diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index ed254911..62a2111b 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ if test "x$want_textui" = "xyes"; then
 		AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, wresize, [
 			AC_DEFINE(HAVE_CURSES_WRESIZE)
 		],, $CURSES_LIBS)
-	else
+	elif test "x$has_curses" = "xtrue"; then
 		AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, idcok, [
 			AC_DEFINE(HAVE_CURSES_IDCOK)
 		],, $CURSES_LIBS)
@@ -243,9 +243,7 @@ if test "x$want_textui" = "xyes"; then
 		AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, wresize, [
 			AC_DEFINE(HAVE_CURSES_WRESIZE)
 		],, $CURSES_LIBS)
-	fi
-
-	if test "$has_curses" != "true"; then
+	else
 		want_textui=no
 		curses_error=yes
         fi
diff --git a/curses.m4 b/curses.m4
index f1f243b8..2b29619c 100644
--- a/curses.m4
+++ b/curses.m4
@@ -139,8 +139,6 @@ AC_DEFUN(AC_CHECK_CURSES,[
 	then
 		AC_SEARCH_NCURSES()
 	fi
-
-
 ])
 
 
@@ -278,5 +276,18 @@ USE_NCURSES
 	    AC_USE_SUNOS_CURSES
         fi
     fi
+
+    dnl use whatever curses there happens to be
+    if $search_ncurses
+    then
+	if test -f /usr/include/curses.h
+	then
+	  CURSES_LIBS="-lcurses"
+	  AC_DEFINE(HAS_CURSES)
+	  has_curses=true
+	  search_ncurses=false
+	  screen_manager="curses"
+	fi
+    fi
 ])