diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml
index affc7019..6c1b7cf4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ jobs:
        sudo apt-get -q -y update
        sudo apt-get -q -y upgrade
        sudo apt-get -y install build-essential automake autoconf libtool pkg-config icu-devtools libicu-dev libxml2-dev uuid-dev fuse libfuse-dev libsnmp-dev
-       sudo cp .github/workflows/icu-config /usr/bin/icu-config
        ./autogen.sh
        ./configure
        make
diff --git a/.github/workflows/icu-config b/.github/workflows/icu-config
deleted file mode 100755
index d5aed413..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/icu-config
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-opts=$1
-
-case $opts in
-  '--cppflags')
-    echo '' ;;
-  '--ldflags')
-    echo '-licuuc -licudata' ;;
-  *)
-    echo '/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/icu/pkgdata.inc' ;;
-esac
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8d393ba8..a1843f4b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -289,16 +289,14 @@ You need to add `--enable-lintape` as an argument of ./configure script if you w
   | Ubuntu 16.04 LTS                   | ppc64le | OK - Not checked automatically                                                                                                   |
   | Ubuntu 18.04 LTS                   | x86\_64 | ![GH Action status](https://github.com/LinearTapeFileSystem/ltfs/actions/workflows/build-ubuntu-bionic.yml/badge.svg) |
   | Ubuntu 18.04 LTS                   | ppc64le | OK - Not checked automatically                                                                                                   |
-  | Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Need icu-config) | x86\_64 | ![GH Action status](https://github.com/LinearTapeFileSystem/ltfs/actions/workflows/build-ubuntu-focal.yml/badge.svg) |
+  | Ubuntu 20.04 LTS                   | x86\_64 | ![GH Action status](https://github.com/LinearTapeFileSystem/ltfs/actions/workflows/build-ubuntu-focal.yml/badge.svg) |
   | Debian 9                           | x86\_64 | ![GH Action status](https://github.com/LinearTapeFileSystem/ltfs/actions/workflows/build-debian9.yml/badge.svg)        |
-  | Debian 10 (Need icu-config)        | x86\_64 | ![GH Action status](https://github.com/LinearTapeFileSystem/ltfs/actions/workflows/build-debian10.yml/badge.svg)       |
+  | Debian 10                          | x86\_64 | ![GH Action status](https://github.com/LinearTapeFileSystem/ltfs/actions/workflows/build-debian10.yml/badge.svg)       |
   | ArchLinux 2018.08.01               | x86\_64 | OK - Not checked automatically                                                                                                   |
   | ArchLinux 2018.12.31 (rolling)     | x86\_64 | OK - Not checked automatically                                                                                                   |
 
 Currently, automatic build checking is working on GitHub Actions and Travis CI.
 
-For Ubuntu20.04 and Debian10, dummy `icu-config` is needed in the build machine. See Issue [#153](https://github.com/LinearTapeFileSystem/ltfs/issues/153).
-
 ### Build and install on OSX (macOS)
 
 #### Recent Homedrew system setup
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 8875035a..2d1a162b 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 sudo apt-get -q -y update
 sudo apt-get -q -y upgrade
 sudo apt-get -y install build-essential automake autoconf libtool pkg-config libicu66 icu-devtools libicu-dev libxml2-dev uuid-dev fuse libfuse-dev libsnmp-dev
-sudo cp .github/workflows/icu-config /usr/bin/icu-config
 ./autogen.sh
 ./configure
 make
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index faf4a937..044ed3dc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -339,12 +339,16 @@ fi
 
 dnl
 dnl Check for ICU
+dnl Prefer icu-config for legacy distros; fall back to pkg-config icu-uc/icu-i18n
+dnl (icu-config was removed in ICU 63+ and is absent on modern Debian/Ubuntu).
 dnl
 ICU_MODULE_CFLAGS="`icu-config --cppflags 2> /dev/null`";
 ICU_MODULE_LIBS="`icu-config --ldflags 2> /dev/null`";
 if test -z "$ICU_MODULE_LIBS"
 then
-    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([ICU_MODULE], [icu >= 0.21])
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([ICU_MODULE], [icu-uc >= 0.21 icu-i18n >= 0.21],
+        [],
+        [PKG_CHECK_MODULES([ICU_MODULE], [icu >= 0.21])])
 fi
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([use latest ICU])
@@ -359,6 +363,10 @@ if test "x${icu_6x}" = "xyes"
 then
     AC_MSG_CHECKING(for ICU version)
     ICU_MODULE_VERSION="`icu-config --version 2> /dev/null`";
+    if test -z "$ICU_MODULE_VERSION"
+    then
+        ICU_MODULE_VERSION="`$PKG_CONFIG --modversion icu-uc 2> /dev/null`";
+    fi
     if test "${ICU_MODULE_VERSION%%.*}" -ge "60"
     then
         AM_EXTRA_CPPFLAGS="${AM_EXTRA_CPPFLAGS} -D ICU6x"