diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index f4c0e3bc5..09c7738ce 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -483,13 +483,20 @@ dnl
 AC_DEFUN([MC_WITH_NCURSES], [
     dnl has_colors() is specific to ncurses, it's not in the old curses
     save_LIBS="$LIBS"
+    ncursesw_found=
+    LIBS=
+    AC_SEARCH_LIBS([addwstr], [ncursesw ncurses curses], [MCLIBS="$MCLIBS $LIBS";ncursesw_found=yes],
+		   [AC_MSG_WARN([Cannot find ncurses library, that support wide characters])])
+
+    if test -z "$ncursesw_found"; then
     LIBS=
     AC_SEARCH_LIBS([has_colors], [ncurses curses], [MCLIBS="$MCLIBS $LIBS"],
 		   [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find ncurses library])])
+    fi
 
     dnl Check the header
     ncurses_h_found=
-    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses/curses.h ncurses.h curses.h],
+    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncursesw/curses.h ncurses/curses.h ncurses.h curses.h],
 		     [ncurses_h_found=yes; break])
 
     if test -z "$ncurses_h_found"; then
diff --git a/src/tty.h b/src/tty.h
index 85d286b72..454c1b1c5 100644
--- a/src/tty.h
+++ b/src/tty.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #ifdef USE_NCURSES
 #    ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_CURSES_H
 #        include <ncurses/curses.h>
+#    elif HAVE_NCURSESW_CURSES_H
+#        include <ncursesw/curses.h>
 #    elif HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #        include <ncurses.h>
 #    else