--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -19,22 +19,20 @@
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(geoip,--enable-geoip Enable GeoIP country lookup, USE_GEOIP="yes")
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(utf8,--enable-utf8 Enable UTF-8 support for wide characters, USE_UTF8="yes")
 
-if test "$USE_GEOIP" = "yes"; then
-   AC_CHECK_LIB([GeoIP], [GeoIP_new], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([libgeoip-dev is missing])])
-   CFLAGS="-lGeoIP"
+if test x"$USE_GEOIP" = "xyes"; then
+   AC_CHECK_LIB([GeoIP], [GeoIP_new], , [AC_MSG_ERROR([libgeoip-dev is missing])])
 fi
 
-if test "$USE_UTF8" = "yes"; then
-   AC_CHECK_LIB([ncursesw], [mvaddwstr], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([libncursesw5-dev is missing])])
-   CFLAGS="-lncursesw"
+if test x"$USE_UTF8" = "xyes"; then
+   AC_CHECK_LIB([ncursesw], [mvaddwstr], , [AC_MSG_ERROR([libncursesw5-dev is missing])])
+   AC_SEARCH_LIBS([stdscr], [tinfow], ,[AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find a library providing stdscr])])
 else
-   AC_CHECK_LIB([ncurses], [refresh], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([libncurses5-dev is missing])])
-   CFLAGS="-lncurses"
+   AC_CHECK_LIB([ncurses], [refresh], , [AC_MSG_ERROR([libncurses5-dev is missing])])
+   AC_SEARCH_LIBS([stdscr], [tinfo], ,[AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find a library providing stdscr])])
 fi
 
 # pthread
 AC_CHECK_LIB([pthread], [pthread_create], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([pthread is missing])])
-CFLAGS="-pthread"
 
 # Checks for libraries.
 AC_CHECK_LIB([glib-2.0], [g_free], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([glib-2.x is missing])])