diff --git a/cmake/modules/FindHarfBuzz.cmake b/cmake/modules/FindHarfBuzz.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ae1d56acda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/modules/FindHarfBuzz.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Filename: FindHarfBuzz.cmake
+# Authors: CFSworks (2 Nov, 2018)
+#
+# Usage:
+#   find_package(HarfBuzz [REQUIRED] [QUIET])
+#
+# Once done this will define:
+#   HARFBUZZ_FOUND       - system has HarfBuzz
+#   HARFBUZZ_INCLUDE_DIR - the include directory containing hb.h
+#   HARFBUZZ_LIBRARY     - the path to the HarfBuzz library
+#
+
+if(NOT HARFBUZZ_INCLUDE_DIR)
+  find_path(HARFBUZZ_INCLUDE_DIR
+    NAMES "hb.h"
+    PATH_SUFFIXES "harfbuzz")
+
+  mark_as_advanced(HARFBUZZ_INCLUDE_DIR)
+endif()
+
+if(NOT HARFBUZZ_LIBRARY)
+  find_library(HARFBUZZ_LIBRARY
+    NAMES "harfbuzz")
+
+  mark_as_advanced(HARFBUZZ_LIBRARY)
+endif()
+
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+find_package_handle_standard_args(HarfBuzz DEFAULT_MSG HARFBUZZ_INCLUDE_DIR HARFBUZZ_LIBRARY)
diff --git a/dtool/Package.cmake b/dtool/Package.cmake
index 65bec54b4e..e3dc9c2da4 100644
--- a/dtool/Package.cmake
+++ b/dtool/Package.cmake
@@ -308,12 +308,24 @@ endif()
 find_package(Freetype QUIET)
 
 package_option(FREETYPE
-  "This enables support for the FreeType font-rendering library. If disabled,
+  "This enables support for the FreeType font-rendering library.  If disabled,
   Panda3D will only be able to read fonts specially made with egg-mkfont."
   IMPORTED_AS freetype)
 
 config_package(FREETYPE "FreeType")
 
+# HarfBuzz
+
+# Some versions of harfbuzz-config.cmake contain an endless while loop, so we
+# force MODULE mode here.
+find_package(HarfBuzz MODULE QUIET)
+
+package_option(HARFBUZZ
+  "This enables support for the HarfBuzz text shaping library."
+  IMPORTED_AS harfbuzz::harfbuzz)
+
+config_package(HARFBUZZ "HarfBuzz")
+
 # GTK2
 
 # Find and configure GTK
diff --git a/dtool/dtool_config.h.in b/dtool/dtool_config.h.in
index 30b95773d9..27d264dabb 100644
--- a/dtool/dtool_config.h.in
+++ b/dtool/dtool_config.h.in
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 /* Define if we have Freetype 2.0 or better available. */
 #cmakedefine HAVE_FREETYPE
 
+/* Define if we have HarfBuzz available. */
+#cmakedefine HAVE_HARFBUZZ
+
 /* Define if we want to compile in a default font. */
 #cmakedefine COMPILE_IN_DEFAULT_FONT
 
diff --git a/panda/src/text/CMakeLists.txt b/panda/src/text/CMakeLists.txt
index 4d9f9fe220..3b02c62ae7 100644
--- a/panda/src/text/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/panda/src/text/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ set(P3TEXT_SOURCES
 composite_sources(p3text P3TEXT_SOURCES)
 add_component_library(p3text SYMBOL BUILDING_PANDA_TEXT
   ${P3TEXT_HEADERS} ${P3TEXT_SOURCES})
-target_link_libraries(p3text p3parametrics)
+target_link_libraries(p3text p3parametrics
+  PKG::HARFBUZZ)
 if(HAVE_FREETYPE)
   target_link_libraries(p3text p3pnmtext)
 endif()