diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index dc8b98a8d2..4db703b82e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -325,7 +325,6 @@ fi
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([FREETYPE],[freetype2 >= 2.3.7])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBXML],[libxml-2.0])
 
-FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_CAIRO
 AC_ARG_VAR([FREETYPE_SOURCE],
         [directory where freetype source code is located for --enable-freetype-debugger;
          however, if --enable-freetype-debugger=DIR is specified, then DIR overrides
@@ -334,6 +333,7 @@ FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_GIFLIB
 FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_LIBJPEG
 FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_LIBPNG
 FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_LIBTIFF
+FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_CAIRO # do this test only 'after' zlib and png checks
 FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_LIBSPIRO
 FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_LIBUNINAMESLIST
 #FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_LIBUNICODENAMES
@@ -761,15 +761,15 @@ Summary of optional features:
 Summary of optional dependencies:
 
 Optional Library	UseIt?	HaveIt?	WebsiteURL
-  cairo				${i_do_have_cairo}	${cairo_url}
-  libspiro		${with_libspiro}	${i_do_have_libspiro}	${libspiro_url}
+  cairo			${with_cairo}	${i_do_have_cairo}	${cairo_url}
   giflib		${with_giflib}	${i_do_have_giflib}	${giflib_url}
   libjpeg		${with_libjpeg}	${i_do_have_libjpeg}	${libjpeg_url}
   libpng		${with_libpng}	${i_do_have_libpng}	${libpng_url}
+  libreadline		${with_libreadline}	${i_do_have_libreadline}	${libreadline_url}
+  libspiro		${with_libspiro}	${i_do_have_libspiro}	${libspiro_url}
   libtiff		${with_libtiff}	${i_do_have_libtiff}	${libtiff_url}
   libuninameslist	${with_libuninameslist}	${i_do_have_libuninameslist}	${libuninameslist_url}
   zeromq (libzmq)		${i_do_have_libzmq}	${libzmq_url}
-  libreadline		${with_libreadline}	${i_do_have_libreadline}	${libreadline_url}
   X Window System		${i_do_have_x}
 ])
 
diff --git a/m4/fontforge_arg_with.m4 b/m4/fontforge_arg_with.m4
index 47c3b1d76a..bcba46bfbc 100644
--- a/m4/fontforge_arg_with.m4
+++ b/m4/fontforge_arg_with.m4
@@ -159,14 +159,55 @@ with_libuninameslist=no
 
 dnl FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_CAIRO
 dnl ------------------------
-AC_DEFUN([FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_CAIRO],
-[
-   FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH([cairo],
-      [AS_HELP_STRING([--without-cairo],
-                      [build without Cairo graphics (use regular X graphics instead)])],
-      [cairo >= 1.6],
-      [FONTFORGE_WARN_PKG_NOT_FOUND([CAIRO])],
-      [_NO_LIBCAIRO])
+dnl Add with cairo support by default (only if cairo and headers exist).
+dnl Additionally, zlib, png and their header files should exist too.
+dnl If user defines --without-cairo, then don't use cairo graphics.
+dnl If user defines --with-cairo, then fail with error if there is no
+dnl cairo or headers available.
+dnl You will need to test for zlib and png before running this function.
+dnl Latest version here indicated cairo >= 1.6
+dnl function=`cairo_format_stride_for_width` will verify cairo >= 1.6
+AC_DEFUN([FONTFORGE_ARG_WITH_CAIRO],[
+FONTFORGE_ARG_WITHOUT([cairo],[LIBCAIRO],[build without Cairo graphics (use regular X graphics instead)])
+
+if test x"${with_cairo}" != xno; then
+dnl try the easy path first with PKG_CHECK_MODULES() else check using
+dnl lib and header checks for distros/OSes with weak pkg-config setups.
+   PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBCAIRO],[cairo >= 1.6],[i_do_have_cairo=yes],
+         [if test x"${i_do_have_cairo}" != xno -a x"${LIBCAIRO_CFLAGS}" = x; then
+             AC_CHECK_HEADER([cairo/cairo.h],[],[i_do_have_cairo=no])
+          fi
+          if test x"${i_do_have_cairo}" != xno -a x"${LIBCAIRO_LIBS}" = x; then
+             FONTFORGE_SEARCH_LIBS([cairo_format_stride_for_width],[cairo],
+                   [LIBCAIRO_LIBS="${LIBCAIRO_LIBS} ${found_lib}"],
+                   [i_do_have_cairo=no])
+          fi])
+fi
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([Build with Cairo support?])
+if test x"${with_cairo}" != xno; then
+   if test x"${i_do_have_libpng}" != xyes || test x"${with_libpng}" = xno; then
+      AC_MSG_FAILURE([ERROR: Please install the Developer version of libpng],[1])
+   fi
+fi
+if test x"${with_cairo}" = xyes; then
+   if test x"${i_do_have_cairo}" != xno; then
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+   else
+      AC_MSG_FAILURE([ERROR: Please install the Developer version of Cairo],[1])
+   fi
+else
+   if test x"${i_do_have_cairo}" = xno || test x"${with_cairo}" = xno; then
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+      AC_DEFINE([_NO_LIBCAIRO],1,[Define if not using cairo])
+      AS_TR_SH(LIBCAIRO_CFLAGS)=""
+      AS_TR_SH(LIBCAIRO_LIBS)=""
+   else
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+   fi
+fi
+AC_SUBST([LIBCAIRO_CFLAGS])
+AC_SUBST([LIBCAIRO_LIBS])
 ])
 
 
diff --git a/m4/fontforge_create_pkg-config_files.m4 b/m4/fontforge_create_pkg-config_files.m4
index 9788bdd7e1..2269d31008 100644
--- a/m4/fontforge_create_pkg-config_files.m4
+++ b/m4/fontforge_create_pkg-config_files.m4
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ __cleaned_version="${VERSION_MAJOR}.${VERSION_MINOR}.${VERSION_PATCH}"
 __pkg_deps=""
 test x"${i_do_have_python_scripting}" = xyes && __pkg_deps="${__pkg_deps} python-${PYTHON_VERSION}"
 test x"${i_do_have_libxml}" = xyes && __pkg_deps="${__pkg_deps} libxml-2.0"
-test x"${i_do_have_cairo}" = xyes && __pkg_deps="${__pkg_deps} cairo"
+test x"${i_do_have_cairo}" = xyes && test x"${with_cairo}" != xno && __pkg_deps="${__pkg_deps} cairo"
 test x"${i_do_have_cairo}" = xyes && my_libs="${my_libs} pangocairo"
 test x"${i_do_have_gui}" = xyes && __pkg_deps="${__pkg_deps} pango"
 test x"${i_do_have_gui}" = xyes && my_libs="${my_libs} pangoxft"
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ __private_deps=""
 __private_deps="${__private_deps} -lgioftp"
 __private_deps="${__private_deps} -lgutils"
 __private_deps="${__private_deps} -lgunicode"
-test x"${i_do_have_tifflib}" = xyes -a x"${__have_libtiff_pkg_config}" != xyes  && __private_deps="${__private_deps} ${LIBTIFF_LIBS}"
 test x"${i_do_have_giflib}" = xyes && test x"${with_giflib}" != xno && __private_deps="${__private_deps} ${GIFLIB_LIBS}"
 test x"${i_do_have_libjpeg}" = xyes && test x"${with_libjpeg}" != xno && __private_deps="${__private_deps} ${LIBJPEG_LIBS}"
 test x"${i_do_have_libpng}" = xyes && test x"${with_libpng}" != xno && __private_deps="${__private_deps} ${LIBPNG_LIBS}"