diff --git a/pkgs/test/pkg-config-packages.nix b/pkgs/test/pkg-config-packages.nix
index 8e4e5253f9b1..2d14d9402f0e 100644
--- a/pkgs/test/pkg-config-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/test/pkg-config-packages.nix
@@ -30,6 +30,13 @@ let
       # single test, which we want to do in `passthru.tests`, or interactively.
       null
 
+    else if ! pkg?meta.broken
+    then
+      throw "pkg-config module `${escapeNixIdentifier moduleName}` does not have a `meta.broken` attribute. This can't be right. Please check the attribute value for `${escapeNixIdentifier moduleName}` in `pkgs/top-level/pkg-config.packages.nix` in Nixpkgs."
+
+    else if pkg.meta.broken
+    then null
+
     else makePkgConfigTest moduleName pkg;
 
   makePkgConfigTest = moduleName: pkg: runCommand "check-pkg-config-${moduleName}" {