--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ endif()
 
 # libclamav feature dependencies
 if(NOT WIN32)
-    find_package(Iconv REQUIRED)
+    find_package(Iconv)
     # Set variable required by libclamav to use iconv
     set(HAVE_ICONV 1)
 endif()
--- a/libclamav/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libclamav/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -536,10 +536,39 @@ if(ENABLE_SHARED_LIB)
                 ClamAV::win32_compat
                 wsock32 ws2_32 )
     else()
+        if(Iconv_FOUND)
+            if(NOT Iconv_IS_BUILT_IN)
+                target_link_libraries(clamav PRIVATE Iconv::Iconv)
+                set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES "Iconv::Iconv")
+            endif()
+        else()
+            # Sometime the build environment is not setup
+            # in a way CMake can find Iconv on its own by default.
+            # But if we simply link against iconv (-liconv), the build may succeed
+            # due to other compiler/link flags.
+            set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES "iconv")
+            check_c_source_compiles("
+                #include <stddef.h>
+                #include <iconv.h>
+                int main() {
+                    char *a, *b;
+                    size_t i, j;
+                    iconv_t ic;
+                    ic = iconv_open(\"to\", \"from\");
+                    iconv(ic, &a, &i, &b, &j);
+                    iconv_close(ic);
+                }
+                "
+                Iconv_EXPLICITLY_AT_ENV)
+            if(Iconv_EXPLICITLY_AT_ENV)
+                target_link_libraries(clamav PRIVATE iconv)
+            else()
+                message(FATAL_ERROR "Iconv is not found, make sure to provide it in the build environment")
+            endif()
+        endif()
         target_link_libraries( clamav
             PUBLIC
                 Threads::Threads
-                Iconv::Iconv
                 ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS}
                 m )
     endif()
@@ -556,8 +585,6 @@ if(ENABLE_SHARED_LIB)
 
     if(WIN32)
         set_target_properties( clamav PROPERTIES WINDOWS_EXPORT_ALL_SYMBOLS ON )
-    else()
-        target_link_libraries( clamav PUBLIC Iconv::Iconv )
     endif()
     if(WIN32)
         install( TARGETS clamav DESTINATION . COMPONENT libraries )