diff --git a/m4/virt-driver-libxl.m4 b/m4/virt-driver-libxl.m4
index 422ff27022..479d9116a4 100644
--- a/m4/virt-driver-libxl.m4
+++ b/m4/virt-driver-libxl.m4
@@ -29,11 +29,31 @@ AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_DRIVER_CHECK_LIBXL], [
   LIBXL_API_VERSION="-DLIBXL_API_VERSION=0x040500"
 
   dnl search for libxl, aka libxenlight
-  LIBVIRT_CHECK_PKG([LIBXL], [xenlight], [4.6.0])
+  old_with_libxl="$with_libxl"
+  LIBVIRT_CHECK_PKG([LIBXL], [xenlight], [4.6.0], [true])
   if test "x$with_libxl" = "xyes" ; then
     LIBXL_FIRMWARE_DIR=$($PKG_CONFIG --variable xenfirmwaredir xenlight)
     LIBXL_EXECBIN_DIR=$($PKG_CONFIG --variable libexec_bin xenlight)
+  fi
 
+  dnl In Fedora <= 28, the xenlight pkgconfig file is in the -runtime package
+  dnl https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1629643
+  dnl Until Fedora 28 reaches EOL, fallback to lib probe if xenlight.pc is
+  dnl not found
+  if test "x$with_libxl" = "xno" ; then
+    with_libxl="$old_with_libxl"
+
+    save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $LIBXL_API_VERSION"
+    LIBVIRT_CHECK_LIB([LIBXL], [xenlight], [libxl_cpupool_cpuadd_cpumap], [libxl.h], [fail="1"])
+    CFLAGS="$save_CFLAGS"
+
+    if test $fail = 1; then
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([You must install the libxl Library from Xen >= 4.6 to compile libxenlight driver with -lxl])
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  if test "$with_libxl" = "yes"; then
     LIBXL_CFLAGS="$LIBXL_CFLAGS $LIBXL_API_VERSION"
 
     dnl If building with libxl, use the libxl utility header and lib too