diff --git a/.github/workflows/example-project.yml b/.github/workflows/example-project.yml
index bce1518..2f3e629 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/example-project.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/example-project.yml
@@ -67,16 +67,25 @@ jobs:
           test "$(pkg-config --cflags example_project)" = "-I/usr/local/include/example-project-0.1"
           test "$(pkg-config --libs example_project)" = "-L/usr/local/lib -lexample-project"
 
-      - name: Test pkgconf
+      - name: Install pkgconf
         if: startsWith(matrix.os, 'ubuntu')
         uses: awalsh128/cache-apt-pkgs-action@latest
         with:
           packages: pkgconf
+
+      - name: Test pkgconf
+        if: startsWith(matrix.os, 'ubuntu')
         run: |
           set -x
+          pkgconf --version
+          pkg-config --version
           ARCHDIR=`dpkg-architecture -qDEB_HOST_MULTIARCH`
-          test "$(pkgconf --cflags example_project)" = "-I/usr/local/include/example-project-0.1"
-          test "$(pkgconf --libs example_project)" = "-L/usr/local/lib/${ARCHDIR} -lexample-project"
+          # ubuntu seems to add trailing spaces for no specific reasons.
+          CFLAGS=$(pkgconf --cflags example_project)
+          LIBS=$(pkgconf --libs example_project)
+
+          test "${CFLAGS%% }" = "-I/usr/local/include/example-project-0.1"
+          test "${LIBS%% }" = "-L/usr/local/lib/${ARCHDIR} -lexample-project"
 
       - name: Update dynamic linker cache
         if: startsWith(matrix.os, 'ubuntu')