diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 44b589bea..1bff836da 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ LIBS=""
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS( connect, socket, , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find the socket library, needed to build this package.] )] )
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS( nanosleep, rt, , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find the rt library, needed to build this package.] )] )
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS( pthread_create, pthread, , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find the pthread library, needed to build this package.] )] )
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS( setupterm, [ncurses curses], , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find a curses implementation, needed to build fish])] )
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS( setupterm, [ncurses curses], , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find a curses implementation, needed to build fish. If this is Linux, try running 'sudo apt-get install libncurses5-dev' or 'sudo yum install ncurses-devel'])] )
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS( [nan], [m], [AC_DEFINE( [HAVE_NAN], [1], [Define to 1 if you have the nan function])] )
 LIBS_SHARED=$LIBS
 LIBS=$LIBS_COMMON