diff --git a/cmake/catkin_package.cmake b/cmake/catkin_package.cmake
index fb6b01a17..a9b77b308 100644
--- a/cmake/catkin_package.cmake
+++ b/cmake/catkin_package.cmake
@@ -270,7 +270,8 @@ function(_catkin_package)
   catkin_filter_libraries_for_build_configuration(libraries ${PKG_CONFIG_LIBRARIES})
   foreach(library ${libraries})
     if(NOT IS_ABSOLUTE ${library})
-      if(NOT ${library} MATCHES "^-l")
+      # Append -l to anything that's not a linker flag
+      if(NOT ${library} MATCHES "^-")
         set(library "-l${library}")
       endif()
     endif()
diff --git a/cmake/templates/pkgConfig.cmake.in b/cmake/templates/pkgConfig.cmake.in
index 9c0e46d4e..4e52046d8 100644
--- a/cmake/templates/pkgConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/templates/pkgConfig.cmake.in
@@ -123,6 +123,29 @@ foreach(library ${libraries})
     list(APPEND @PROJECT_NAME@_LIBRARIES ${library})
   elseif(${library} MATCHES "^-l")
     list(APPEND @PROJECT_NAME@_LIBRARIES ${library})
+  elseif(${library} MATCHES "^-")
+    # This is a linker flag/option (like -pthread)
+    # There's no standard variable for these, so create an interface library to hold it
+    if(NOT @PROJECT_NAME@_NUM_DUMMY_TARGETS)
+      set(@PROJECT_NAME@_NUM_DUMMY_TARGETS 0)
+    endif()
+    # Make sure the target name is unique
+    set(interface_target_name "catkin::@PROJECT_NAME@::wrapped-linker-option${@PROJECT_NAME@_NUM_DUMMY_TARGETS}")
+    while(TARGET "${interface_target_name}")
+      math(EXPR @PROJECT_NAME@_NUM_DUMMY_TARGETS "${@PROJECT_NAME@_NUM_DUMMY_TARGETS}+1")
+      set(interface_target_name "catkin::@PROJECT_NAME@::wrapped-linker-option${@PROJECT_NAME@_NUM_DUMMY_TARGETS}")
+    endwhile()
+    add_library("${interface_target_name}" INTERFACE IMPORTED)
+    if("${CMAKE_VERSION}" VERSION_LESS "3.13.0")
+      set_property(
+        TARGET
+        "${interface_target_name}"
+        APPEND PROPERTY
+        INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "${library}")
+    else()
+      target_link_options("${interface_target_name}" INTERFACE "${library}")
+    endif()
+    list(APPEND @PROJECT_NAME@_LIBRARIES "${interface_target_name}")
   elseif(TARGET ${library})
     list(APPEND @PROJECT_NAME@_LIBRARIES ${library})
   elseif(IS_ABSOLUTE ${library})
diff --git a/test/local_tests/test_with_mock_workspace.py b/test/local_tests/test_with_mock_workspace.py
index 79f5e667e..4d3622ebe 100644
--- a/test/local_tests/test_with_mock_workspace.py
+++ b/test/local_tests/test_with_mock_workspace.py
@@ -39,6 +39,18 @@ def test_catkin_only(self):
                       "setup.sh",
                       "setup.zsh")
 
+    def test_linker_options_propagation(self):
+        dstdir = os.path.join(self.workspacedir, 'linker_options')
+        shutil.copytree(os.path.join(MOCK_DIR, 'src', 'linker_options'), dstdir)
+        out = self.cmake()
+        succeed(MAKE_CMD, cwd=self.builddir)
+        succeed(MAKE_CMD + ["install"], cwd=self.builddir)
+
+        assert_exists(self.installdir,
+                      "env.sh",
+                      "setup.sh",
+                      "setup.zsh")
+
     def test_nolang(self):
         dstdir = os.path.join(self.workspacedir, 'nolangs')
         shutil.copytree(os.path.join(MOCK_DIR, 'src', 'nolangs'), dstdir)
diff --git a/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/leaf_pkg/CMakeLists.txt b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/leaf_pkg/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..851aefc53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/leaf_pkg/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0.2)
+project(leaf_pkg)
+
+find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS root_pkg)
+
+add_executable(leaf leaf.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(leaf ${catkin_LIBRARIES})
+target_include_directories(leaf PUBLIC ${catkin_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+
+catkin_package()
+
+list(LENGTH catkin_LIBRARIES size)
+math(EXPR size_is_not_3 "${size} - 3")
+if (size_is_not_3)
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Wrong size for catkin_LIBRARIES: ${catkin_LIBRARIES} : ${size}")
+else()
+  message(STATUS "All is OK: ${catkin_LIBRARIES}")
+endif()
diff --git a/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/leaf_pkg/leaf.cpp b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/leaf_pkg/leaf.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4fa14135
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/leaf_pkg/leaf.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <root_pkg/root.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+  std::cout << "leaf_pkg calling ";
+  root_pkg::func();
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/leaf_pkg/package.xml b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/leaf_pkg/package.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..74c9f8223
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/leaf_pkg/package.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<package format="2">
+  <name>leaf_pkg</name>
+  <version>3.4.5</version>
+  <description>Checks library and linker options</description>
+  <author>Somebody</author>
+  <maintainer email="Somebody@somewhere.org">Somebody</maintainer>
+  <license>Unknown</license>
+  <url/>
+
+  <buildtool_depend>catkin</buildtool_depend>
+
+  <depend>root_pkg</depend>
+</package>
diff --git a/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/CMakeLists.txt b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8687aed54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0.2)
+project(root_pkg)
+
+find_package(catkin REQUIRED)
+
+add_library(rootlib SHARED root.cpp)
+target_include_directories(rootlib PUBLIC include)
+
+catkin_package(
+  INCLUDE_DIRS include
+  LIBRARIES -pthread -lpthread rootlib
+  )
+
+install(TARGETS rootlib
+        ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_LIB_DESTINATION}
+        LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_LIB_DESTINATION}
+        RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CATKIN_GLOBAL_BIN_DESTINATION})
+
+install(DIRECTORY include/${PROJECT_NAME}/
+        DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_INCLUDE_DESTINATION})
diff --git a/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/include/root_pkg/root.hpp b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/include/root_pkg/root.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..514419534
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/include/root_pkg/root.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+namespace root_pkg
+{
+void func();
+}
diff --git a/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/package.xml b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/package.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a83c7d30e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/package.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<package format="2">
+  <name>root_pkg</name>
+  <version>3.4.5</version>
+  <description>Exports library and linker options in ${root_pkg_LIBRARIES}</description>
+  <author>Somebody</author>
+  <maintainer email="Somebody@somewhere.org">Somebody</maintainer>
+  <license>Unknown</license>
+  <url/>
+
+  <buildtool_depend>catkin</buildtool_depend>
+</package>
diff --git a/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/root.cpp b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/root.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5ea0882d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mock_resources/src/linker_options/src/root_pkg/root.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#include <iostream>
+
+#include "root_pkg/root.hpp"
+
+namespace root_pkg
+{
+void func()
+{
+  std::cout << "root_pkg::func()\n";
+}
+}