diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pango/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pango/package.py
index 8e423a762d34dd..06c68357b4149e 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pango/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pango/package.py
@@ -127,14 +127,10 @@ def configure_args(self):
         args.append("GTKDOC_MKPDF={0}".format(true))
         args.append("GTKDOC_REBASE={0}".format(true))
 
-        if self.spec["cairo"].satisfies("~shared"):
-            ldflags = [self.spec["pixman"].libs.search_flags]
-            libs = [self.spec["pixman"].libs.link_flags]
-            if self.spec["cairo"].satisfies("+png"):
-                ldflags.append(self.spec["libpng"].libs.search_flags)
-                libs.append(self.spec["libpng"].libs.link_flags)
-            args.append("LDFLAGS=%s" % " ".join(ldflags))
-            args.append("LIBS=%s" % " ".join(libs))
+        if self.spec.satisfies("^cairo ~shared"):
+            pkgconfig = which("pkg-config")
+            cairo_libs = pkgconfig("cairo", "--static", "--libs", output=str).strip()
+            args.append(f"LIBS={cairo_libs}")
 
         return args