diff --git a/common/config_curses.c b/common/config_curses.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2861e72f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/config_curses.c
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#ifdef _WIN32
+   #include <direct.h>
+#else
+   #include <unistd.h>
+#endif
+
+/* Code to 'configure' curses.h.  Run as,  e.g.,
+
+./config_curses -DPDC_WIDE -DXCURSES
+
+it will check to see if the existing curses.h has those options set
+(and not the others,  such as CHTYPE_32).  Essentially,  it just checks
+to see if the existing configuration matches the one described on the
+command line.
+
+   If it matches,  we exit without doing anything.  No file is updated.
+
+   If the configurations differ,  a new 'curses0.h' is created that
+has the options given on the command line.  This is done by reading in
+the existing 'curses.h',  snipping out the lines with config data,
+and inserting new ones.  When we're done,  we remove 'curses.h' and
+move our new 'curses0.h' into its place.  This will force a full
+recompile on the next build,  which is what we want anyway if
+the configuration has changed.  */
+
+int main( const int argc, const char **argv)
+{
+   FILE *ifile, *ofile;
+   int options_found = 0, i, j, options_desired = 0;
+   int verbose = 0;
+   const char *option_text[] = {
+               "XCURSES", "PDC_RGB", "PDC_WIDE",
+               "PDC_FORCE_UTF8", "PDC_DLL_BUILD", "PDC_NCMOUSE",
+               "CHTYPE_32"  };
+   const int n_options = (int)( sizeof( option_text) / sizeof( option_text[0]));
+   char buff[300];
+   const char *curses_h_filename = "curses.h";
+   const char *curses0_h_filename = "curses0.h";
+
+   for( i = 1; i < argc; i++)
+      if( argv[i][0] == '-')
+         switch( argv[i][1])
+            {
+            case 'd':
+               {
+               int err_code;
+               const char *arg = (!argv[i][2] && i < argc - 1 ?
+                           argv[i + 1] : argv[i] + 2);
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+               err_code = _chdir( arg);
+#else
+               err_code = chdir( arg);
+#endif
+               if( err_code)
+                  {
+                  fprintf( stderr, "Couldn't change dir to '%s'\n", arg);
+                  perror( NULL);
+                  return( -1);
+                  }
+               }
+               break;
+            case 'v':
+               verbose = 1;
+               break;
+            case 'D':
+               for( j = 0; j < n_options; j++)
+                  if( !strcmp( argv[i] + 2, option_text[j]))
+                     options_desired |= (1 << j);
+               break;
+            default:
+               printf( "Option '%s' not recognized\n", argv[i]);
+            }
+
+   ifile = fopen( curses_h_filename, "rb");
+   assert( ifile);
+   while( fgets( buff, sizeof( buff), ifile))
+      if( !memcmp( buff, "   #define ", 11))
+         for( j = 0; j < n_options; j++)
+            if( !memcmp( buff + 11, option_text[j], strlen( option_text[j]))
+                  && buff[11 + strlen( option_text[j])] <= ' ')
+               options_found |= (1 << j);
+   if( verbose)
+      printf( "options_found = 0x%x   options_desired = 0x%x\n",
+               options_found, options_desired);
+   if( options_found == options_desired)
+      {
+      fclose( ifile);         /* nothing to do */
+      return( 0);
+      }
+   fseek( ifile, 0L, SEEK_SET);
+   ofile = fopen( curses0_h_filename, "wb");
+   assert( ofile);
+   while( fgets( buff, sizeof( buff), ifile))
+      {
+      fputs( buff, ofile);
+      if( !memcmp( buff, "**man-end*******", 16))
+         {
+         fputs( "\n", ofile);
+         for( i = 0; i < n_options; i++)
+            if( options_desired & (1 << i))
+               {
+               if( !strcmp( option_text[i], "PDC_DLL_BUILD"))
+                  fprintf( ofile, "#if defined( __WIN32) && !defined( PDC_DLL_BUILD)\n");
+               else
+                  fprintf( ofile, "#ifndef %s\n", option_text[i]);
+               fprintf( ofile, "   #define %s\n", option_text[i]);
+               fprintf( ofile, "#endif\n");
+               }
+         fputs( "\n", ofile);
+         while( fgets( buff, sizeof( buff), ifile)
+                                  && memcmp( buff, "#define PDCURSES", 16))
+            ;
+         fputs( buff, ofile);                      /* dump rest of file unaltered*/
+         while( fgets( buff, sizeof( buff), ifile))
+            fputs( buff, ofile);
+         }
+      }
+   fclose( ofile);
+   fclose( ifile);
+#ifdef _WIN32
+   _unlink( curses_h_filename);
+#else
+   unlink( curses_h_filename);
+#endif
+   rename( curses0_h_filename, curses_h_filename);
+   if( verbose)
+      printf( "curses.h updated\n");
+   return( 0);
+}