diff --git a/CMake/Macros.cmake b/CMake/Macros.cmake
index e182f21d04..a0c26d483b 100644
--- a/CMake/Macros.cmake
+++ b/CMake/Macros.cmake
@@ -252,3 +252,35 @@ function(curl_add_clang_tidy_test_target _target_clang_tidy _target)
     add_dependencies(tests-clang-tidy ${_target_clang_tidy})
   endif()
 endfunction()
+
+# Internal: Recurse into interface targets and collect their libraries
+# and library paths.
+macro(curl_collect_target_link_options _target)
+  get_target_property(_val ${_target} INTERFACE_LINK_DIRECTORIES)
+  if(_val)
+    list(APPEND _libdirs ${_val})
+  endif()
+  get_target_property(_val ${_target} IMPORTED)
+  if(_val)
+    # LOCATION is empty for interface library targets and safe to ignore.
+    # Explicitly skip this query to avoid CMake v3.18 and older erroring out.
+    get_target_property(_val ${_target} TYPE)
+    if(NOT "${_val}" STREQUAL "INTERFACE_LIBRARY")
+      get_target_property(_val ${_target} LOCATION)
+      if(_val)
+        list(APPEND _libs ${_val})
+      endif()
+    endif()
+  endif()
+  get_target_property(_val ${_target} INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES)
+  if(_val)
+    foreach(_lib IN LISTS _val)
+      if(TARGET "${_lib}")
+        curl_collect_target_link_options(${_lib})
+      else()
+        list(APPEND _libs ${_lib})
+      endif()
+    endforeach()
+  endif()
+  unset(_val)
+endmacro()
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 308f04e84c..64c8895eef 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2167,26 +2167,12 @@ if(NOT CURL_DISABLE_INSTALL)
         # Assume the user will not need this information in the .pc file.
         continue()
       endif()
-      if(_lib MATCHES "CURL::")
-        # This is empty for 'CURL::*' targets and safe to ignore.
-        # Explicitly skip this query to avoid CMake v3.18 and older erroring out.
-        set(_libname "")
-      else()
-        get_target_property(_libname "${_lib}" LOCATION)
-      endif()
-      if(_libname)
-        list(APPEND _explicit_libs "${_libname}")
-      else()
-        get_target_property(_libs "${_lib}" INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES)
-        if(_libs)
-          list(APPEND _explicit_libs "${_libs}")
-        endif()
-        get_target_property(_libdirs "${_lib}" INTERFACE_LINK_DIRECTORIES)
-        if(_libdirs)
-          list(APPEND _explicit_libdirs "${_libdirs}")
-        endif()
-      endif()
-      if(NOT _libname AND NOT _libs AND NOT _libdirs)
+      set(_libdirs "")
+      set(_libs "")
+      curl_collect_target_link_options("${_lib}")  # look into the target recursively
+      list(APPEND _explicit_libdirs ${_libdirs})
+      list(APPEND _explicit_libs ${_libs})
+      if(NOT _libs AND NOT _libdirs)
         message(WARNING "Bad lib in library list: ${_lib}")
       endif()
       if(_lib STREQUAL OpenSSL::SSL)