diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9157b197..c5ca2ac5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #   configure.ac: Autoconf input file
 #
 #   Known contributors to this file:
-#      Markus Armbruster, 2005-2008
+#      Markus Armbruster, 2005-2009
 #
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ save_LIBS="$LIBS"
 LIBS="$LIBS_SOCKETS $LIBS"
 LIB_SOCKET_NSL
 LIBS_server="$LIBS"
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS([setupterm], [termlib termcap curses ncurses])
 LIBS_client="$LIBS"
 LIBS="$save_LIBS"
 AC_SUBST(LIBS_server)
@@ -136,6 +135,12 @@ POSIX)	AC_DEFINE([EMPTH_POSIX], 1, [Define to use POSIX threads]) ;;
 Windows) AC_DEFINE([EMPTH_W32], 1, [Define to use Windows threads]) ;;
 esac
 
+save_LIBS="$LIBS"
+LIBS="$LIBS_client"
+MY_WITH_TERMINFO
+LIBS_client="$LIBS"
+LIBS="$save_LIBS"
+
 
 ### Output
 
diff --git a/m4/my_termlib.m4 b/m4/my_termlib.m4
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7fb65136
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/my_termlib.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+AC_DEFUN([MY_CURSES_TERMINFO],
+[
+	AC_SEARCH_LIBS([setupterm], [termlib termcap curses ncurses],
+		[have_terminfo=yes], [have_terminfo=no])
+	AC_CHECK_HEADER([curses.h], , [have_terminfo=no])
+	AC_CHECK_HEADER([term.h], , [have_terminfo=no])
+	if test "$have_terminfo" = yes
+	then AC_DEFINE([HAVE_CURSES_TERMINFO], 1,
+		[Define if you have the curses interface to terminfo])
+	fi
+])
+
+AC_DEFUN([MY_WITH_TERMINFO],
+[
+	AC_ARG_WITH([terminfo],
+		AS_HELP_STRING([--with-terminfo],
+			[use terminfo for highlighting (default check)]))
+	if test "x$with_terminfo" != xno; then
+		MY_CURSES_TERMINFO
+		if test "$have_terminfo$with_terminfo" = noyes
+		then AC_MSG_FAILURE([Can't satisfy --with-terminfo])
+		fi
+		with_terminfo="$have_terminfo"
+	fi
+])
diff --git a/src/client/configure.ac b/src/client/configure.ac
index 7a74286a..733af2bc 100644
--- a/src/client/configure.ac
+++ b/src/client/configure.ac
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #   configure.ac: Autoconf input file
 #
 #   Known contributors to this file:
-#      Markus Armbruster, 2005-2008
+#      Markus Armbruster, 2005-2009
 #
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ MY_WINDOWS_API
 ### Checks for libraries.
 LIBS="$LIBS_SOCKETS $LIBS"
 LIB_SOCKET_NSL
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS([setupterm], [termlib termcap curses ncurses])
 
 
 ### Checks for header files.
@@ -80,6 +79,7 @@ test "$EMPIREHOST" || EMPIREHOST=blitz.wolfpackempire.com
 AC_ARG_VAR([EMPIREPORT], [Default port [6789]])
 test "$EMPIREPORT" || EMPIREPORT=6789
 
+MY_WITH_TERMINFO
 
 ### Output
 
diff --git a/src/client/misc.h b/src/client/misc.h
index eea059f0..de799645 100644
--- a/src/client/misc.h
+++ b/src/client/misc.h
@@ -49,15 +49,15 @@ extern int input_fd;
 extern int send_eof;
 extern FILE *auxfp;
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#ifdef HAVE_CURSES_TERMINFO
 void getsose(void);
 void putso(void);
 void putse(void);
-#else  /* !_WIN32 */
+#else  /* !HAVE_CURSES_TERMINFO */
 #define getsose() ((void)0)
 #define putso() ((void)0)
 #define putse() ((void)0)
-#endif	/* !WIN32 */
+#endif	/* !HAVE_CURSES_TERMINFO */
 int recvline(int s, char *buf);
 int parseid(char *);
 int expect(int s, int match, char *buf);
diff --git a/src/client/termlib.c b/src/client/termlib.c
index ad664908..1711afd4 100644
--- a/src/client/termlib.c
+++ b/src/client/termlib.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 
 #include <config.h>
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#ifdef HAVE_CURSES_TERMINFO
 
 #include <curses.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -77,4 +77,4 @@ putse(void)
 	putp(rmso);
 }
 
-#endif /* !_WIN32 */
+#endif /* HAVE_CURSES_TERMINFO */