diff --git a/package/libfreefare/libfreefare.mk b/package/libfreefare/libfreefare.mk
index 13e6f2ad5e..16f15b34e4 100644
--- a/package/libfreefare/libfreefare.mk
+++ b/package/libfreefare/libfreefare.mk
@@ -9,13 +9,9 @@ LIBFREEFARE_SOURCE = libfreefare-$(LIBFREEFARE_VERSION).tar.bz2
 # Do not use the github helper here, the generated tarball is *NOT*
 # the same as the one uploaded by upstream for the release.
 LIBFREEFARE_SITE = https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare/releases/download/libfreefare-$(LIBFREEFARE_VERSION)
-LIBFREEFARE_DEPENDENCIES = libnfc openssl
+LIBFREEFARE_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf libnfc openssl
 LIBFREEFARE_LICENSE = LGPL-3.0+ with exception
 LIBFREEFARE_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
-
-ifeq ($(BR2_STATIC_LIBS),y)
-# openssl needs zlib even if the libfreefare example itself doesn't
-LIBFREEFARE_CONF_ENV += LIBS='-lz'
-endif
+LIBFREEFARE_CONF_ENV += LIBS=`$(PKG_CONFIG_HOST_BINARY) --libs openssl`
 
 $(eval $(autotools-package))