diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 839a78d5..001d9ca1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB([ssl], [main], [],
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([openssl is required for profanity])])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([strophe], [main], [], 
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([libstrophe is required for profanity])])
-AC_CHECK_LIB([ncurses], [main], [], 
-    [AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses is required for profanity])])
+AC_CHECK_LIB([ncursesw], [main], [], 
+    [AC_MSG_ERROR([ncursesw is required for profanity])])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([glib-2.0], [main], [], 
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([glib-2.0 is required for profanity])])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([curl], [main], [], 
@@ -54,8 +54,10 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB([X11], [main], [],
 
 # Checks for header files.
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([stdlib.h string.h])
+
+# check for ncursesw/ncurses.h first, Arch linux uses ncurses.h for ncursesw
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncursesw/ncurses.h], [], [])
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses.h], [], [])
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses/ncurses.h], [], [])
 
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([DEPS], [openssl glib-2.0 libcurl])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([NOTIFY], [libnotify], [], 
diff --git a/src/input_win.c b/src/input_win.c
index 1e748feb..c809454e 100644
--- a/src/input_win.c
+++ b/src/input_win.c
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_NCURSES_H
-#include <ncurses/ncurses.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
+#include <ncursesw/ncurses.h>
 #endif
 
 #include "common.h"
diff --git a/src/preferences.c b/src/preferences.c
index cfad2787..8ef67b58 100644
--- a/src/preferences.c
+++ b/src/preferences.c
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_NCURSES_H
-#include <ncurses/ncurses.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
+#include <ncursesw/ncurses.h>
 #endif
 
 #include "config.h"
diff --git a/src/preferences.h b/src/preferences.h
index 295f7e85..77f1b7d0 100644
--- a/src/preferences.h
+++ b/src/preferences.h
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_NCURSES_H
-#include <ncurses/ncurses.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
+#include <ncursesw/ncurses.h>
 #endif
 
 #define PREFS_MIN_LOG_SIZE 64
diff --git a/src/profanity.c b/src/profanity.c
index 428bfddd..47440b35 100644
--- a/src/profanity.c
+++ b/src/profanity.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
+#include <locale.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <signal.h>
@@ -519,6 +520,7 @@ _handle_idle_time()
 static void
 _init(const int disable_tls, char *log_level)
 {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
     // ignore SIGPIPE
     signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
     files_create_directories();
diff --git a/src/status_bar.c b/src/status_bar.c
index 52d90439..4f8db3a6 100644
--- a/src/status_bar.c
+++ b/src/status_bar.c
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_NCURSES_H
-#include <ncurses/ncurses.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
+#include <ncursesw/ncurses.h>
 #endif
 
 #include "theme.h"
diff --git a/src/theme.c b/src/theme.c
index 6f222e6e..97774d61 100644
--- a/src/theme.c
+++ b/src/theme.c
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_NCURSES_H
-#include <ncurses/ncurses.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
+#include <ncursesw/ncurses.h>
 #endif
 
 #include "files.h"
diff --git a/src/theme.h b/src/theme.h
index 01bb5014..c11cec29 100644
--- a/src/theme.h
+++ b/src/theme.h
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_NCURSES_H
-#include <ncurses/ncurses.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
+#include <ncursesw/ncurses.h>
 #endif
 
 #define COLOUR_TEXT             COLOR_PAIR(1)
diff --git a/src/ui.h b/src/ui.h
index 029a61e0..9f498a4b 100644
--- a/src/ui.h
+++ b/src/ui.h
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_NCURSES_H
-#include <ncurses/ncurses.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
+#include <ncursesw/ncurses.h>
 #endif
 
 #include "jabber.h"
diff --git a/src/window.c b/src/window.c
index 6f162eb4..75b905ab 100644
--- a/src/window.c
+++ b/src/window.c
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_NCURSES_H
-#include <ncurses/ncurses.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
+#include <ncursesw/ncurses.h>
 #endif
 
 #include "theme.h"
diff --git a/src/windows.c b/src/windows.c
index c71e4d41..cc15c60e 100644
--- a/src/windows.c
+++ b/src/windows.c
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_NCURSES_H
-#include <ncurses/ncurses.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
+#include <ncursesw/ncurses.h>
 #endif
 
 #include "chat_log.h"