diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 4bc92c5d6b8..e262d144d8c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -15706,7 +15706,9 @@ fi
 
 # first curses header check
 ac_save_cppflags="$CPPFLAGS"
-CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/include/ncursesw"
+if test "$cross_compiling" = no; then
+  CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/include/ncursesw"
+fi
 
 for ac_header in curses.h ncurses.h
 do :
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7f4713b1955..1547de59d01 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -4889,7 +4889,9 @@ fi
 
 # first curses header check
 ac_save_cppflags="$CPPFLAGS"
-CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/include/ncursesw"
+if test "$cross_compiling" = no; then
+  CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/include/ncursesw"
+fi
 
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(curses.h ncurses.h)
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index baa9cef23a9..cd05bb6b900 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1350,7 +1350,8 @@ class PyBuildExt(build_ext):
         panel_library = 'panel'
         if curses_library == 'ncursesw':
             curses_defines.append(('HAVE_NCURSESW', '1'))
-            curses_includes.append('/usr/include/ncursesw')
+            if not cross_compiling:
+                curses_includes.append('/usr/include/ncursesw')
             # Bug 1464056: If _curses.so links with ncursesw,
             # _curses_panel.so must link with panelw.
             panel_library = 'panelw'