diff --git a/cmd/Makefile b/cmd/Makefile
index 959c2158..b38926ff 100644
--- a/cmd/Makefile
+++ b/cmd/Makefile
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@ wmii/x11.o wmii/map.o: dall
 
 O9MENU=wmii9menu.o clientutil.o wmii/x11.o wmii/map.o $(OFILES) $(LIBIXP)
 wmii9menu.O: $(O9MENU)
-	$(LINK) $@ $(O9MENU) $(LIBX11) -lXext -lbio
+	$(LINK) $@ $(O9MENU) $$(pkg-config --libs $(X11PACKAGES)) -lXext -lbio
 
diff --git a/cmd/click/Makefile b/cmd/click/Makefile
index e5e5fb3e..b446d90e 100644
--- a/cmd/click/Makefile
+++ b/cmd/click/Makefile
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ main.c: ${ROOT}/mk/wmii.mk
 TARG =	click
 HFILES=	dat.h fns.h
 
-LIB =	${LIBIXP}
-LDFLAGS += -lm ${LIBX11} -lXext -lXtst -lregexp9 -lbio -lfmt -lutf
-CFLAGS += ${INCX11} -DVERSION=\"${VERSION}\" \
-	  -DIXP_NEEDAPI=86
+PACKAGES += $(X11PACKAGES) xext xrandr xrender xinerama
+
+LIB =	$(LIBIXP)
+LDFLAGS += -lm -lXtst -lregexp9 -lbio -lfmt -lutf
+CFLAGS += -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" -DIXP_NEEDAPI=86
 OBJ =	main	\
 	_util	\
 	../wmii/map	\
diff --git a/cmd/menu/Makefile b/cmd/menu/Makefile
index 2f296c82..a043b74c 100644
--- a/cmd/menu/Makefile
+++ b/cmd/menu/Makefile
@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@ bindings.c: keys.txt Makefile
 TARG =	wimenu
 HFILES=	dat.h fns.h
 
+PACKAGES += $(X11PACKAGES) xext xrandr xrender xinerama
+
 LIB =	$(LIBIXP)
-LDFLAGS += -lm $(LIBX11) -lXext -lXrandr -LXrender -lXinerama \
-	   -lregexp9 -lbio -lfmt -lutf
-CFLAGS += $(INCX11) -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" \
-	  -DIXP_NEEDAPI=86
+LDFLAGS += -lm -lregexp9 -lbio -lfmt -lutf
+CFLAGS += -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" -DIXP_NEEDAPI=86
 OBJ =	main	\
 	caret	\
 	history	\
diff --git a/cmd/strut/Makefile b/cmd/strut/Makefile
index 732fb7cc..58a8beed 100644
--- a/cmd/strut/Makefile
+++ b/cmd/strut/Makefile
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ main.c: ${ROOT}/mk/wmii.mk
 TARG =	wistrut
 HFILES=	dat.h fns.h
 
-LIB =	${LIBIXP}
-LDFLAGS += -lm ${LIBX11} -lXext -lXrandr -lregexp9 -lbio -lfmt -lutf
-CFLAGS += ${INCX11} -DVERSION=\"${VERSION}\" \
-	  -DIXP_NEEDAPI=86
+PACKAGES += $(X11PACKAGES) xext xrandr xinerama
+
+LIB =	$(LIBIXP)
+LDFLAGS += -lm -lregexp9 -lbio -lfmt -lutf
+CFLAGS += -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" -DIXP_NEEDAPI=86
 OBJ =	main	\
 	event	\
 	ewmh	\
diff --git a/cmd/wmii/Makefile b/cmd/wmii/Makefile
index 810b90ae..d5073717 100644
--- a/cmd/wmii/Makefile
+++ b/cmd/wmii/Makefile
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ main.c: $(ROOT)/mk/wmii.mk
 TARG =	wmii
 HFILES=	dat.h fns.h
 
-LIB =	$(LIBIXP)
-LDFLAGS += -lm $(LIBX11) -lXext -lXrandr -lXrender -lXinerama \
-	   $(LIBICONV) -lregexp9 -lbio -lfmt -lutf
+PACKAGES += $(X11PACKAGES) xext xrandr xrender xinerama
 
-CFLAGS += $(INCX11) $(INCICONV) -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" \
+LIB =	$(LIBIXP)
+LDFLAGS += -lm $(LIBICONV) -lregexp9 -lbio -lfmt -lutf
+
+CFLAGS += $(INCICONV) -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" \
 	  -DIXP_NEEDAPI=97
 OBJ =	area	\
 	bar	\
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index 64019b7b..0b6bf813 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ P9PATHS = ${PLAN9}:"'$${HOME}/plan9'":/usr/local/plan9:/usr/local/9:/opt/plan9:/
 # are painfully slow, and should be avoided.
 #BINSH = /bin/ash
 
-INCX11 = $$(pkg-config --cflags xft)
-LIBX11 = $$(pkg-config --libs xft)
+X11PACKAGES = xft
+INCX11 = $$(pkg-config --cflags $(X11PACKAGES))
 LIBICONV = # Leave blank if your libc includes iconv (glibc does)
 LIBIXP = $(LIBDIR)/libixp.a
 
diff --git a/mk/hdr.mk b/mk/hdr.mk
index 1df813d1..a1fc0414 100644
--- a/mk/hdr.mk
+++ b/mk/hdr.mk
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 FILTER = cat
 EXCFLAGS = -I$$(echo $(INCPATH)|sed 's/:/ -I/g') -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=600
-COMPILE= CC="$(CC)" CFLAGS="$(EXCFLAGS) $(CFLAGS)" $(ROOT)/util/compile
-COMPILEPIC= CC="$(CC)" CFLAGS="$(EXCFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(SOCFLAGS)" $(ROOT)/util/compile
-LINK= LD="$(LD)" LDFLAGS="$(LDFLAGS)" $(ROOT)/util/link
-LINKSO= LD="$(LD)" LDFLAGS="$(SOLDFLAGS) $(SHARED)" $(ROOT)/util/link
+COMPILE= CC="$(CC)" CFLAGS="$(EXCFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $$(pkg-config --cflags $(PACKAGES))" $(ROOT)/util/compile
+COMPILEPIC= CC="$(CC)" CFLAGS="$(EXCFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $$(pkg-config --cflags $(PACKAGES)) $(SOCFLAGS)" $(ROOT)/util/compile
+LINK= LD="$(LD)" LDFLAGS="$(LDFLAGS) $$(pkg-config --libs $(PACKAGES))" $(ROOT)/util/link
+LINKSO= LD="$(LD)" LDFLAGS="$(SOLDFLAGS) $(SHARED) $$(pkg-config --libs $(PACKAGES))" $(ROOT)/util/link
 CLEANNAME=$(ROOT)/util/cleanname
 SOEXT=so
 
+PACKAGES = 2>/dev/null
+
 include $(ROOT)/config.mk
 
 # I hate this.