diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py
index 4fea86c12a33..f8d57a6d18b3 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from .base import ExternalDependency, DependencyException, sort_libpaths, DependencyTypeName
-from ..mesonlib import EnvironmentVariables, OrderedSet, PerMachine, Popen_safe, Popen_safe_logged, MachineChoice, join_args
+from ..mesonlib import (EnvironmentVariables, OrderedSet, PerMachine, Popen_safe, Popen_safe_logged, MachineChoice,
+                        join_args, MesonException)
 from ..options import OptionKey
 from ..programs import find_external_program, ExternalProgram
 from .. import mlog
@@ -30,6 +31,14 @@ class PkgConfigInterface:
 
     class_impl: PerMachine[T.Union[Literal[False], T.Optional[PkgConfigInterface]]] = PerMachine(False, False)
     class_cli_impl: PerMachine[T.Union[Literal[False], T.Optional[PkgConfigCLI]]] = PerMachine(False, False)
+    pkg_bin_per_machine: PerMachine[T.Optional[ExternalProgram]] = PerMachine(None, None)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def set_program_override(pkg_bin: ExternalProgram, for_machine: MachineChoice) -> None:
+        if PkgConfigInterface.class_impl[for_machine]:
+            raise MesonException(f'Tried to override pkg-config for machine {for_machine} but it was already initialized.\n'
+                'pkg-config must be overridden before it\'s used.')
+        PkgConfigInterface.pkg_bin_per_machine[for_machine] = pkg_bin
 
     @staticmethod
     def instance(env: Environment, for_machine: MachineChoice, silent: bool) -> T.Optional[PkgConfigInterface]:
@@ -37,7 +46,7 @@ def instance(env: Environment, for_machine: MachineChoice, silent: bool) -> T.Op
         for_machine = for_machine if env.is_cross_build() else MachineChoice.HOST
         impl = PkgConfigInterface.class_impl[for_machine]
         if impl is False:
-            impl = PkgConfigCLI(env, for_machine, silent)
+            impl = PkgConfigCLI(env, for_machine, silent, PkgConfigInterface.pkg_bin_per_machine[for_machine])
             if not impl.found():
                 impl = None
             if not impl and not silent:
@@ -57,7 +66,7 @@ def _cli(env: Environment, for_machine: MachineChoice, silent: bool = False) ->
         if impl and not isinstance(impl, PkgConfigCLI):
             impl = PkgConfigInterface.class_cli_impl[for_machine]
             if impl is False:
-                impl = PkgConfigCLI(env, for_machine, silent)
+                impl = PkgConfigCLI(env, for_machine, silent, PkgConfigInterface.pkg_bin_per_machine[for_machine])
                 if not impl.found():
                     impl = None
                 PkgConfigInterface.class_cli_impl[for_machine] = impl
@@ -113,9 +122,9 @@ def list_all(self) -> ImmutableListProtocol[str]:
 class PkgConfigCLI(PkgConfigInterface):
     '''pkg-config CLI implementation'''
 
-    def __init__(self, env: Environment, for_machine: MachineChoice, silent: bool) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, env: Environment, for_machine: MachineChoice, silent: bool,pkgbin: T.Optional[ExternalProgram] = None) -> None:
         super().__init__(env, for_machine)
-        self._detect_pkgbin()
+        self._detect_pkgbin(pkgbin)
         if self.pkgbin and not silent:
             mlog.log('Found pkg-config:', mlog.green('YES'), mlog.bold(f'({self.pkgbin.get_path()})'), mlog.blue(self.pkgbin_version))
 
@@ -200,14 +209,27 @@ def _split_args(cmd: str) -> T.List[str]:
         # output using shlex.split rather than mesonlib.split_args
         return shlex.split(cmd)
 
-    def _detect_pkgbin(self) -> None:
-        for potential_pkgbin in find_external_program(
-                self.env, self.for_machine, 'pkg-config', 'Pkg-config',
-                self.env.default_pkgconfig, allow_default_for_cross=False):
+    def _detect_pkgbin(self, pkgbin: T.Optional[ExternalProgram] = None) -> None:
+        def validate(potential_pkgbin: ExternalProgram) -> bool:
             version_if_ok = self._check_pkgconfig(potential_pkgbin)
             if version_if_ok:
                 self.pkgbin = potential_pkgbin
                 self.pkgbin_version = version_if_ok
+                return True
+            return False
+
+        if pkgbin and validate(pkgbin):
+            return
+
+        for potential_pkgbin in find_external_program(
+            self.env,
+            self.for_machine,
+            "pkg-config",
+            "Pkg-config",
+            self.env.default_pkgconfig,
+            allow_default_for_cross=False,
+        ):
+            if validate(potential_pkgbin):
                 return
         self.pkgbin = None
 
