diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 141783f23..fe7884ee9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -555,12 +555,12 @@ if(WITH_SYSTEM_KLT)
     find_package(KLT REQUIRED)
 endif()
 
-set(JXL_LIBS "libjxl libjxl_threads")
 if(WITH_JXL AND NOT WITH_JXL STREQUAL "AUTO")
-    pkg_check_modules(JXL REQUIRED IMPORTED_TARGET ${JXL_LIBS})
+    set(JXL_REQUIRED "REQUIRED")
 else()
-    pkg_check_modules(JXL IMPORTED_TARGET ${JXL_LIBS})
+    set(JXL_REQUIRED "")
 endif()
+pkg_check_modules(JXL ${JXL_REQUIRED} IMPORTED_TARGET libjxl libjxl_threads)
 if(JXL_FOUND)
     if(WITH_JXL OR WITH_JXL STREQUAL "AUTO")
         add_definitions(-DLIBJXL)