diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 11bd00ffc..8af5df7ed 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ CC := @CC@
 INSTALL:=@INSTALL@
 
 # Compiler flags
-CFLAGS := @CFLAGS@ @INCLUDEDIR@ -Wall -std=gnu99 -fno-strict-aliasing
+CFLAGS:=@CFLAGS@ -Wall -std=gnu99 -fno-strict-aliasing
 CPPFLAGS=@CPPFLAGS@
-LDFLAGS:= -l@CURSESLIB@ @LIBS@ @LDFLAGS@ @LIBDIR@
+LDFLAGS:= @LIBS@ @LDFLAGS@ 
 
 # Installation directories
 prefix = @prefix@
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ all: $(PROGRAMS) user_doc
 .PHONY: all
 
 debug:
-	make fish CFLAGS="-O0 -Wno-unused -Werror -g @INCLUDEDIR@ -Wall -std=gnu99 -fno-strict-aliasing"
+	make fish CFLAGS="-O0 -Wno-unused -Werror -g -Wall -std=gnu99 -fno-strict-aliasing"
 .PHONY: debug
 
 # User documentation, describing the features of the fish shell.
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index fe654b295..32eba6af4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,17 +1,39 @@
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 AC_INIT(fish,1.20.1,fish-users@lists.sf.net)
 
+for i in /usr/pkg /sw; do
+
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for $i/include include directory])
+	if test -d $i/include; then
+		AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+		CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I$i/include/"
+	else
+    	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+	fi
+
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for $i/lib library directory])
+	if test -d $i/lib; then
+		AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+		LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$i/lib/ -R$i/lib/"
+	else
+    	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+	fi
+done
+ 
 # If needed, run autoheader automatically
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if autoheader needs to be run])
 if test ! -f ./config.h.in -o config.h.in -ot configure.ac; then
+	AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
 	if which autoheader >/dev/null; then
-		echo running autoheader...
+		AC_MSG_NOTICE([running autoheader])
 		autoheader
 	else
-		echo Could not find the autoheader program in your path.
-		echo This program is needed because the configure.ac file has been modified.
-		echo Please install it and try again.
-		exit 1
+		AC_MSG_ERROR( [cannot find the autoheader program in your path.
+This program is needed because the configure.ac file has been modified.
+Please install it and try again.])
 	fi
+else
+	AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
 fi
 
 # Tell autoconf to create config.h header 
@@ -26,10 +48,9 @@ AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_CHECK_PROG( has_doxygen, [doxygen], "true")
 
 if ! test $has_doxygen = "true"; then
-	echo Could not find the Doxygen program in your path.
-	echo This program is needed to build fish.
-	echo Please install it and try again.
-	exit 1
+	AC_MSG_ERROR( [cannot find the Doxygen program in your path.
+This program is needed to build fish.
+Please install it and try again.])
 fi
 
 # Check for seq program. If missing, install fallback shellscript implementation
@@ -93,10 +114,6 @@ AC_SUBST( [LOCALEDIR], [$datadir/locale])
 # See if Linux procfs is present
 AC_CHECK_FILES([/proc/self/stat])
 
-# See if NetBSD pkgsrc is installed
-AC_CHECK_FILE([/usr/pkg/lib],[AC_SUBST(LIBDIR,[-L/usr/pkg/lib\ -R/usr/pkg/lib])])
-AC_CHECK_FILE([/usr/pkg/include],[AC_SUBST(INCLUDEDIR,[-I/usr/pkg/include])])
-
 # Check for RLIMIT_AS in sys/resource.h.
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for RLIMIT_AS in sys/resource.h])
 AC_TRY_COMPILE([#include <sys/resource.h>],
@@ -187,12 +204,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 # Check if we have ncurses, and use it rather than curses if possible.
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses.h],[AC_SUBST(CURSESLIB,[ncurses]) AC_DEFINE(HAVE_NCURSES_H)],[AC_SUBST(CURSESLIB,[curses])])
-
-# Force use of ncurses if it is avialable via NetBSD pkgsrc. This is an
-# ugly kludge to force NetBSD to use ncurses, since NetBSDs own version
-# does not properly support terminfo.
-AC_CHECK_FILE([/usr/pkg/include/ncurses.h],[AC_SUBST(CURSESLIB,[ncurses]) AC_DEFINE(HAVE_NCURSES_H)])
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS( setupterm, [ncurses curses], [ AC_MSG_NOTICE([Found curses implementation])], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find a curses implementation, needed to build fish])] )
 
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile fish.spec doc_src/fish.1 doc_src/Doxyfile init/fish init/fish_interactive.fish init/fish_complete.fish seq])
 AC_OUTPUT