diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 00e5f2ed6..3a440468b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -937,21 +937,23 @@ dnl === Dependencies, compiler flags and linker libraries =====================
 # strip leading space
 BACKEND_PC_FILES=${BACKEND_PC_FILES#* }
 
+# public dependencies, will fill the Requires: field of clutter.pc
 CLUTTER_REQUIRES="$CLUTTER_BASE_PC_FILES $BACKEND_PC_FILES"
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(CLUTTER_DEPS, [$CLUTTER_REQUIRES])
-AC_SUBST(CLUTTER_REQUIRES)
 
-AS_IF([test "x$CLUTTER_BASE_PC_FILES_PRIVATE" != "x" -o test "x$BACKEND_PC_FILES_PRIVATE" != "x"],
-      [
-        CLUTTER_REQUIRES_PRIVATE="$CLUTTER_BASE_PC_FILES_PRIVATE $BACKEND_PC_FILES_PRIVATE"
-        PKG_CHECK_MODULES(CLUTTER_DEPS_PRIVATE, [$CLUTTER_REQUIRES_PRIVATE])
-      ],
+# private dependencies, will fill the Requires.private: field of clutter.pc
+AS_IF([test "x$CLUTTER_BASE_PC_FILES_PRIVATE" = "x" && test "x$BACKEND_PC_FILES_PRIVATE" = "x"],
       [
         CLUTTER_REQUIRES_PRIVATE=""
         CLUTTER_DEPS_PRIVATE_CFLAGS=""
         CLUTTER_DEPS_PRIVATE_LIBS=""
+      ],
+      [
+        CLUTTER_REQUIRES_PRIVATE="$CLUTTER_BASE_PC_FILES_PRIVATE $BACKEND_PC_FILES_PRIVATE"
+        PKG_CHECK_MODULES(CLUTTER_DEPS_PRIVATE, [$CLUTTER_REQUIRES_PRIVATE])
       ])
 
+AC_SUBST(CLUTTER_REQUIRES)
 AC_SUBST(CLUTTER_REQUIRES_PRIVATE)
 
 CLUTTER_CFLAGS="$FLAVOUR_CFLAGS $CLUTTER_DEPS_CFLAGS $CLUTTER_DEPS_PRIVATE_CFLAGS $CLUTTER_PROFILE_CFLAGS $GLIB_CFLAGS"