--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 AC_FUNC_STRTOD
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([fdatasync getpagesize gettimeofday memmove memset mkdir munmap pow realpath regcomp select setlocale socket sqrt strcasecmp strchr strdup strerror strncasecmp strstr strtoul strtoull])
 
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS([delwin], [ncursesw ncurses], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses is required but was not found]), [])
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(ncurses, ncurses, [LIBS="$LIBS $ncurses_LIBS"], AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses is required but was not found]))
 
 has_libpci=0
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([PCIUTILS], [libpci],[has_libpci=1],[