diff --git a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_make.cmake b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_make.cmake
index ca15f182c2..2dd178ea5e 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_make.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_make.cmake
@@ -809,7 +809,8 @@ function(vcpkg_configure_make)
             set(relative_build_path .)
         endif()
 
-        z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(BASE_DIRS "${CURRENT_INSTALLED_DIR}${path_suffix_${current_buildtype}}")
+        # Setup PKG_CONFIG_PATH
+        z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(CONFIG "${current_buildtype}")
 
         # Setup environment
         set(ENV{CPPFLAGS} "${CPPFLAGS_${current_buildtype}}")
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_meson.cmake b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_meson.cmake
index 21b8305242..da701b8c9a 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_meson.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_meson.cmake
@@ -418,11 +418,7 @@ function(vcpkg_configure_meson)
         file(MAKE_DIRECTORY "${CURRENT_BUILDTREES_DIR}/${TARGET_TRIPLET}-${suffix_${buildtype}}")
         #setting up PKGCONFIG
         if(NOT arg_NO_PKG_CONFIG)
-            if ("${buildtype}" STREQUAL "DEBUG")
-                z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(BASE_DIRS "${CURRENT_INSTALLED_DIR}/debug")
-            else()
-                z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(BASE_DIRS "${CURRENT_INSTALLED_DIR}")
-            endif()
+            z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(CONFIG "${buildtype}")
         endif()
 
         z_vcpkg_meson_setup_variables(${buildtype})
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_qmake.cmake b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_qmake.cmake
index f9e7d2c541..b5347cef78 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_qmake.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_qmake.cmake
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ function(vcpkg_configure_qmake)
     endif()
 
     if(NOT DEFINED VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE OR VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "release")
-        z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(BASE_DIRS "${CURRENT_INSTALLED_DIR}" "${CURRENT_PACKAGES_DIR}")
+        z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(CONFIG RELEASE)
 
         set(current_binary_dir "${CURRENT_BUILDTREES_DIR}/${TARGET_TRIPLET}-rel")
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ function(vcpkg_configure_qmake)
     endif()
 
     if(NOT DEFINED VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE OR VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "debug")
-        z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(BASE_DIRS "${CURRENT_INSTALLED_DIR}/debug" "${CURRENT_PACKAGES_DIR}/debug")
+        z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(CONFIG DEBUG)
 
         set(current_binary_dir "${CURRENT_BUILDTREES_DIR}/${TARGET_TRIPLET}-dbg")
 
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_fixup_pkgconfig.cmake b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_fixup_pkgconfig.cmake
index 2c2fd31ff2..0cae0de00a 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_fixup_pkgconfig.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_fixup_pkgconfig.cmake
@@ -116,18 +116,7 @@ function(z_vcpkg_fixup_pkgconfig_check_files arg_file arg_config)
     set(path_suffix_DEBUG /debug)
     set(path_suffix_RELEASE "")
 
-    if(DEFINED ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH})
-        set(backup_env_pkg_config_path "$ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH}")
-    else()
-        unset(backup_env_pkg_config_path)
-    endif()
-
-    vcpkg_host_path_list(PREPEND ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH}
-        "${CURRENT_PACKAGES_DIR}${path_suffix_${arg_config}}/lib/pkgconfig"
-        "${CURRENT_PACKAGES_DIR}/share/pkgconfig"
-        "${CURRENT_INSTALLED_DIR}${path_suffix_${arg_config}}/lib/pkgconfig"
-        "${CURRENT_INSTALLED_DIR}/share/pkgconfig"
-    )
+    z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(CONFIG "${arg_config}")
 
     # First make sure everything is ok with the package and its deps
     cmake_path(GET arg_file STEM LAST_ONLY package_name)
@@ -149,11 +138,8 @@ function(z_vcpkg_fixup_pkgconfig_check_files arg_file arg_config)
     else()
         debug_message("pkg-config --exists ${package_name} output: ${output}")
     endif()
-    if(DEFINED backup_env_pkg_config_path)
-        set(ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "${backup_env_pkg_config_path}")
-    else()
-        unset(ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH})
-    endif()
+
+    z_vcpkg_restore_pkgconfig_path()
 endfunction()
 
 function(vcpkg_fixup_pkgconfig)
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path.cmake b/scripts/cmake/z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path.cmake
index 628b71b018..7b25ae590e 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path.cmake
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 function(z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path)
-    cmake_parse_arguments(PARSE_ARGV 0 "arg" "" "" "BASE_DIRS")
+    cmake_parse_arguments(PARSE_ARGV 0 "arg" "" "CONFIG" "")
 
