diff --git a/lib/tty/tty-ncurses.h b/lib/tty/tty-ncurses.h
index 4f0e6036c..9962c7c41 100644
--- a/lib/tty/tty-ncurses.h
+++ b/lib/tty/tty-ncurses.h
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
 #include <ncursesw/curses.h>
 #endif /* USE_NCURSESW */
 
+/* netbsd-libcurses doesn't define NCURSES_CONST */
+#ifndef NCURSES_CONST
+#define NCURSES_CONST const
+#endif
+
 /*** typedefs(not structures) and defined constants **********************************************/
 
 /*** enums ***************************************************************************************/