diff --git a/cmake/IgnUtils.cmake b/cmake/IgnUtils.cmake
index bc6dbdc..1e8adbb 100644
--- a/cmake/IgnUtils.cmake
+++ b/cmake/IgnUtils.cmake
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ macro(ign_find_package PACKAGE_NAME)
   #------------------------------------
   # Define the expected arguments
   set(options REQUIRED PRIVATE EXACT QUIET BUILD_ONLY PKGCONFIG_IGNORE)
-  set(oneValueArgs VERSION PRETTY PURPOSE EXTRA_ARGS PKGCONFIG PKGCONFIG_LIB PKGCONFIG_VER_COMPARISON)
+  set(oneValueArgs VERSION PRETTY PURPOSE EXTRA_ARGS PKGCONFIG PKGCONFIG_LIB PKGCONFIG_VER_COMPARISON BY_PKGCONFIG)
   set(multiValueArgs REQUIRED_BY PRIVATE_FOR COMPONENTS OPTIONAL_COMPONENTS)
 
   #------------------------------------
@@ -183,9 +183,15 @@ macro(ign_find_package PACKAGE_NAME)
   endif()
 
 
+  if (NOT ign_find_package_BY_PKGCONFIG)
   #------------------------------------
   # Call find_package with the provided arguments
   find_package(${${PACKAGE_NAME}_find_package_args})
+  else()
+  find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
+  include(FindPkgConfig)
+  pkg_check_modules(${PACKAGE_NAME} ${ign_find_package_BY_PKGCONFIG})
+  endif()
 
   if(${PACKAGE_NAME}_FOUND)
 
@@ -300,17 +306,11 @@ macro(ign_find_package PACKAGE_NAME)
     endif()
 
     if(ign_find_package_REQUIRED_BY)
-
-      # Identify which components are privately requiring this package
-      foreach(component ${ign_find_package_PRIVATE_FOR})
-        set(${component}_${PACKAGE_NAME}_PRIVATE true)
-      endforeach()
-
       # If this is required by some components, add it to the
       # ${component}_CMAKE_DEPENDENCIES variables that are specific to those
       # componenets
       foreach(component ${ign_find_package_REQUIRED_BY})
-        if(NOT ${component}_${PACKAGE_NAME}_PRIVATE)
+        if(NOT ign_find_package_BY_PKGCONFIG)
           ign_string_append(${component}_CMAKE_DEPENDENCIES "${${PACKAGE_NAME}_find_dependency}" DELIM "\n")
         endif()
       endforeach()