diff --git a/package/shadow/shadow.mk b/package/shadow/shadow.mk
index cf05fc1bdcb..5f9b69ef888 100644
--- a/package/shadow/shadow.mk
+++ b/package/shadow/shadow.mk
@@ -10,9 +10,12 @@ SHADOW_SOURCE = shadow-$(SHADOW_VERSION).tar.xz
 SHADOW_LICENSE = BSD-3-Clause
 SHADOW_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 SHADOW_CPE_ID_VENDOR = debian
-SHADOW_DEPENDENCIES = $(TARGET_NLS_DEPENDENCIES)
 SHADOW_CONF_ENV = LIBS=$(TARGET_NLS_LIBS)
 
+SHADOW_DEPENDENCIES = \
+	host-pkgconf \
+	$(TARGET_NLS_DEPENDENCIES)
+
 SHADOW_CONF_OPTS = \
 	--disable-man \
 	--without-btrfs \