mesonlib.extract_as_list(kwargs, 'libraries')
         if mainlib:
-            deps.add_pub_libs(mainlib)
-        deps.add_pub_libs(kwargs.get('libraries', []))
+            libraries = [mainlib] + libraries
+
+        deps = DependenciesHelper(filebase)
+        deps.add_pub_libs(libraries)
         deps.add_priv_libs(kwargs.get('libraries_private', []))
         deps.add_pub_reqs(kwargs.get('requires', []))
         deps.add_priv_reqs(kwargs.get('requires_private', []))
diff --git a/run_unittests.py b/run_unittests.py
index 8cc981148..17ae45e3d 100755
--- a/run_unittests.py
+++ b/run_unittests.py
@@ -4577,6 +4577,10 @@ class LinuxlikeTests(BasePlatformTests):
         else:
             self.assertEqual(sorted(out), sorted(['libexposed', 'libfoo>=1.0', 'libhello']))
 
+        cmd = ['pkg-config', 'pub-lib-order']
+        out = self._run(cmd + ['--libs'], override_envvars=env).strip().split()
+        self.assertEqual(out, ['-llibmain2', '-llibinternal'])
+
     def test_pkg_unfound(self):
         testdir = os.path.join(self.unit_test_dir, '23 unfound pkgconfig')
         self.init(testdir)
diff --git a/test cases/common/47 pkgconfig-gen/dependencies/meson.build b/test cases/common/47 pkgconfig-gen/dependencies/meson.build
index c72f96b44..22bcc47c2 100644
--- a/test cases/common/47 pkgconfig-gen/dependencies/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/47 pkgconfig-gen/dependencies/meson.build	
@@ -49,3 +49,11 @@ pkgg.generate(
   description : 'Dependency Requires.private field test.',
   requires_private : [exposed_lib, pc_dep, 'libhello', notfound_dep],
 )
+
+# Verify that if we promote internal_lib as public dependency, it comes after
+# the main library.
+main_lib2 = both_libraries('libmain2', link_with : internal_lib)
+pkgg.generate(main_lib2,
+  libraries : internal_lib,
+  filebase : 'pub-lib-order',
+)