diff --git a/pkgconfig/Makefile.am b/pkgconfig/Makefile.am
index 5da63ed8ae..78a1e6534e 100644
--- a/pkgconfig/Makefile.am
+++ b/pkgconfig/Makefile.am
@@ -31,7 +31,15 @@ cp_verbose_0 = @echo "  CP     $@";
 %-@GST_API_VERSION@.pc: %.pc
 	$(cp_verbose_0)cp $< $@
 %-@GST_API_VERSION@-uninstalled.pc: %-uninstalled.pc
-	$(cp_verbose_0)cp $< $@
+### the uninstalled libdir is depend of the build system used so set it here
+### rather than hardcoding it in the file directly.
+	$(AM_V_GEN) sed \
+		-e "s|[@]gstlibdir[@]|$(abs_top_builddir)/gst/.libs|" \
+		-e "s|[@]checklibdir[@]|$(abs_top_builddir)/libs/gst/check/.libs|" \
+		-e "s|[@]baselibdir[@]|$(abs_top_builddir)/libs/gst/base/.libs|" \
+		-e "s|[@]netlibdir[@]|$(abs_top_builddir)/libs/gst/net/.libs|" \
+		-e "s|[@]controllerlibdir[@]|$(abs_top_builddir)/libs/gst/controller/.libs|" \
+		$< > $@.tmp && mv $@.tmp $@
 
 pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig_DATA = $(pcfiles)
diff --git a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-base-uninstalled.pc.in b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-base-uninstalled.pc.in
index f9a4e1f9e4..08759f1c3b 100644
--- a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-base-uninstalled.pc.in
+++ b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-base-uninstalled.pc.in
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # the standard variables don't make sense for an uninstalled copy
 prefix=
 exec_prefix=
-libdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/base/.libs
+libdir=@baselibdir@
 includedir=
 girdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/base
 typelibdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/base
diff --git a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-check-uninstalled.pc.in b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-check-uninstalled.pc.in
index 3aeaf77add..85c2903644 100644
--- a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-check-uninstalled.pc.in
+++ b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-check-uninstalled.pc.in
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # the standard variables don't make sense for an uninstalled copy
 prefix=
 exec_prefix=
-libdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/check/.libs
+libdir=@checklibdir@
 includedir=
 girdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/check
 typelibdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/check
diff --git a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-controller-uninstalled.pc.in b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-controller-uninstalled.pc.in
index b7227e1c8e..97983e7530 100644
--- a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-controller-uninstalled.pc.in
+++ b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-controller-uninstalled.pc.in
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # the standard variables don't make sense for an uninstalled copy
 prefix=
 exec_prefix=
-libdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/controller/.libs
+libdir=@controllerlibdir@
 includedir=
 girdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/controller
 typelibdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/controller
diff --git a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-net-uninstalled.pc.in b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-net-uninstalled.pc.in
index d3b14592ee..5d390c2673 100644
--- a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-net-uninstalled.pc.in
+++ b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-net-uninstalled.pc.in
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # the standard variables don't make sense for an uninstalled copy
 prefix=
 exec_prefix=
-libdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/net/.libs
+libdir=@netlibdir@
 includedir=
 girdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/net
 typelibdir=@abs_top_builddir@/libs/gst/net
diff --git a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-uninstalled.pc.in b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-uninstalled.pc.in
index 16c2a048f9..8f69dd501d 100644
--- a/pkgconfig/gstreamer-uninstalled.pc.in
+++ b/pkgconfig/gstreamer-uninstalled.pc.in
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # the standard variables don't make sense for an uninstalled copy
 prefix=
 exec_prefix=
-libdir=@abs_top_builddir@/gst/.libs
+libdir=@gstlibdir@
 # includedir is builddir because it is used to find gstconfig.h in places
 includedir=@abs_top_builddir@
 toolsdir=@abs_top_builddir@/tools
diff --git a/pkgconfig/meson.build b/pkgconfig/meson.build
index 0c90d7469f..ff0083c6d8 100644
--- a/pkgconfig/meson.build
+++ b/pkgconfig/meson.build
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ pkgconf.set('includedir', '${prefix}/@0@'.format(get_option('includedir')))
 pkgconf.set('GST_API_VERSION', apiversion)
 pkgconf.set('VERSION', gst_version)
 
+# needed for generating -uninstalled.pc files
+pkgconf.set('abs_top_builddir', join_paths(meson.current_build_dir(), '..'))
+pkgconf.set('abs_top_srcdir', join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(), '..'))
+pkgconf.set('gstlibdir', join_paths(meson.build_root(), libgst.outdir()))
+pkgconf.set('checklibdir', join_paths(meson.build_root(), gst_check.outdir()))
+pkgconf.set('baselibdir', join_paths(meson.build_root(), gst_base.outdir()))
+pkgconf.set('controllerlibdir', join_paths(meson.build_root(), gst_controller.outdir()))
+pkgconf.set('netlibdir', join_paths(meson.build_root(), gst_net.outdir()))
+
 pkg_install_dir = '@0@/pkgconfig'.format(get_option('libdir'))
 
 pkg_files = ['gstreamer-base',
@@ -23,4 +32,10 @@ foreach p : pkg_files
     output : outfile,
     configuration : pkgconf,
     install_dir : pkg_install_dir)
+
+  infile = p + '-uninstalled.pc.in'
+  outfile = p + '-1.0-uninstalled.pc'
+  configure_file(input : infile,
+    output : outfile,
+    configuration : pkgconf)
 endforeach