diff --git a/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/install.sh b/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/install.sh
index 17aff46..44af67f 100755
--- a/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/install.sh
+++ b/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/install.sh
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ su $(ls /home) -c "uv tool install pytest@\"${pytest_version}\""
 # sshpass
 apt-get install -y sshpass="${sshpass_version}*"
 
+# pycairo build dependencies (pkg-config + cairo headers needed when pip builds pycairo from source)
+apt-get install -y pkg-config="${pkg_config_version}*" libcairo2-dev="${libcairo2_dev_version}*"
+
 # additional developer tools
 apt-get install -y gdb="${gdb_version}*"
 
diff --git a/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/tests/test_default.sh b/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/tests/test_default.sh
index 2727f66..40b446e 100755
--- a/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/tests/test_default.sh
+++ b/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/tests/test_default.sh
@@ -75,8 +75,12 @@ check "validate yamlfmt is working and has the correct version" bash -c "yamlfmt
 check "validate uv is working and has the correct version" bash -c "uv --version | grep '${uv_lockfile_version}'"
 check "validate uvx is working and has the correct version" bash -c "uvx --version | grep '${uvx_lockfile_version}'"
 
+# pycairo build from source (requires pkg-config and libcairo2-dev)
+check "validate pycairo can be built and installed from source" bash -c "pip install --break-system-packages pycairo==1.29.0"
+
 # additional developer tools
 check "validate gdb is working and has the correct version" bash -c "gdb --version | grep '${gdb_version}'"
+check "validate pkg-config is working and has the correct version" bash -c "pkg-config --version | grep '${pkg_config_version}'"
 check "validate gh is working and has the correct version" bash -c "gh --version | grep '${gh_version}'"
 check "validate valgrind is working and has the correct version" bash -c "valgrind --version | grep '${valgrind_version}'"
 check "validate ripgrep is working and has the correct version" bash -c "rg --version | grep '${ripgrep_version}'"
diff --git a/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/versions.yaml b/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/versions.yaml
index c9ab8ec..b4d2a18 100644
--- a/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/versions.yaml
+++ b/src/s-core-devcontainer/.devcontainer/s-core-local/versions.yaml
@@ -51,3 +51,7 @@ ripgrep:
   version: 14.1.0
 lcov:
   version: 2.0
+pkg_config:
+  version: 1.8.1
+libcairo2_dev:
+  version: 1.18.0