diff --git a/ProvideCurses.h b/ProvideCurses.h
index 7ae99e620..8bbb94e24 100644
--- a/ProvideCurses.h
+++ b/ProvideCurses.h
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ in the source distribution for its full text.
 */
 
 
+#if defined(HAVE_CONFIG_H)
 #include "config.h" // IWYU pragma: keep
+#endif
 
 // IWYU pragma: begin_exports
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 47df8f759..c6ab6609d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -668,6 +668,28 @@ else
       [AC_CHECK_HEADERS([term.h], [],
          [AC_MSG_ERROR([can not find required term header file])])])
 fi
+
+CFLAGS="-I$srcdir $CFLAGS"
+# Check for things that might be macros.
+# "stdscr" is a macro in ncursest (reentrant version of ncurses).
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether the curses header works])
+AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+#include "ProvideCurses.h"
+   ]], [[
+keypad(stdscr, 0);
+
+refresh();
+
+#if defined(HAVE_LIBNCURSESW)
+{
+   static cchar_t dummy;
+   mvadd_wchnstr(0, 0, &dummy, 0);
+}
+#endif
+   ]])],
+   [AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)],
+   [AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+   AC_MSG_FAILURE([there are problems with the curses header])])
 CFLAGS=$htop_save_CFLAGS
 
 if test "$enable_static" = yes; then