--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -65,8 +65,18 @@
 					 AC_DEFINE([HAVE_GTK_2], 1, Found GTK 2),
            HAVE_GTK_2=0)
 fi
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(ncurses, [  --enable-ncurses        enable ncurses support],
+              [if test "$enableval" = no; then no_ncurses=yes; fi])
+if test x$no_ncurses != xyes; then
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(ncurses, ncurses,[
+	AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBNCURSES], [1], found ncurses library)
+	HAVE_CURSES=1
+	LIBS="$LIBS $ncurses_LIBS"
+	CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $ncurses_CFLAGS"],
 AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, initscr, HAVE_CURSES=1; LIBS="$LIBS -lncurses";
 	AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBNCURSES], [1], found ncurses library))
+	)
+fi
 AC_CHECK_LIB(intl, libintl_gettext, LIBS="$LIBS -lintl")
 AC_CHECK_LIB(pthread, pthread_create, LIBS="$LIBS -lpthread", AC_MSG_ERROR(Pthread required and not found. Please check if you have libpthread in your system and specify using CFLAGS and LDFLAGS when configure))