diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
index 1ad6f7fc490a1233b46bcb20fd8ea7e0562f02ba..80914358817e0c3c947353fa0f31ab057385e63c 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -93,12 +93,6 @@ HOST_LOADLIBES   = $(shell $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(check-lxdialog) -ldflags $(HOSTCC))
 
 HOST_EXTRACFLAGS += -DLOCALE
 
-PHONY += $(obj)/dochecklxdialog
-$(obj)/dochecklxdialog:
-	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(check-lxdialog) -check $(HOSTCC) $(HOST_LOADLIBES)
-
-always := dochecklxdialog
-
 
 # ===========================================================================
 # Shared Makefile for the various kconfig executables:
@@ -145,6 +139,14 @@ clean-files	:= lkc_defs.h qconf.moc .tmp_qtcheck \
 		   .tmp_gtkcheck zconf.tab.c lex.zconf.c zconf.hash.c
 clean-files     += mconf qconf gconf
 
+# Check that we have the required ncurses stuff installed for lxdialog (menuconfig)
+PHONY += $(obj)/dochecklxdialog
+$(addprefix $(obj)/,$(lxdialog)): $(obj)/dochecklxdialog
+$(obj)/dochecklxdialog:
+	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(check-lxdialog) -check $(HOSTCC) $(HOST_EXTRACFLAGS) $(HOST_LOADLIBES)
+
+always := dochecklxdialog
+
 # Add environment specific flags
 HOST_EXTRACFLAGS += $(shell $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/$(src)/check.sh $(HOSTCC) $(HOSTCFLAGS))
 
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/lxdialog/check-lxdialog.sh b/scripts/kconfig/lxdialog/check-lxdialog.sh
index 9681476b96e7fcf371840d78e17aa85657d327a1..62e1e02126e61d5cde4945c9d7f922153ea6f90e 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/lxdialog/check-lxdialog.sh
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/lxdialog/check-lxdialog.sh
@@ -36,14 +36,16 @@ trap "rm -f $tmp" 0 1 2 3 15
 
 # Check if we can link to ncurses
 check() {
-	echo "main() {}" | $cc -xc - -o $tmp 2> /dev/null
+	echo -e " #include CURSES_LOC \n main() {}" |
+	    $cc -xc - -o $tmp 2> /dev/null
 	if [ $? != 0 ]; then
-		echo " *** Unable to find the ncurses libraries."          1>&2
-		echo " *** make menuconfig require the ncurses libraries"  1>&2
-		echo " *** "                                               1>&2
-		echo " *** Install ncurses (ncurses-devel) and try again"  1>&2
-		echo " *** "                                               1>&2
-		exit 1
+	    echo " *** Unable to find the ncurses libraries or the"       1>&2
+	    echo " *** required header files."                            1>&2
+	    echo " *** 'make menuconfig' requires the ncurses libraries." 1>&2
+	    echo " *** "                                                  1>&2
+	    echo " *** Install ncurses (ncurses-devel) and try again."    1>&2
+	    echo " *** "                                                  1>&2
+	    exit 1
 	fi
 }