diff --git a/config/spell.m4 b/config/spell.m4
index 71a0b7bcad..1a2a1e9522 100644
--- a/config/spell.m4
+++ b/config/spell.m4
@@ -51,7 +51,12 @@ AC_DEFUN([CHECK_WITH_HUNSPELL],
 	test "$with_hunspell" = "no" && lyx_use_hunspell=false
 
 	if $lyx_use_hunspell ; then
-	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([HUNSPELL], [hunspell], [], [lyx_use_hunspell=false])
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([HUNSPELL], [hunspell], [], [
+		  AC_CHECK_HEADERS(hunspell/hunspell.hxx,
+		    [lyx_use_hunspell=true; break;],
+			 [lyx_use_hunspell=false])
+			 AC_CHECK_LIB(hunspell, main, LIBS="-lhunspell $LIBS", lyx_use_hunspell=false)
+		])
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to use hunspell])
 	if $lyx_use_hunspell ; then
 		AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
diff --git a/status.20x b/status.20x
index 100e330c6b..be75f7e32f 100644
--- a/status.20x
+++ b/status.20x
@@ -310,5 +310,8 @@ What's new
 - Using pkgconfig to configure hunspell (hunspell 1.3 was not correctly
   recognized).
 
+- Using explicit header and library detection as fallback to configure
+  hunspell in case pkgconfig is missing in build environment.
+
 - Fixed build failure on GNU/Hurd, which doesn't define PATH_MAX
   (bug 7467).