diff --git a/build_tools/Makefile b/build_tools/Makefile
index 7f4d8b4ec39debc55cc3d07321a8bf1f5b65859b..0825cd6cc7fa132cfdd7f88e6ec52ab8e64b25ee 100644
--- a/build_tools/Makefile
+++ b/build_tools/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 MENUSELECT_OBJS=menuselect.o menuselect_curses.o ../strcompat.o
 MENUSELECT_CFLAGS=-g -c -D_GNU_SOURCE -I../ -I../include/
-MENUSELECT_LIBS=../mxml/libmxml.a $(CURSES_LIB)
+MENUSELECT_LIBS=../mxml/libmxml.a
+
+ifneq ($(NCURSES_LIB),)
+  MENUSELECT_LIBS+=$(NCURSES_LIB)
+  MENUSELECT_INCLUDE=$(NCURSES_INCLUDE)
+else
+  MENUSELECT_LIBS+=$(CURSES_LIB)
+  MENUSELECT_INCLUDE=$(CURSES_INCLUDE)
+endif
 
 menuselect: $(MENUSELECT_OBJS)
 	$(CC) -g -o $@ $(MENUSELECT_OBJS) $(MENUSELECT_LIBS)
@@ -9,7 +17,7 @@ menuselect.o: menuselect.c menuselect.h
 	$(CC) -o $@ $(MENUSELECT_CFLAGS) $<
 
 menuselect_curses.o: menuselect_curses.c menuselect.h
-	$(CC) -o $@ $(MENUSELECT_CFLAGS) $(CURSES_INCLUDE) $<
+	$(CC) -o $@ $(MENUSELECT_CFLAGS) $(MENUSELECT_INCLUDE) $<
 
 clean:
 	rm -f menuselect *.o
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5c63428c370a54703da6e0afa3a1b135d0b63aa7..4fe2c1f6dbaacd089274c1b0a3254663cae9fa97 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ AST_EXT_LIB([asound], [snd_spcm_init], [alsa/asoundlib.h], [ALSA], [Advanced Lin
 AST_EXT_LIB([curses], [initscr], [curses.h], [CURSES], [curses], [])
 AST_EXT_LIB([mfcr2], [mfcr2_MakeCall], [libmfcr2.h], [MFCR2], [MFCR2])
 AST_EXT_LIB([nbs], [nbs_setup], [nbs.h], [NBS], [Network Broadcast Sound])
+AST_EXT_LIB([ncurses], [initscr], [curses.h], [NCURSES], [ncurses], [])
 AST_EXT_LIB([newt], [newtBell], [newt.h], [NEWT], [newt])
 AST_EXT_LIB([odbc], [SQLConnect], [sql.h], [UNIXODBC], [unixODBC])
 AST_EXT_LIB([ogg], [ogg_sync_init], [], [OGG], [OGG])
diff --git a/makeopts.in b/makeopts.in
index d897775b31ae9dcd004e469b5a80dc1f1980ea6c..7350b292ae4ff8572601034005512973c586380c 100644
--- a/makeopts.in
+++ b/makeopts.in
@@ -101,3 +101,6 @@ GSM_INCLUDE=@gsm_INCLUDE@
 
 CURSES_LIB=@curses_LIB@
 CURSES_INCLUDE=@curses_INCLUDE@
+
+NCURSES_LIB=@ncurses_LIB@
+NCURSES_INCLUDE=@ncurses_INCLUDE@