diff --git a/CONFIG b/CONFIG
index a4e76204d..bfa27597c 100644
--- a/CONFIG
+++ b/CONFIG
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ CONFIG_ENV=
 # This directory should contain 'include' and 'lib' directories for your DPDK
 # installation.
 CONFIG_DPDK_DIR=
+# Automatically set via pkg-config when bare --with-dpdk is set
+CONFIG_DPDK_LIB_DIR=
+CONFIG_DPDK_INC_DIR=
+CONFIG_DPDK_PKG_CONFIG=n
 
 # This directory should contain 'include' and 'lib' directories for WPDK.
 CONFIG_WPDK_DIR=
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 617e656f1..cab44a781 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -58,11 +58,13 @@ export MAKE_PID := $(shell echo $$PPID)
 ifeq ($(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/lib/env_dpdk,$(CONFIG_ENV))
 ifeq ($(CURDIR)/dpdk/build,$(CONFIG_DPDK_DIR))
 ifneq ($(SKIP_DPDK_BUILD),1)
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_DPDK_PKG_CONFIG),y)
 DPDKBUILD = dpdkbuild
 DIRS-y += dpdkbuild
 endif
 endif
 endif
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows)
 ifeq ($(CURDIR)/wpdk/build,$(CONFIG_WPDK_DIR))
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 7438b91a6..6bd6bf17b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -284,6 +284,17 @@ for i in "$@"; do
 		--disable-cet)
 			CONFIG[CET]=n
 			;;
+		--with-dpdk)
+			if pkg-config --exists libdpdk; then
+				CONFIG[DPDK_LIB_DIR]=$(pkg-config --variable=libdir libdpdk)
+				CONFIG[DPDK_INC_DIR]=$(pkg-config --variable=includedir libdpdk)
+				CONFIG[DPDK_PKG_CONFIG]=y
+				CFLAGS="${CFLAGS:+$CFLAGS }$(pkg-config --cflags libdpdk)"
+			else
+				echo "libdpdk.pc not found, aborting"
+				exit 1
+			fi
+			;;
 		--with-dpdk=*)
 			check_dir "$i"
 			CONFIG[DPDK_DIR]=$(readlink -f ${i#*=})
@@ -535,7 +546,7 @@ fi
 if [ -z "${CONFIG[ENV]}" ]; then
 	CONFIG[ENV]=$rootdir/lib/env_dpdk
 	echo "Using default SPDK env in ${CONFIG[ENV]}"
-	if [ -z "${CONFIG[DPDK_DIR]}" ]; then
+	if [[ -z "${CONFIG[DPDK_DIR]}" && "${CONFIG[DPDK_PKG_CONFIG]}" == n ]]; then
 		if [ ! -f "$rootdir"/dpdk/config/meson.build ]; then
 			echo "DPDK not found; please specify --with-dpdk=<path> or run:"
 			echo
@@ -547,7 +558,7 @@ if [ -z "${CONFIG[ENV]}" ]; then
 		fi
 	fi
 else
-	if [ -n "${CONFIG[DPDK_DIR]}" ]; then
+	if [[ -n "${CONFIG[DPDK_DIR]}" || "${CONFIG[DPDK_PKG_CONFIG]}" == y ]]; then
 		echo "--with-env and --with-dpdk are mutually exclusive."
 		exit 1
 	fi
@@ -564,6 +575,14 @@ else
 	CONFIG[VIRTIO]="n"
 fi
 
+if [[ "${CONFIG[DPDK_PKG_CONFIG]}" == y ]]; then
+	if [[ "${CONFIG[SHARED]}" == n ]]; then
+		# dpdk-devel doesn't provide static libs
+		echo "Build against packaged DPDK requested, enabling shared libraries"
+		CONFIG[SHARED]=y
+	fi
+fi
+
 if [[ $sys_name == "Windows" ]]; then
 	if [ -z "${CONFIG[WPDK_DIR]}" ]; then
 		if [ ! -f "$rootdir"/wpdk/Makefile ]; then
diff --git a/lib/env_dpdk/Makefile b/lib/env_dpdk/Makefile
index b73282081..19b0e7be6 100644
--- a/lib/env_dpdk/Makefile
+++ b/lib/env_dpdk/Makefile
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ LIBDPDK_PKGCONFIG = $(call pkgconfig_filename,spdk_dpdklibs)
 
 $(LIBDPDK_PKGCONFIG): $(PKGCONFIG) $(PKGCONFIG_INST)
 	$(Q)$(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/scripts/pc_libs.sh \
-		"-L$(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib $(DPDK_LIB_LIST:%=-l%)" "" DPDK spdk_dpdklibs > $@
+		"-L$(DPDK_LIB_DIR) $(DPDK_LIB_LIST:%=-l%)" "" DPDK spdk_dpdklibs > $@
 	$(Q)sed -i.bak '5s,.*,Requires: $(DEPDIRS-$(LIBNAME):%=spdk_%) spdk_dpdklibs,' $(PKGCONFIG) ; rm $(PKGCONFIG).bak
 	$(Q)sed -i.bak '5s,.*,Requires: $(DEPDIRS-$(LIBNAME):%=spdk_%) spdk_dpdklibs,' $(PKGCONFIG_INST) ; rm $(PKGCONFIG_INST).bak
 
diff --git a/lib/env_dpdk/env.mk b/lib/env_dpdk/env.mk
index 8edaf8558..7d256e06f 100644
--- a/lib/env_dpdk/env.mk
+++ b/lib/env_dpdk/env.mk
@@ -41,11 +41,22 @@ DPDK_DIR = $(CONFIG_DPDK_DIR)
 
 export DPDK_ABS_DIR = $(abspath $(DPDK_DIR))
 
