diff --git a/binding.gyp b/binding.gyp
index 1c25248..66f0115 100755
--- a/binding.gyp
+++ b/binding.gyp
@@ -12,9 +12,8 @@
       'variables': {
         'with_jpeg%': '<!(./util/has_lib.sh jpeg)',
         'with_gif%': '<!(./util/has_lib.sh gif)',
-        # disable pango as it causes issues with freetype.
-        'with_pango%': '<!(./util/has_lib.sh pangocairo)',
-        'with_freetype%': '<!(./util/has_cairo_freetype.sh)'
+        'with_pango%': '<!(./util/has_lib.sh pango)',
+        'with_freetype%': '<!(./util/has_lib.sh freetype)'
       }
     }]
   ],
diff --git a/util/cairo_include.sh b/util/cairo_include.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index fae1719..0000000
--- a/util/cairo_include.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env sh
-
-# Make pkg-config lookup include files from the build directory.
-export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")"; pwd)/../build_cairo/lib/pkgconfig;
-
-pkg-config cairo --cflags-only-I | sed s/-I//g
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/util/has_cairo_freetype.sh b/util/has_cairo_freetype.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 7c7e583..0000000
--- a/util/has_cairo_freetype.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env sh
-
-has_freetype() {
-  pkg-config cairo --cflags-only-I | grep freetype2
-}
-
-has_freetype > /dev/null
-
-if test $? -eq 0; then
-  echo true
-else
-  echo false
-fi
diff --git a/util/has_lib.sh b/util/has_lib.sh
index 6419e24..31ef129 100755
--- a/util/has_lib.sh
+++ b/util/has_lib.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env sh
-has_lib() {
+#!/bin/bash
+
+has_ldconfig() {
+  hash ldconfig 2>/dev/null
+}
+
+has_system_lib() {
   local regex="lib$1.+(so|dylib)"
 
   # Add /sbin to path as ldconfig is located there on some systems - e.g. Debian
@@ -7,21 +12,52 @@ has_lib() {
   PATH="$PATH:/sbin"
   export PATH
   # Try using ldconfig on linux systems
-  for LINE in `which ldconfig > /dev/null && ldconfig -p 2>/dev/null | grep -E $regex`; do
-    return 0
-  done
+  if $(has_ldconfig); then
+    for _ in $(ldconfig -p 2>/dev/null | grep -E "$regex"); do
+      return 0
+    done
+  fi
 
   # Try just checking common library locations
   for dir in /lib /usr/lib /usr/local/lib /opt/local/lib /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu; do
-    test -d $dir && ls $dir | grep -E $regex && return 0
+    test -d $dir && ls $dir | grep -E "$regex" && return 0
   done
 
   return 1
 }
 
-has_lib $1 > /dev/null
-if test $? -eq 0; then
-  echo true
+has_freetype() {
+  pkg-config cairo --cflags-only-I | grep freetype2
+}
+
+has_pkgconfig_lib() {
+  pkg-config --exists "$1"
+}
+
+case "$1" in
+  gif)
+    has_system_lib "gif" > /dev/null
+    result=$?
+    ;;
+  jpeg)
+    has_system_lib "jpeg" > /dev/null
+    result=$?
+    ;;
+  pango)
+    has_pkgconfig_lib "pango" > /dev/null
+    result=$?
+    ;;
+  freetype)
+    has_freetype > /dev/null
+    result=$?
+    ;;
+  *)
+    >&2 echo "Unknown library: $1"
+    exit 1
+esac
+
+if test $result -eq 0; then
+  echo "true"
 else
-  echo false
+  echo "false"
 fi
diff --git a/util/lib_lookup.sh b/util/lib_lookup.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 13c4f9c..0000000
--- a/util/lib_lookup.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env sh
-
-# Make pkg-config lookup include files from the build directory.
-export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")"; pwd)/../build_cairo/lib/pkgconfig;
-
-pkg-config $1 --libs
\ No newline at end of file