@@ -274,7 +296,8 @@ def _call_pkgbin(self, args: T.List[str], env: T.Optional[EnvironOrDict] = None)
 
 class PkgConfigDependency(ExternalDependency):
 
-    def __init__(self, name: str, environment: Environment, kwargs: T.Dict[str, T.Any], language: T.Optional[str] = None) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, name: str, environment: Environment, kwargs: T.Dict[str, T.Any],
+                 language: T.Optional[str] = None) -> None:
         super().__init__(DependencyTypeName('pkgconfig'), environment, kwargs, language=language)
         self.name = name
         self.is_libtool = False
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py
index aa839da361f4..46a79d6c9a9d 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py
@@ -1638,6 +1638,9 @@ def add_find_program_override(self, name: str, exe: T.Union[build.Executable, Ex
         if name in self.build.find_overrides:
             raise InterpreterException(f'Tried to override executable "{name}" which has already been overridden.')
         self.build.find_overrides[name] = exe
+        if name == 'pkg-config' and isinstance(exe, ExternalProgram):
+            from ..dependencies.pkgconfig import PkgConfigInterface
+            PkgConfigInterface.set_program_override(exe, MachineChoice.HOST)
 
     def notfound_program(self, args: T.List[mesonlib.FileOrString]) -> ExternalProgram:
         return NonExistingExternalProgram(' '.join(
diff --git a/run_project_tests.py b/run_project_tests.py
index 831b947ccca4..9f1e1a5958e3 100755
--- a/run_project_tests.py
+++ b/run_project_tests.py
@@ -551,9 +551,14 @@ def validate_output(test: TestDef, stdo: str, stde: str) -> str:
 def clear_internal_caches() -> None:
     import mesonbuild.interpreterbase
     from mesonbuild.dependencies.cmake import CMakeDependency
+    from mesonbuild.dependencies.pkgconfig import PkgConfigInterface
     from mesonbuild.mesonlib import PerMachine
     mesonbuild.interpreterbase.FeatureNew.feature_registry = {}
     CMakeDependency.class_cmakeinfo = PerMachine(None, None)
+    PkgConfigInterface.class_impl = PerMachine(False, False)
+    PkgConfigInterface.class_cli_impl = PerMachine(False, False)
+    PkgConfigInterface.pkg_bin_per_machine = PerMachine(None, None)
+
 
 def run_test_inprocess(testdir: str) -> T.Tuple[int, str, str, str]:
     old_stdout = sys.stdout
diff --git a/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/meson.build b/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..90298288bda1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+project('override pkg-config', 'c')
+
+subproject('pkg-config')
+
+pkgconfig = find_program('pkg-config')
+
+# This dependency can only be found if pkg-config is overridden with our custom pkg-config.py
+gobj = dependency('test-package-0.0', version : '= 0.0.0')
diff --git a/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/subprojects/pkg-config.wrap b/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/subprojects/pkg-config.wrap
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ef7a52ed2037
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/subprojects/pkg-config.wrap	
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[wrap-file]
+directory = pkg-config
+
+[provide]
+program_names = pkg-config
diff --git a/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/subprojects/pkg-config/bin/pkg-config.py b/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/subprojects/pkg-config/bin/pkg-config.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..7dc28c849415
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/subprojects/pkg-config/bin/pkg-config.py	
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import sys
+
+if len(sys.argv) > 1:
+    if sys.argv[1] == "--modversion":
+        if sys.argv[2] == "test-package-0.0":
+            print("0.0.0")
+        else:
+            exit(-1)
+    elif sys.argv[1] == "--version":
+        print("0.0.0")
+        exit(0)
diff --git a/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/subprojects/pkg-config/meson.build b/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/subprojects/pkg-config/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..af526f9345a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/279 pkgconfig override/subprojects/pkg-config/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+project('pkg-config')
+
+pkgconfig = find_program(meson.project_source_root() / 'bin' / 'pkg-config.py')
+meson.override_find_program('pkg-config', pkgconfig)