diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f865cbf2..1fd6bd61 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -146,13 +146,15 @@ fi
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(unicode, [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-unicode], [enable Unicode support])], ,enable_unicode="yes")
 if test "x$enable_unicode" = xyes; then
-   AC_CHECK_LIB([ncursesw6], [refresh], [
+   AC_CHECK_LIB([ncursesw6], [addnwstr], [
       AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBNCURSESW, 1, [])
       LIBS="-lncursesw6 $LIBS "
    ], [
-      AC_CHECK_LIB([ncursesw], [refresh], [], [
-         missing_libraries="$missing_libraries libncursesw"
-         AC_MSG_ERROR([You may want to use --disable-unicode or install libncursesw.])
+      AC_CHECK_LIB([ncursesw], [addnwstr], [], [
+         AC_CHECK_LIB([ncurses], [addnwstr], [], [
+            missing_libraries="$missing_libraries libncursesw"
+            AC_MSG_ERROR([You may want to use --disable-unicode or install libncursesw.])
+         ])
       ])
    ])
    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncursesw/curses.h],[:],