--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 esac
 
 dnl Checks for libraries.
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([NCURSES],[ncurses],[LIBS="$LIBS $NCURSES_LIBS"],[AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses was not found])])
 AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, initscr)
 AC_CHECK_LIB(form, new_form)