--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1180,9 +1180,13 @@
 
 if test "x$enable_fep" != xno; then
   enable_fep=yes
-  AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, setupterm, FEP_LIBADD="-lcurses $FEP_LIBADD",
-    [AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, setupterm, FEP_LIBADD="-lncurses $FEP_LIBADD",
-      AC_MSG_WARN([fep needs setupterm in libcurses or libncurses. disabled...]);enable_fep=no)])
+  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(CURSES, ncurses,
+    [FEP_LIBADD="$CURSES_LIBS $FEP_LIBADD"],
+    [
+      AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, setupterm, FEP_LIBADD="-lcurses $FEP_LIBADD",
+        [AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, setupterm, FEP_LIBADD="-lncurses $FEP_LIBADD",
+          AC_MSG_WARN([fep needs setupterm in libcurses or libncurses. disabled...]);enable_fep=no)])
+    ])
   AC_CHECK_FUNCS(forkpty)
   if test "x$ac_cv_func_forkpty" = xno; then
     AC_CHECK_LIB(util, forkpty,
@@ -1319,10 +1323,14 @@
   saved_LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS
   CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -I$libedit_path/include"
   LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -L$libedit_path/lib"
-  AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, tgetent, LIBEDIT_LIBS="-lcurses",
-    [AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, tgetent, LIBEDIT_LIBS="-lncurses",
-      AC_MSG_WARN("libedit needs libcurses or libncurses. disabled...")
-        with_libedit=no)])
+  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(CURSES, ncurses,
+    [LIBEDIT_LIBS="$CURSES_LIBS"],
+    [
+      AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, tgetent, LIBEDIT_LIBS="-lcurses",
+        [AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, tgetent, LIBEDIT_LIBS="-lncurses",
+          AC_MSG_WARN("libedit needs libcurses or libncurses. disabled...")
+            with_libedit=no)])
+    ])
 
   if test "x$with_libedit" != xno; then
       AC_CHECK_LIB(edit, el_init,