diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 10a088db..2adae708 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -171,6 +171,23 @@ LIBCFLAGS := -fpic -D_REENTRANT $(ALL_CFLAGS)
 
 ALL_LDFLAGS := $(LDFLAGS)
 
+# Determine iconv linking requirements
+# glibc has built-in iconv, other libc implementations may need -liconv
+ifndef LIBICONV
+  ICONV_TEST := $(shell printf '%s\n' \
+    '#include <iconv.h>' \
+    'int main() { iconv_t cd = iconv_open("UTF-8", "ASCII"); return 0; }' \
+    | $(CC) $(ALL_CPPFLAGS) -x c - -o /tmp/lm_sensors_iconv_test 2>/dev/null && echo "builtin" || echo "external")
+
+  ifeq ($(ICONV_TEST),builtin)
+    LIBICONV :=
+  else
+    LIBICONV := -liconv
+  endif
+
+  $(shell rm -f /tmp/lm_sensors_iconv_test)
+endif
+
 EXLDFLAGS := -Wl,-rpath,$(LIBDIR) $(ALL_LDFLAGS)
 
 .PHONY: all user clean install user_install uninstall user_uninstall
diff --git a/prog/sensors/Module.mk b/prog/sensors/Module.mk
index 18710f69..3130668e 100644
--- a/prog/sensors/Module.mk
+++ b/prog/sensors/Module.mk
@@ -39,7 +39,10 @@ REMOVESENSORSBIN := $(patsubst $(MODULE_DIR)/%,$(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/%,$(PROGSENSO
 REMOVESENSORSMAN := $(patsubst $(MODULE_DIR)/%,$(DESTDIR)$(PROGSENSORSMAN1DIR)/%,$(PROGSENSORSMAN1FILES))
 REMOVESENSORSZSH := $(patsubst $(MODULE_DIR)/%,$(DESTDIR)$(ZSHCOMPDIR)/%,$(PROGSENSORSZSHCOMPFILES))
 
-LIBICONV := $(shell if /sbin/ldconfig -p | grep -q '/libiconv\.so$$' ; then echo \-liconv; else echo; fi)
+LIBICONV := $(shell printf '%s\n' \
+  '#include <iconv.h>' \
+  'int main() { iconv_t cd = iconv_open("UTF-8", "ASCII"); return 0; }' \
+  | $(CC) $(ALL_CPPFLAGS) -x c - 2>/dev/null && echo || echo \-liconv)
 
 $(PROGSENSORSTARGETS): $(PROGSENSORSSOURCES:.c=.ro) lib/$(LIBDEP_FOR_PROGS)
 	$(CC) -o $@ $(PROGSENSORSSOURCES:.c=.ro) $(LIBICONV) $(EXLDFLAGS) -Llib -lsensors -lm