diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 54e1a4fd6..2d207df67 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -574,6 +574,16 @@ write_basic_package_version_file(gemmi-config-version.cmake
                                  VERSION ${PROJECT_VERSION}
                                  COMPATIBILITY AnyNewerVersion)
 
+# pkg-config — for autotools, meson, bazel, and plain-Makefile consumers.
+# Strip a "-dev" / "+build" tail off the version because pkg-config rejects
+# non-numeric characters per its spec.
+string(REGEX REPLACE "[-+].*$" "" GEMMI_VERSION_PC "${PROJECT_VERSION}")
+# Optional private deps go in Requires.private so static linking works
+# without leaking them onto the consumer's compile line for the dynamic case.
+set(GEMMI_PC_REQUIRES_PRIVATE "")
+configure_file(tools/gemmi.pc.in
+               "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gemmi.pc" @ONLY)
+
 if (BUILD_GEMMI_PROGRAM)
   # Is it useful to have the program location in gemmi-targets.cmake?
   install(TARGETS gemmi_prog EXPORT GemmiTargets)
@@ -589,6 +599,8 @@ if (INSTALL_DEV_FILES)
           "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gemmi-config.cmake"
           "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gemmi-config-version.cmake"
           DESTINATION "${GEMMI_INSTALL_CMAKEDIR}")
+  install(FILES "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gemmi.pc"
+          DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/pkgconfig")
 elseif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS AND BUILD_GEMMI_PROGRAM)
   install(TARGETS gemmi_cpp)
 endif()
diff --git a/tools/gemmi.pc.in b/tools/gemmi.pc.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7ac14b7c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/gemmi.pc.in
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+prefix=@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@
+exec_prefix=${prefix}
+includedir=${prefix}/@CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR@
+libdir=${prefix}/@CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR@
+
+Name: gemmi
+Description: Macromolecular crystallography library
+URL: https://gemmi.readthedocs.io/
+Version: @GEMMI_VERSION_PC@
+Requires: zlib
+@GEMMI_PC_REQUIRES_PRIVATE@
+Libs: -L${libdir} -lgemmi_cpp
+Cflags: -I${includedir}