diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 720802e0a0..b2287c9f13 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ path = "lib.rs"
 
 [build-dependencies]
 cmake = "0.1"
+pkg-config = "0.3"
 
 [features]
 wayland = []
diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
index d0a2bde920..45b60647e6 100644
--- a/build.rs
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 extern crate cmake;
+extern crate pkg_config;
+
 use cmake::Config;
 
 fn main() {
+    if let Ok(_library) = pkg_config::probe_library("glfw3") {
+        // We got the library via pkg_config, we don't need to try and build it
+        // below.
+        return;
+    }
+
     let mut cfg = Config::new("glfw");
 
     cfg.define("GLFW_BUILD_EXAMPLES", "OFF")