--- a/configure.ac	
+++ a/configure.ac	
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
 AC_GNU_SOURCE
 
 # Checks for libraries.
-AC_CHECK_LIB([ncurses], [initscr])
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([NCURSES], [ncurses], [], [exit 1])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.19.6])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT_REQUIRE_VERSION([0.19.6])
 
 # I18N
 AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.14.5])
--- a/src/Makefile.am	
+++ a/src/Makefile.am	
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ typespeed_CPPFLAGS = -DLOCALEDIR=\"$(localedir)\" -DTVERSION=\"v$(VERSION)\" \
 	-DCONFIGFILE=\"$(sysconfdir)/typespeedrc\" \
         -DHIGHFILE=\"$(highscoredir)/$(HIGHFILE)\" \
 	-DWORDDIR=\"$(WORDDIR)\" -DRULEDIR=\"$(RULEDIR)\"
-typespeed_LDADD = @LIBINTL@
+typespeed_LDADD = @LIBINTL@ @NCURSES_LIBS@
 typespeed_SOURCES = file.c gettext.h menu.c misc.c network.c pathnames.h \
 	    typespeed.c typespeed.h