diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pmix/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pmix/package.py
index 1863d2e7268..0362e858d16 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pmix/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pmix/package.py
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ class Pmix(AutotoolsPackage):
     depends_on("libtool", type="build", when="@master")
     depends_on("perl", type="build", when="@master")
     depends_on("pandoc", type="build", when="+docs")
+    depends_on("pkgconfig", type="build")
 
     depends_on("libevent@2.0.20:")
     depends_on("hwloc@1.0:1", when="@:2")
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/prrte/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/prrte/package.py
index 8e37370eef1..ca26c89b44c 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/prrte/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/prrte/package.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class Prrte(AutotoolsPackage):
     depends_on("automake", type=("build"))
     depends_on("libtool", type=("build"))
     depends_on("flex", type=("build"))
+    depends_on("pkgconfig", type="build")
 
     def autoreconf(self, spec, prefix):
         # If configure exists nothing needs to be done