https://bugs.gentoo.org/654758

--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 	;;
 esac
 
+PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
 
 dnl Check for iconv (character conversion library; see iconv.m4)
 dnl This isn't available on many systems
@@ -94,6 +95,17 @@
 dnl
 dnl Get the cflags and libraries from the freetype-config script
 dnl
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(
+	FREETYPE2,
+	freetype2,
+	[
+		ft_found=yes
+		CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $FREETYPE2_CFLAGS"
+		LIBS="$LIBS $FREETYPE2_LIBS"
+	],
+	ft_found=no
+)
+
 AC_ARG_WITH(freetype-prefix,[  --with-freetype-prefix=PFX   Prefix where FREETYPE is 
 installed (optional)],
             freetype_prefix="$withval", freetype_prefix="")
@@ -101,6 +113,7 @@
 where FREETYPE is installed (optional)],
             freetype_exec_prefix="$withval", freetype_exec_prefix="")
 
+if test "x$ft_found" != "xyes" ; then
 if test x$freetype_exec_prefix != x ; then
      freetype_args="$freetype_args --exec-prefix=$freetype_exec_prefix"
      if test x${FREETYPE_CONFIG+set} != xset ; then
@@ -123,6 +136,7 @@
     CFLAGS="$CFLAGS `$FREETYPE_CONFIG $freetypeconf_args --cflags`"
     LIBS="$LIBS `$FREETYPE_CONFIG $freetypeconf_args --libs`"
 fi
+fi
 
 dnl Check for SDL
 SDL_VERSION=1.2.4
