diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8a51c2cf9..868aa9da4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1274,7 +1274,7 @@ else
                 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([readline/readline.h readline/history.h],
                     [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_GNUREADLINE], [], [Define if we have GNU readline])],
                     [AC_MSG_ERROR([Couldn't find GNU readline headers.])])
-                AC_SEARCH_LIBS([tputs], [ncurses tinfo termcap],
+                AC_SEARCH_LIBS([tputs], [tinfo termcap ncurses],
                     [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_TERMCAP], [], [Define if we have ncurses/terminfo or termcap])],
                     [AC_MSG_ERROR([Found neither ncurses/terminfo or termcap])])
                 AC_CHECK_LIB([readline], [readline],
@@ -1290,7 +1290,7 @@ else
 		       if test -f $dir/include/readline/readline.h && test -f $dir/include/readline/history.h ; then
 
                             AC_DEFINE([HAVE_GNUREADLINE], [], [Define if we have GNU readline])
-			    AC_SEARCH_LIBS([tputs], [ncurses tinfo termcap],
+			    AC_SEARCH_LIBS([tputs], [tinfo termcap ncurses],
 			        [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_TERMCAP], [], [Define if we have ncurses/terminfo or termcap])],
 				[AC_MSG_ERROR([Found neither ncurses/terminfo or termcap])])
 			    AC_CHECK_LIB([readline], [readline],
@@ -1312,7 +1312,7 @@ else
         AC_CHECK_HEADERS([editline/readline.h],
             [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_BSDEDITLINE], [1], [Define to enable BSD editline])],
             [AC_MSG_ERROR([Couldn't find BSD editline headers.])])
-        AC_SEARCH_LIBS([tputs], [ncurses tinfo termcap],
+        AC_SEARCH_LIBS([tputs], [tinfo termcap ncurses],
             [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_TERMCAP], [], [Define if we have ncurses/terminfo or termcap])],
             [AC_MSG_ERROR([Found neither ncurses/terminfo or termcap])])
         AC_CHECK_LIB([edit], [readline],
@@ -1323,7 +1323,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 # Use AC_CHECK_HEADERS so the HAVE_*_H symbol gets defined
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses/termcap.h termcap.h])
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses/termcap.h termcap.h term.h])
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/sysctl.h])
 
 # Add OpenMP to ngspice.
diff --git a/src/frontend/terminal.c b/src/frontend/terminal.c
index bdfe23992..b4d6dfb12 100644
--- a/src/frontend/terminal.c
+++ b/src/frontend/terminal.c
@@ -25,19 +25,6 @@ Author: 1986 Wayne A. Christopher, U. C. Berkeley CAD Group
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #endif
 
-
-#ifdef HAVE_TERMCAP
-#include <curses.h>
-#include <term.h>
-#endif
-
-
-#ifdef HAVE_TERMCAP_H
-#include <termcap.h>
-#elif HAVE_NCURSES_TERMCAP_H
-#include <ncurses/termcap.h>
-#endif
-
 #include "ngspice/cpdefs.h"
 
 #include "variable.h"
@@ -49,6 +36,22 @@ bool out_isatty = TRUE;
 
 #if !defined (TCL_MODULE) && !defined (SHARED_MODULE)
 
+#ifdef HAVE_TERMCAP
+/* The tputs() function was found in a library, but there are several
+ * candidates for the header file location.
+ */
+
+#if HAVE_TERM_H
+#include <term.h>
+#elif HAVE_TERMCAP_H
+#include <termcap.h>
+#elif HAVE_NCURSES_TERMCAP_H
+#include <ncurses/termcap.h>
+#else
+#undef HAVE_TERMCAP
+#endif
+#endif
+
 #ifdef HAVE_TERMCAP
 static char *motion_chars;
 static char *clear_chars;