--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -125,7 +125,11 @@
 BZ_CONFIGURE_STAGE([arguments], [1 of 9])
 
 # provide a with-curses option, test for curses
-MP_WITH_CURSES
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(ncurses, ncurses,
+	[CURSES_LIB="$ncurses_LIBS"]
+	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_NCURSES_H, , [Use the header file ncurses.h]),
+	AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find ncurses]))
+AC_SUBST(CURSES_LIB)
 
 # check for SDL option (enabled by default now)
 AC_ARG_WITH(SDL, AS_HELP_STRING([--without-SDL | --with-SDL={1,2}],[Do not use Simple DirectMedia Layer or force using a specific version (by default tries 2, then 1, then resorts to native platform code if available]), sdl_version="$withval", sdl_version="detect")