diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 153298a6..5b70c6d2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -42,10 +42,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(execinfo,
 
 AX_PTHREAD([], AC_MSG_ERROR([requires pthread]))
 
-AC_ARG_WITH([ncurses],
-  [AS_HELP_STRING([--without-ncurses], [build without ncurses (daemon-only mode)])],
-  [with_ncurses=$withval],
-  [with_ncurses=yes])
+TORRENT_WITHOUT_NCURSES
 
 if test "x$with_ncurses" != xno; then
   AX_WITH_CURSES
@@ -53,8 +50,6 @@ if test "x$with_ncurses" != xno; then
   if test "x$ax_cv_ncursesw" != xyes && test "x$ax_cv_ncurses" != xyes; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([requires either NcursesW or Ncurses library])
   fi
-else
-  AC_DEFINE([HAVE_NO_NCURSES], [1], [Define to 1 if building without ncurses])
 fi
 
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([CPPUNIT], [cppunit],, [no_cppunit="yes"])
@@ -80,20 +75,9 @@ AC_DEFINE(USER_AGENT, [std::string(PACKAGE "/" VERSION)], Http user agent)
 
 dnl Only update global build variables immediately before generating the output,
 dnl to avoid affecting the global build environment for other autoconf checks.
-if test "x$with_ncurses" != xno; then
-  LIBS="$PTHREAD_LIBS $CURSES_LIB $CURSES_LIBS $ZLIB_LIBS $DEPENDENCIES_LIBS $LIBS"
-else
-  LIBS="$PTHREAD_LIBS $ZLIB_LIBS $DEPENDENCIES_LIBS $LIBS"
-fi
-if test "x$with_ncurses" != xno; then
-  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $CURSES_CFLAGS $ZLIB_CFLAGS $DEPENDENCIES_CFLAGS"
-  CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $CURSES_CFLAGS $ZLIB_CFLAGS $DEPENDENCIES_CFLAGS"
-else
-  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $ZLIB_CFLAGS $DEPENDENCIES_CFLAGS"
-  CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $ZLIB_CFLAGS $DEPENDENCIES_CFLAGS"
-fi
-
-AM_CONDITIONAL([NO_NCURSES], [test "x$with_ncurses" = xno])
+LIBS="$PTHREAD_LIBS $CURSES_LIB $CURSES_LIBS $ZLIB_LIBS $DEPENDENCIES_LIBS $LIBS"
+CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $CURSES_CFLAGS $ZLIB_CFLAGS $DEPENDENCIES_CFLAGS"
+CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $CURSES_CFLAGS $ZLIB_CFLAGS $DEPENDENCIES_CFLAGS"
 
 TORRENT_CHECK_CACHELINE
 TORRENT_CHECK_POPCOUNT
diff --git a/scripts/checks.m4 b/scripts/checks.m4
index 663b1e8c..923689ad 100644
--- a/scripts/checks.m4
+++ b/scripts/checks.m4
@@ -506,3 +506,20 @@ AC_DEFUN([TORRENT_WITH_SYSTEMD], [
       fi
     ])
 ])
+
+
+AC_DEFUN([TORRENT_WITHOUT_NCURSES], [
+  AC_ARG_WITH([ncurses],
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--without-ncurses], [build without ncurses (daemon-only mode)])],
+    [with_ncurses=$withval],
+    [with_ncurses=yes])
+
+  if test "x$with_ncurses" = xno; then
+    AC_DEFINE([HAVE_NO_NCURSES], [1], [Define to 1 if building without ncurses])
+    CURSES_LIBS=""
+    CURSES_CFLAGS=""
+    CURSES_LIB=""
+  fi
+
+  AM_CONDITIONAL([NO_NCURSES], [test "x$with_ncurses" = xno])
+])
diff --git a/src/display/curses_stub.h b/src/display/curses_stub.h
index 9a5c467b..9e601c6f 100644
--- a/src/display/curses_stub.h
+++ b/src/display/curses_stub.h
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ inline int     init_pair(short, short, short) { return 0; }
 inline int     pair_content(short, short*, short*) { return 0; }
 inline int     resizeterm(int, int) { return 0; }
 inline int     getch() { return ERR; }
+inline int     set_escdelay(int) { return 0; }
 
 // getyx / getmaxyx are macros in real ncurses; stub them as no-ops
 #define getyx(w, y, x)     do { (y) = 0; (x) = 0; } while (0)