diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2025-01-02-11-02-45.gh-issue-123925.TLlyUi.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2025-01-02-11-02-45.gh-issue-123925.TLlyUi.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a2a9c6fc7680
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2025-01-02-11-02-45.gh-issue-123925.TLlyUi.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix building the :mod:`curses` module on platforms with libncurses but
+without libncursesw.
diff --git a/Modules/_cursesmodule.c b/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
index 55038cf09c28..a7cbe81226eb 100644
--- a/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ typedef chtype attr_t;           /* No attr_t type is available */
 #define STRICT_SYSV_CURSES
 #endif
 
-#if NCURSES_EXT_FUNCS+0 >= 20170401 && NCURSES_EXT_COLORS+0 >= 20170401
+#if defined(HAVE_NCURSESW) && NCURSES_EXT_FUNCS+0 >= 20170401 && NCURSES_EXT_COLORS+0 >= 20170401
 #define _NCURSES_EXTENDED_COLOR_FUNCS   1
 #else
 #define _NCURSES_EXTENDED_COLOR_FUNCS   0