diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libtiger/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/libtiger/default.nix
index 60dee56e6a2..7876c23bcc1 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/libtiger/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libtiger/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-{ stdenv, lib, fetchurl, libkate, pango, cairo, pkg-config, darwin }:
+{ stdenv, lib, fetchurl, autoreconfHook, pkg-config
+, libkate, pango, cairo, darwin
+}:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "libtiger";
@@ -9,7 +11,15 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "0rj1bmr9kngrgbxrjbn4f4f9pww0wmf6viflinq7ava7zdav4hkk";
   };
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ pkg-config ];
+  patches = [
+    ./pkg-config.patch
+  ];
+
+  postPatch = ''
+    substituteInPlace configure.ac --replace "-Werror" "-Wno-error"
+  '';
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ autoreconfHook pkg-config ];
   buildInputs = [ libkate pango cairo ]
     ++ lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin darwin.apple_sdk.frameworks.ApplicationServices;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libtiger/pkg-config.patch b/pkgs/development/libraries/libtiger/pkg-config.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..68c89254461
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libtiger/pkg-config.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+From 3ebeb0932edc01b7768216dc7d3b3c5aac21fba0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Alyssa Ross <hi@alyssa.is>
+Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2023 17:21:48 +0000
+Subject: [PATCH] configure.ac: detect pkg-config properly
+
+When cross compiling, the relevant pkg-config program might be prefixed
+with the name of the host platform, so the previous check was not
+correct.  Detect pkg-config properly, using the appropriate macro.
+---
+ configure.ac | 4 ++--
+ 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
+index 2f63684..bf2faf7 100644
+--- a/configure.ac
++++ b/configure.ac
+@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS([select nanosleep usleep])
+ 
+ AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
+ 
+-AC_CHECK_PROG(HAVE_PKG_CONFIG,pkg-config,yes)
++PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
+ 
+ AC_ARG_ENABLE(doc, [  --disable-doc           Disable building documentation (default enabled)])
+ if test "x$enable_doc" != "xno"
+@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ else
+ fi
+ AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_DOXYGEN,test "${HAVE_DOXYGEN}" = "yes")
+ 
+-if test "x$HAVE_PKG_CONFIG" = "xyes"
++if test "x$PKG_CONFIG" != "x"
+ then
+   PKG_CHECK_MODULES(KATE,kate >= 0.2.0)
+   PKG_CHECK_MODULES(PANGOCAIRO,pangocairo >= 1.16)
+-- 
+2.37.1
+