Index: config/auto/readline.pm
===================================================================
--- config/auto/readline.pm	(revision 43076)
+++ config/auto/readline.pm	(working copy)
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
     else {
         # a second chance with ncurses
         $extra_libs .= ' ';
+        my $tmp = $extra_libs;
         $extra_libs .= $self->_select_lib( {
             conf            => $conf,
             osname          => $osname,
@@ -75,6 +76,23 @@
             }
             _handle_readline($conf, $extra_libs);
         }
+        else {
+            # a third chance with curses
+            $extra_libs = $tmp . $self->_select_lib( {
+                conf            => $conf,
+                osname          => $osname,
+                cc              => $cc,
+                win32_nongcc    => 'curses.lib',
+                default         => '-lcurses',
+            } );
+            eval { $conf->cc_build( q{}, $extra_libs) };
+            if ( !$@ ) {
+                if ( $conf->cc_run() ) {
+                    $has_readline = $self->_evaluate_cc_run($verbose);
+                }
+                _handle_readline($conf, $extra_libs);
+            }
+        }
     }
     $conf->data->set( HAS_READLINE => $has_readline );
     $self->set_result($has_readline ? 'yes' : 'no');