diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 03b98c732c3..f7ccffa2716 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ Build
 
 - Issue #15235: Allow Berkley DB versions up to 5.3 to build the dbm module.
 
+- Issue #15268: Search curses.h in /usr/include/ncursesw.
+
 
 What's New in Python 3.3.0 Beta 1?
 ==================================
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a60c7011488..31fc3d6fbbb 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -6852,6 +6852,8 @@ $as_echo "#define STDC_HEADERS 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
 
+ac_save_cppflags="$CPPFLAGS"
+CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/include/ncursesw"
 for ac_header in asm/types.h conio.h curses.h direct.h dlfcn.h errno.h \
 fcntl.h grp.h \
 ieeefp.h io.h langinfo.h libintl.h ncurses.h process.h pthread.h \
@@ -6877,6 +6879,7 @@ fi
 
 done
 
+CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_cppflags
 ac_header_dirent=no
 for ac_hdr in dirent.h sys/ndir.h sys/dir.h ndir.h; do
   as_ac_Header=`$as_echo "ac_cv_header_dirent_$ac_hdr" | $as_tr_sh`
@@ -14350,6 +14353,8 @@ $as_echo "#define HAVE_STAT_TV_NSEC2 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
 
+ac_save_cppflags="$CPPFLAGS"
+CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/include/ncursesw"
 # On HP/UX 11.0, mvwdelch is a block with a return statement
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether mvwdelch is an expression" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking whether mvwdelch is an expression... " >&6; }
@@ -14503,6 +14508,8 @@ $as_echo "no" >&6; }
 
 fi
 rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
+# last curses configure check
+CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_cppflags
 
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for device files" >&5
 $as_echo "$as_me: checking for device files" >&6;}
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2aaec844c4a..e3f5b9696d4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1485,6 +1485,8 @@ dnl AC_MSG_RESULT($cpp_type)
 
 # checks for header files
 AC_HEADER_STDC
+ac_save_cppflags="$CPPFLAGS"
+CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/include/ncursesw"
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(asm/types.h conio.h curses.h direct.h dlfcn.h errno.h \
 fcntl.h grp.h \
 ieeefp.h io.h langinfo.h libintl.h ncurses.h process.h pthread.h \
@@ -1498,6 +1500,7 @@ sys/stat.h sys/syscall.h sys/sys_domain.h sys/termio.h sys/time.h \
 sys/times.h sys/types.h sys/uio.h sys/un.h sys/utsname.h sys/wait.h pty.h \
 libutil.h sys/resource.h netpacket/packet.h sysexits.h bluetooth.h \
 bluetooth/bluetooth.h linux/tipc.h spawn.h util.h)
+CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_cppflags
 AC_HEADER_DIRENT
 AC_HEADER_MAJOR
 
@@ -4205,6 +4208,8 @@ then
   [Define if you have struct stat.st_mtimensec])
 fi
 
+ac_save_cppflags="$CPPFLAGS"
+CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/include/ncursesw"
 # On HP/UX 11.0, mvwdelch is a block with a return statement
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether mvwdelch is an expression)
 AC_CACHE_VAL(ac_cv_mvwdelch_is_expression,
@@ -4259,6 +4264,8 @@ AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <curses.h>]], [[void *x=resizeterm
    AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)],
   [AC_MSG_RESULT(no)]
 )
+# last curses configure check
+CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_cppflags
 
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([checking for device files])