--- a/ext/hiredis_ext/extconf.rb
+++ b/ext/hiredis_ext/extconf.rb
@@ -27,15 +27,8 @@
 end
 
 if build_hiredis
-  # Make sure hiredis is built...
-  Dir.chdir(hiredis_dir) do
-    success = system("#{make_program} static")
-    raise "Building hiredis failed" if !success
-  end
-
-  # Statically link to hiredis (mkmf can't do this for us)
-  $CFLAGS << " -I#{hiredis_dir}"
-  $LDFLAGS << " #{hiredis_dir}/libhiredis.a"
+  $CFLAGS << ' ' << `${PKG_CONFIG} hiredis --cflags-only-I`.chomp
+  $LDFLAGS << ' -lhiredis'
 
   have_func("rb_thread_fd_select")
   create_makefile('hiredis/ext/hiredis_ext')