diff --git a/src/kernel/CMakeLists.txt b/src/kernel/CMakeLists.txt
index b9a18bbcef3..6ea16e8a425 100644
--- a/src/kernel/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/kernel/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -120,14 +120,10 @@ if(NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
   set(all_kernel_static_link_libs "")
   get_target_static_link_libs(bitcoinkernel all_kernel_static_link_libs)
 
+  install(TARGETS ${all_kernel_static_link_libs} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR} COMPONENT Kernel)
+  list(TRANSFORM all_kernel_static_link_libs PREPEND "-l")
   # LIBS_PRIVATE is substituted in the pkg-config file.
-  set(LIBS_PRIVATE "")
-  foreach(lib ${all_kernel_static_link_libs})
-    install(TARGETS ${lib} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR} COMPONENT Kernel)
-    string(APPEND LIBS_PRIVATE " -l${lib}")
-  endforeach()
-
-  string(STRIP "${LIBS_PRIVATE}" LIBS_PRIVATE)
+  list(JOIN all_kernel_static_link_libs " " LIBS_PRIVATE)
 endif()
 
 configure_file(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/libbitcoinkernel.pc.in ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/libbitcoinkernel.pc @ONLY)