diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 00c5c076c..9f9ced2af 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ PLENARY_DIR ?= ../plenary.nvim
 MINI_DIR ?= ../mini.nvim
 
 PREFIX ?= /usr/local
+BINDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/bin
 LIBDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/lib
 INCLUDEDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/include
+PKGCONFIGDIR ?= $(LIBDIR)/pkgconfig
 
 # Compile-time cfg that gates the watcher + git-status fuzz stress test.
 STRESS_RUSTFLAGS := --cfg stress
@@ -50,38 +52,25 @@ build:
 build-e2e:
 	cargo build --release -p fff-nvim -p fff-c --no-default-features --features zlob
 
+# Build the C library, header, and pkg-config file via cargo-c.
 build-c-lib:
-	cargo build --release -p fff-c --no-default-features --features zlob
+	@command -v cargo-cbuild >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "error: cargo-c is required to build the C library. Install it with: cargo install cargo-c" >&2; exit 1; }
+	cargo cbuild -p fff-c --release --no-default-features --features zlob --prefix=$(PREFIX) --bindir=$(BINDIR) --libdir=$(LIBDIR) --includedir=$(INCLUDEDIR) --pkgconfigdir=$(PKGCONFIGDIR)
 
 header:
 	cbindgen --config crates/fff-c/cbindgen.toml --crate fff-c --output crates/fff-c/include/fff.h
 
-# Install the C library and header under $(PREFIX) (default /usr/local).
-# Override PREFIX for user-local installs, e.g. `make install PREFIX=$$HOME/.local`.
-# DESTDIR is honoured for packagers.
+# Install the C library, header, and pkg-config file via cargo-c.
 install: build-c-lib
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(INCLUDEDIR)
-	install -m 0644 crates/fff-c/include/fff.h $(DESTDIR)$(INCLUDEDIR)/fff.h
-	@if [ -f target/release/libfff_c.dylib ]; then \
-		install -m 0755 target/release/libfff_c.dylib $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/libfff_c.dylib; \
-		echo "Installed $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/libfff_c.dylib"; \
-	fi
-	@if [ -f target/release/libfff_c.so ]; then \
-		install -m 0755 target/release/libfff_c.so $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/libfff_c.so; \
-		echo "Installed $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/libfff_c.so"; \
-	fi
-	@if [ -f target/release/fff_c.dll ]; then \
-		install -m 0755 target/release/fff_c.dll $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/fff_c.dll; \
-		echo "Installed $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/fff_c.dll"; \
-	fi
-	@echo "Installed header $(DESTDIR)$(INCLUDEDIR)/fff.h"
+	@command -v cargo-cinstall >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "error: cargo-c is required to install the C library. Install it with: cargo install cargo-c" >&2; exit 1; }
+	cargo cinstall -p fff-c --release --no-default-features --features zlob --prefix=$(PREFIX) --bindir=$(BINDIR) --libdir=$(LIBDIR) --includedir=$(INCLUDEDIR) --pkgconfigdir=$(PKGCONFIGDIR) $(if $(DESTDIR),--destdir=$(DESTDIR),)
 
 uninstall:
-	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/libfff_c.dylib
-	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/libfff_c.so
-	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/fff_c.dll
+	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/libfff_c.*
+	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/fff_c.*
+	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/fff_c.dll
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(INCLUDEDIR)/fff.h
+	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(PKGCONFIGDIR)/fff_c.pc
 	@echo "Removed fff-c from $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)"
 
 test-setup:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 96f0a70d8..d367ae766 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -664,12 +664,18 @@ Native rust crate that is performing all the search. Stable and well documented.
 
 ### Build
 
+Building and installing the C library requires [cargo-c](https://crates.io/crates/cargo-c):
+
 ```bash
-# Builds only the C cdylib (fastest):
+cargo install cargo-c
+```
+
+```bash
+# Builds the C library, header, and pkg-config file:
 make build-c-lib
 
-# or directly with cargo:
-cargo build --release -p fff-c --features zlob
+# or directly with cargo-c:
+cargo cbuild -p fff-c --release --no-default-features --features zlob
 ```
 
 > The `zlob` feature (requires the [Zig](https://ziglang.org) toolchain) switches both
@@ -677,12 +683,14 @@ cargo build --release -p fff-c --features zlob
 > native parallel walker. Without it, the default build uses the pure-Rust
 > [`ignore`](https://crates.io/crates/ignore) (ripgrep) walker and `globset`.
 
-The output is a `cdylib` (`libfff_c.so` / `libfff_c.dylib` / `fff_c.dll`). The header lives at [`crates/fff-c/include/fff.h`](./crates/fff-c/include/fff.h).
+The output includes dynamic libraries (`libfff_c.so` / `libfff_c.dylib` / `fff_c.dll`) and a static library (`libfff_c.a` / `fff_c.lib`). The header lives at [`crates/fff-c/include/fff.h`](./crates/fff-c/include/fff.h).
 
 Prebuilt binaries for every version, including every commit on main, are on the [releases page](https://github.com/dmtrKovalenko/fff/releases). The same binaries also ship inside the `@ff-labs/fff-bin-*` npm packages.
 
 ### Install
 
+Then install via `make install`:
+
 ```bash
 # System-wide (needs sudo):
 sudo make install
@@ -694,11 +702,21 @@ make install PREFIX=$HOME/.local
 make install DESTDIR=/tmp/pkgroot PREFIX=/usr
 ```
 
-Drops `libfff_c.{so,dylib,dll}` into `$(PREFIX)/lib` and the header into `$(PREFIX)/include/fff.h`. Remove with `make uninstall`, which honours the same `PREFIX` and `DESTDIR`.
+Or directly with `cargo-c`:
+
+```bash
+cargo cinstall -p fff-c --release --no-default-features --features zlob --prefix=/usr/local
+```
+
+Installs `libfff_c.{so,dylib}` and `libfff_c.a` into `$(PREFIX)/lib` on Unix. On Windows, it installs `fff_c.dll` into `$(BINDIR)` and `fff_c.lib` into `$(PREFIX)/lib`. It also installs the header into `$(PREFIX)/include/fff.h` and `fff_c.pc` into `$(PKGCONFIGDIR)`. Remove with `make uninstall`, which honours the same `PREFIX` and `DESTDIR`.
 
 Link against it after install:
 
 ```bash
+# Using pkg-config:
+cc my_app.c $(pkg-config --cflags --libs fff_c) -o my_app
+
+# Or directly:
 cc my_app.c -lfff_c -o my_app
 ```
 
diff --git a/crates/fff-c/Cargo.toml b/crates/fff-c/Cargo.toml
index 75e9e853c..5b3ce5c50 100644
--- a/crates/fff-c/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/fff-c/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,10 +9,15 @@ license = "MIT"
 workspace = true
 
 [lib]
-crate-type = ["cdylib"]
+crate-type = ["cdylib", "staticlib"]
+
+[package.metadata.capi.header]
+name = "fff"
+subdirectory = false
 
 [features]
 default = ["ripgrep"] # use ripgrep base crates to avoid requiring zig for rust crate
+capi = []
 ripgrep = ["fff/ripgrep", "fff-query-parser/ripgrep"]
 zlob = ["fff/zlob", "fff-query-parser/zlob"]