diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 2abbeb2794..537366945c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -8153,17 +8153,31 @@ fi
 	# Put the nasty error message in config.log where it belongs
 	echo "$ICU_PKG_ERRORS" >&5
 
-	as_fn_error $? "ICU library not found
-If you have ICU already installed, see config.log for details on the
-failure.  It is possible the compiler isn't looking in the proper directory.
-Use --without-icu to disable ICU support." "$LINENO" 5
+	as_fn_error $? "Package requirements (icu-uc icu-i18n) were not met:
+
+$ICU_PKG_ERRORS
+
+Consider adjusting the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable if you
+installed software in a non-standard prefix.
+
+Alternatively, you may set the environment variables ICU_CFLAGS
+and ICU_LIBS to avoid the need to call pkg-config.
+See the pkg-config man page for more details." "$LINENO" 5
 elif test $pkg_failed = untried; then
         { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
 $as_echo "no" >&6; }
-	as_fn_error $? "ICU library not found
-If you have ICU already installed, see config.log for details on the
-failure.  It is possible the compiler isn't looking in the proper directory.
-Use --without-icu to disable ICU support." "$LINENO" 5
+	{ { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&2;}
+as_fn_error $? "The pkg-config script could not be found or is too old.  Make sure it
+is in your PATH or set the PKG_CONFIG environment variable to the full
+path to pkg-config.
+
+Alternatively, you may set the environment variables ICU_CFLAGS
+and ICU_LIBS to avoid the need to call pkg-config.
+See the pkg-config man page for more details.
+
+To get pkg-config, see <http://pkg-config.freedesktop.org/>.
+See \`config.log' for more details" "$LINENO" 5; }
 else
 	ICU_CFLAGS=$pkg_cv_ICU_CFLAGS
 	ICU_LIBS=$pkg_cv_ICU_LIBS
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c46ed2c591..4e279c4bd6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -829,11 +829,7 @@ AC_MSG_RESULT([$with_icu])
 AC_SUBST(with_icu)
 
 if test "$with_icu" = yes; then
-  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(ICU, icu-uc icu-i18n, [],
-    [AC_MSG_ERROR([ICU library not found
-If you have ICU already installed, see config.log for details on the
-failure.  It is possible the compiler isn't looking in the proper directory.
-Use --without-icu to disable ICU support.])])
+  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(ICU, icu-uc icu-i18n)
 fi
 
 #