-    if(NOT DEFINED arg_BASE_DIRS OR "${arg_BASE_DIRS}" STREQUAL "")
-        message(FATAL_ERROR "BASE_DIRS is required.")
+    if("${arg_CONFIG}" STREQUAL "")
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "CONFIG is required.")
     endif()
     if(DEFINED arg_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS)
         message(FATAL_ERROR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION} was passed extra arguments: ${arg_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS}")
@@ -22,13 +22,19 @@ function(z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path)
 
     set(ENV{PKG_CONFIG} "${PKGCONFIG}") # Set via native file?
 
-    foreach(base_dir IN LISTS arg_BASE_DIRS)
-        vcpkg_host_path_list(PREPEND ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "${base_dir}/share/pkgconfig/")
-    endforeach()
-
-    foreach(base_dir IN LISTS arg_BASE_DIRS)
-        vcpkg_host_path_list(PREPEND ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "${base_dir}/lib/pkgconfig/")
+    foreach(prefix IN ITEMS "${CURRENT_INSTALLED_DIR}" "${CURRENT_PACKAGES_DIR}")
+        vcpkg_host_path_list(PREPEND ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "${prefix}/share/pkgconfig")
+        if(arg_CONFIG STREQUAL "RELEASE")
+            vcpkg_host_path_list(PREPEND ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "${prefix}/lib/pkgconfig")
+            # search order is lib, share, external
+        elseif(arg_CONFIG STREQUAL "DEBUG")
+            vcpkg_host_path_list(PREPEND ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "${prefix}/debug/lib/pkgconfig")
+            # search order is debug/lib, share, external
+        else()
+            message(FATAL_ERROR "CONFIG must be either RELEASE or DEBUG.")
+        endif()
     endforeach()
+    # total search order is current packages dir, current installed dir, external
 endfunction()
 
 function(z_vcpkg_restore_pkgconfig_path)
diff --git a/scripts/test_ports/unit-test-cmake/test-z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path.cmake b/scripts/test_ports/unit-test-cmake/test-z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path.cmake
index 3ae9c86577..e173b0b9c1 100644
--- a/scripts/test_ports/unit-test-cmake/test-z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path.cmake
+++ b/scripts/test_ports/unit-test-cmake/test-z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path.cmake
@@ -8,9 +8,23 @@ set(ENV{PKG_CONFIG} "/a/pkgconf")
 set(ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "1")
 set(saved_path "$ENV{PATH}")
 
-z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(BASE_DIRS "/2")
+block(SCOPE_FOR VARIABLES)
+
+set(CURRENT_PACKAGES_DIR "P")
+set(CURRENT_INSTALLED_DIR "I")
+
+z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(CONFIG RELEASE)
+unit_test_check_variable_equal([[]] ENV{PKG_CONFIG} [[/a/pkgconf]])
+unit_test_match([[]] ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "^P.lib.pkgconfig.P.share.pkgconfig.I.lib.pkgconfig.I.share.pkgconfig.1\$")
+
+z_vcpkg_restore_pkgconfig_path()
+unit_test_check_variable_equal([[]] ENV{PKG_CONFIG} [[/a/pkgconf]])
+unit_test_check_variable_equal([[]] ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "1")
+
+z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(CONFIG DEBUG)
 unit_test_check_variable_equal([[]] ENV{PKG_CONFIG} [[/a/pkgconf]])
 unit_test_check_variable_not_equal([[]] ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "1")
+unit_test_match([[]] ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "^P.debug.lib.pkgconfig.P.share.pkgconfig.I.debug.lib.pkgconfig.I.share.pkgconfig.1\$")
 
 z_vcpkg_restore_pkgconfig_path()
 unit_test_check_variable_equal([[]] ENV{PKG_CONFIG} [[/a/pkgconf]])
@@ -20,3 +34,8 @@ unit_test_check_variable_equal([[]] ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH} "1")
 # It is hard to see which side effects a restore would have, so
 # this is expected behaviour for now.
 unit_test_check_variable_not_equal([[]] ENV{PATH} "${saved_path}")
+
+unit_test_ensure_fatal_error([[ z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path() ]])
+unit_test_ensure_fatal_error([[ z_vcpkg_setup_pkgconfig_path(CONFIG unknown) ]])
+
+endblock()