diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 0c476ffa2..4e922ddc0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         sudo add-apt-repository -y "deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu `lsb_release -sc` main universe restricted multiverse"
         sudo apt-get update -y -qq
-        sudo apt-get install libsdl2-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev
+        sudo apt-get install libsdl2-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev libsdl2-ttf-dev libfontconfig1-dev
 
     - name: Install macOS dependencies
       if: runner.os == 'macOS'
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d143ca837..8b455b21b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -261,6 +261,14 @@ if(NOT LIBRETRO AND NOT IOS AND NOT MACOSX)
 	find_package(SDL2)
 	find_package(SDL2_ttf)
 	find_package(Fontconfig)
+
+	# TODO: this can be removed once CI supports newer SDL2_ttf
+	if (NOT SDL2_ttf_FOUND)
+		find_package(PkgConfig)
+		if(PkgConfig_FOUND)
+			pkg_check_modules(SDL2_ttf_PKGCONFIG IMPORTED_TARGET SDL2_ttf)
+		endif()
+	endif()
 endif()
 
 if(MACOSX AND NOT IOS)
@@ -1335,15 +1343,19 @@ else()
 			SDL/SDLVulkanGraphicsContext.cpp
 		)
 	endif()
-	if(SDL2_ttf_FOUND)
+	if(SDL2_ttf_FOUND OR SDL2_ttf_PKGCONFIG_FOUND)
 		add_definitions(-DUSE_SDL2_TTF)
-		set(nativeExtraLibs ${nativeExtraLibs} SDL2_ttf::SDL2_ttf)
-
 		if(FONTCONFIG_FOUND)
 			add_definitions(-DUSE_SDL2_TTF_FONTCONFIG)
 			set(nativeExtraLibs ${nativeExtraLibs} Fontconfig::Fontconfig)
 		endif()
 	endif()
+	if(SDL2_ttf_FOUND)
+		set(nativeExtraLibs ${nativeExtraLibs} SDL2_ttf::SDL2_ttf)
+	elseif(SDL2_ttf_PKGCONFIG_FOUND)
+		add_definitions(-DUSE_SDL2_TTF_PKGCONFIG)
+		set(nativeExtraLibs ${nativeExtraLibs} PkgConfig::SDL2_ttf_PKGCONFIG)
+	endif()
 	if(APPLE)
 		set(nativeExtra ${nativeExtra} 
 		SDL/SDLMain.h 
diff --git a/Common/Render/Text/draw_text_sdl.cpp b/Common/Render/Text/draw_text_sdl.cpp
index 14ea7dbb1..8a4178d71 100644
--- a/Common/Render/Text/draw_text_sdl.cpp
+++ b/Common/Render/Text/draw_text_sdl.cpp
@@ -378,12 +378,14 @@ void TextDrawerSDL::DrawStringBitmap(std::vector<uint8_t> &bitmapData, TextStrin
 		font = fallbackFonts_[0];
 	}
 
+#ifndef USE_SDL2_TTF_PKGCONFIG
 	if (align & ALIGN_HCENTER)
 		TTF_SetFontWrappedAlign(font, TTF_WRAPPED_ALIGN_CENTER);
 	else if (align & ALIGN_RIGHT)
 		TTF_SetFontWrappedAlign(font, TTF_WRAPPED_ALIGN_RIGHT);
 	else
 		TTF_SetFontWrappedAlign(font, TTF_WRAPPED_ALIGN_LEFT);
+#endif
 
 	SDL_Color fgColor = { 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF };
 	SDL_Surface *text = TTF_RenderUTF8_Blended_Wrapped(font, processedStr.c_str(), fgColor, 0);