diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/at-spi2-atk/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/at-spi2-atk/package.py
index 7ede5cf32b0d3eee24442a642c8efb08abc5120f..ab77a5c27f36fbd4ea81a73ad72c01a6911f34d2 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/at-spi2-atk/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/at-spi2-atk/package.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class AtSpi2Atk(MesonPackage):
     version('2.26.2', '355c7916a69513490cb83ad34016b169')
     version('2.26.1', 'eeec6cead3350dca48a235271c105b3e')
 
+    depends_on('pkgconfig', type='build')
     depends_on('at-spi2-core@2.28.0:')
     depends_on('atk@2.28.1:')