diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-02-13-23-26-40.gh-issue-138800.wRCFW-.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-02-13-23-26-40.gh-issue-138800.wRCFW-.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..980c07fc8df123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-02-13-23-26-40.gh-issue-138800.wRCFW-.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+fix variable substitution in python3.pc for Android
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 73a758384553b2..a74e787d99fe22 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -27017,7 +27017,7 @@ LIBPYTHON=''
 # On Android and Cygwin the shared libraries must be linked with libpython.
 if test "$PY_ENABLE_SHARED" = "1" && ( test -n "$ANDROID_API_LEVEL" || test "$MACHDEP" = "cygwin"); then
   MODULE_DEPS_SHARED="$MODULE_DEPS_SHARED \$(LDLIBRARY)"
-  LIBPYTHON="\$(BLDLIBRARY)"
+  LIBPYTHON="$(BLDLIBRARY)"
 fi
 
 # On iOS the shared libraries must be linked with the Python framework
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2ba63b2a8a05e0..4e940a5ec28c15 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -6452,7 +6452,7 @@ LIBPYTHON=''
 # On Android and Cygwin the shared libraries must be linked with libpython.
 if test "$PY_ENABLE_SHARED" = "1" && ( test -n "$ANDROID_API_LEVEL" || test "$MACHDEP" = "cygwin"); then
   MODULE_DEPS_SHARED="$MODULE_DEPS_SHARED \$(LDLIBRARY)"
-  LIBPYTHON="\$(BLDLIBRARY)"
+  LIBPYTHON="$(BLDLIBRARY)"
 fi
 
 # On iOS the shared libraries must be linked with the Python framework