diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 68076d8..81da696 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -58,17 +58,19 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(ncurses,
   fi
 ])
 
-AC_CHECK_HEADER(ncurses.h,
-    AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, initscr,
-        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_NCURSES_H) LIBS="${LIBS} -lncurses",
-        AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, initscr,
-        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_CURSES_H) LIBS="${LIBS} -lcurses",
-        AC_MSG_ERROR([bvi requires the curses library]))),
-    AC_CHECK_HEADER(curses.h,
-        AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, initscr,
-		AC_DEFINE(HAVE_CURSES_H) LIBS="${LIBS} -lcurses",
-		AC_MSG_ERROR([bvi requires the curses library])),
-		AC_MSG_ERROR([bvi requires the curses library])))
+AC_CHECK_HEADER([ncurses.h],[
+    AC_SEARCH_LIBS([initscr], [ncurses],[
+            AC_DEFINE(HAVE_NCURSES_H)
+	    AC_SEARCH_LIBS([tputs], [tinfo])], [
+        AC_SEARCH_LIBS([initscr], [curses],[
+                AC_DEFINE(HAVE_CURSES_H)
+                AC_SEARCH_LIBS([tputs], [tinfo])],[
+	    AC_MSG_ERROR([bvi requires the curses library])])])],[
+    AC_CHECK_HEADER([curses.h],[
+    	AC_SEARCH_LIBS([initscr], [curses], [
+		AC_DEFINE(HAVE_CURSES_H)],[
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([bvi requires the curses library])])],[
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([bvi requires the curses library])])])
 
 dnl Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
 dnl AC_TYPE_SIZE_T