--- a/configure.ac.in
+++ b/configure.ac.in
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_NCURSES, test x$want_ncurses = xyes)
 if test x$want_ncurses = xyes; then
-      conky_LIBS="$conky_LIBS -lncurses"
+      PKG_CHECK_MODULES(ncurses,ncurses,conky_LIBS="$conky_LIBS $ncurses_LIBS",AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses not found]))
       AC_DEFINE(NCURSES, 1, [Define for ncurses support])
 	  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses.h], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([required header(s) not found]))
 fi
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_NCURSES, test x$want_ncurses = xyes)
 if test x$want_ncurses = xyes; then
-      conky_LIBS="$conky_LIBS -lncurses"
+      PKG_CHECK_MODULES(ncurses,ncurses,conky_LIBS="$conky_LIBS $ncurses_LIBS",AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses not found]))
       AC_DEFINE(NCURSES, 1, [Define for ncurses support])
 	  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses.h], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([required header(s) not found]))
 fi