diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d2e2951823..f85f44fe83 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2301,6 +2301,7 @@ if(NOT CURL_DISABLE_INSTALL)
     set(LIBCURL_PC_REQUIRES "${LIBCURL_PC_REQUIRES_PRIVATE}")
     set(LIBCURL_PC_LIBS     "${LIBCURL_PC_LIBS_PRIVATE}")
     set(LIBCURL_PC_CFLAGS   "${LIBCURL_PC_CFLAGS_PRIVATE}")
+    set(LIBCURL_PC_REQUIRES_PRIVATE "")
   endif()
   if(BUILD_STATIC_LIBS)
     set(ENABLE_STATIC       "yes")
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8e991dda54..96c515a313 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -5209,6 +5209,7 @@ dnl Merge pkg-config private fields into public ones when static-only
 if test "$enable_shared" = "no"; then
   LIBCURL_PC_REQUIRES=$LIBCURL_PC_REQUIRES_PRIVATE
   LIBCURL_PC_LIBS=$LIBCURL_PC_LIBS_PRIVATE
+  LIBCURL_PC_REQUIRES_PRIVATE=
 else
   LIBCURL_PC_REQUIRES=
   LIBCURL_PC_LIBS=