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_DPDK_LIB_DIR),)
+DPDK_LIB_DIR = $(CONFIG_DPDK_LIB_DIR)
+else
+DPDK_LIB_DIR = $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib
+endif
+
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_DPDK_INC_DIR),)
+DPDK_INC_DIR = $(CONFIG_DPDK_INC_DIR)
+else
 ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/include/rte_config.h))
 DPDK_INC_DIR := $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/include
 else
 DPDK_INC_DIR := $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/include/dpdk
 endif
+endif
+
 DPDK_INC := -I$(DPDK_INC_DIR)
 
 DPDK_LIB_LIST = rte_eal rte_mempool rte_ring rte_mbuf rte_bus_pci rte_pci rte_mempool_ring
@@ -55,7 +66,7 @@ DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_power rte_ethdev rte_net
 endif
 
 # DPDK 20.05 eal dependency
-ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib/librte_telemetry.*))
+ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_LIB_DIR)/librte_telemetry.*))
 DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_telemetry
 endif
 
@@ -66,7 +77,7 @@ DPDK_FRAMEWORK=n
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_CRYPTO),y)
 DPDK_FRAMEWORK=y
 DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_reorder
-ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib/librte_crypto_aesni_mb.*))
+ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_LIB_DIR)/librte_crypto_aesni_mb.*))
 DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_crypto_aesni_mb
 else
 # PMD name for DPDK 20.08 and earlier
@@ -76,7 +87,7 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_REDUCE),y)
 DPDK_FRAMEWORK=y
-ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib/librte_compress_isal.*))
+ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_LIB_DIR)/librte_compress_isal.*))
 DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_compress_isal
 else
 # PMD name for DPDK 20.08 and earlier
@@ -86,7 +97,7 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(DPDK_FRAMEWORK),y)
 DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_cryptodev rte_compressdev rte_bus_vdev
-ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib/librte_common_qat.*))
+ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_LIB_DIR)/librte_common_qat.*))
 DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_common_qat
 else
 # PMD name for DPDK 20.08 and earlier
@@ -94,7 +105,7 @@ DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_pmd_qat
 endif
 endif
 
-ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib/librte_kvargs.*))
+ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_LIB_DIR)/librte_kvargs.*))
 DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_kvargs
 endif
 
@@ -114,13 +125,13 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(LINK_HASH),y)
 DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_hash
-ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib/librte_rcu.*))
+ifneq (, $(wildcard $(DPDK_LIB_DIR)/librte_rcu.*))
 DPDK_LIB_LIST += rte_rcu
 endif
 endif
 
-DPDK_SHARED_LIB = $(DPDK_LIB_LIST:%=$(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib/lib%.so)
-DPDK_STATIC_LIB = $(DPDK_LIB_LIST:%=$(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib/lib%.a)
+DPDK_SHARED_LIB = $(DPDK_LIB_LIST:%=$(DPDK_LIB_DIR)/lib%.so)
+DPDK_STATIC_LIB = $(DPDK_LIB_LIST:%=$(DPDK_LIB_DIR)/lib%.a)
 DPDK_SHARED_LIB_LINKER_ARGS = $(call add_no_as_needed,$(DPDK_SHARED_LIB))
 DPDK_STATIC_LIB_LINKER_ARGS = $(call add_whole_archive,$(DPDK_STATIC_LIB))
 
@@ -160,12 +171,12 @@ endif
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_SHARED),y)
 ENV_DPDK_FILE = $(call spdk_lib_list_to_shared_libs,env_dpdk)
 ENV_LIBS = $(ENV_DPDK_FILE) $(DPDK_SHARED_LIB)
-DPDK_LINKER_ARGS = -Wl,-rpath-link $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib $(DPDK_SHARED_LIB_LINKER_ARGS)
+DPDK_LINKER_ARGS = -Wl,-rpath-link $(DPDK_LIB_DIR) $(DPDK_SHARED_LIB_LINKER_ARGS)
 ENV_LINKER_ARGS = $(ENV_DPDK_FILE) $(DPDK_LINKER_ARGS)
 else
 ENV_DPDK_FILE = $(call spdk_lib_list_to_static_libs,env_dpdk)
 ENV_LIBS = $(ENV_DPDK_FILE) $(DPDK_STATIC_LIB)
-DPDK_LINKER_ARGS = -Wl,-rpath-link $(DPDK_ABS_DIR)/lib $(DPDK_STATIC_LIB_LINKER_ARGS)
+DPDK_LINKER_ARGS = -Wl,-rpath-link $(DPDK_LIB_DIR) $(DPDK_STATIC_LIB_LINKER_ARGS)
 ENV_LINKER_ARGS = $(ENV_DPDK_FILE) $(DPDK_LINKER_ARGS)
 ENV_LINKER_ARGS += $(DPDK_PRIVATE_LINKER_ARGS)
 endif