--- configure.ac
+++ configure.ac
@@ -97,6 +97,14 @@
   AC_DEFINE([NESTED_FUNC_ATTR], [],[Catch gcc bug])
 fi
 
+# Check for ncurses.
+AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, color_set, , [AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses library not found])])
+ncurses_found=
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS(ncurses/curses.h ncurses.h curses.h, [ncurses_found=1; break;])
+if test -z "$ncurses_found"; then
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses header not found])
+fi
+
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
 AC_CHECK_TOOL(OBJCOPY, objcopy)
--- util/console.c
+++ util/console.c
@@ -18,7 +18,16 @@
  *  Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
  */
 
-#include <curses.h>
+#include <config.h>
+
+#if defined(HAVE_NCURSES_CURSES_H)
+# include <ncurses/curses.h>
+#elif defined(HAVE_NCURSES_H)
+# include <ncurses.h>
+#elif defined(HAVE_CURSES_H)
+# include <curses.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <grub/machine/console.h>
 #include <grub/term.h>
 #include <grub/types.h>