diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 92e4ea69..993ee1f3 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -134,10 +134,7 @@ CVS code -
 - configure.ac:
 	- Remove specific references to control key shortcuts. (DLR)
 	- Check for the wide version of ncurses, without which multibyte
-	  strings don't seem to be displayed properly. (DLR; check for
-	  addwstr() in curses to determine whether it has wide character
-	  support inspired by mutt 1.4.2.1i's checking for waddnwstr()
-	  for the same reason)
+	  strings don't seem to be displayed properly. (DLR)
 - doc/nanorc.sample:
 	- Add return to the "c-file" regexes. (DLR)
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 65c73250..c37f5ca9 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ dnl Checks for libraries.
 if eval "test x$CURSES_LIB_NAME = x"
 then
     AC_CHECK_HEADERS(ncurses.h)
-    AC_CHECK_LIB(ncursesw, addwstr, [CURSES_LIB="-lncursesw" CURSES_LIB_NAME=ncursesw CURSES_LIB_WIDE="yes"])
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(ncursesw, wget_wch, [CURSES_LIB="-lncursesw" CURSES_LIB_NAME=ncursesw CURSES_LIB_WIDE="yes"])
     if eval "test x$CURSES_LIB_NAME = x"
     then
 	 AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, initscr, [CURSES_LIB="-lncurses" CURSES_LIB_NAME=ncurses])
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ fi
 if eval "test x$CURSES_LIB_NAME = x"
 then
     AC_CHECK_HEADERS(curses.h)
-    AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, addwstr, [CURSES_LIB="-lcurses" CURSES_LIB_NAME=curses CURSES_LIB_WIDE="yes"])
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, wget_wch, [CURSES_LIB="-lcurses" CURSES_LIB_NAME=curses CURSES_LIB_WIDE="yes"])
     if eval "test x$CURSES_LIB_NAME = x"
     then
 	 AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, initscr, [CURSES_LIB="-lcurses" CURSES_LIB_NAME=curses])