diff --git a/base/pkgconfig/parse-config b/base/pkgconfig/parse-config
index 9a1b9ee61..6f3cc35e0 100644
--- a/base/pkgconfig/parse-config
+++ b/base/pkgconfig/parse-config
@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@
 if atstage cross; then
 	#export PKG_CONFIG_DEBUG_SPEW=yes
 	SYSROOT=$base/build/$SDECFG_ID
-	export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$SYSROOT/usr/lib/pkgconfig # unused, due below
+	PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$SYSROOT/usr/lib/pkgconfig # unused, due below
 	for x in $SYSROOT/usr/lib64 $SYSROOT/usr/X11*/lib{,64} \
 	         $SYSROOT/opt/*/lib{,64}; do
 		[ -d $x/pkgconfig ] && PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$PKG_CONFIG_PATH:$x/pkgconfig"
 	done
+	export PKG_CONFIG_PATH
 	export PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR=$PKG_CONFIG_PATH # needed, otherwse system is used
 	unset SYSROOT
 fi