diff --git a/makepanda/makepandacore.py b/makepanda/makepandacore.py
index 8767e0890a..7369ca1123 100644
--- a/makepanda/makepandacore.py
+++ b/makepanda/makepandacore.py
@@ -1075,6 +1075,7 @@ def SmartPkgEnable(pkg, pkgconfig = None, libs = None, incs = None, defs = None,
         LibDirectory(pkg, GetThirdpartyDir() + pkg.lower() + "/lib")
         # TODO: check for a .pc file in the lib/pkg-config/ dir
         if (tool != None and os.path.isfile(GetThirdpartyDir() + pkg.lower() + "/bin/" + tool)):
+            tool = GetThirdpartyDir() + pkg.lower() + "/bin/" + tool
             for i in PkgConfigGetLibs(pkg.lower(), tool):
                 LibName(pkg, i)
             for i, j in PkgConfigGetDefSymbols(pkg.lower(), tool).items():