diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-08-20-17-41-11.gh-issue-155911.yL3z8q.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-08-20-17-41-11.gh-issue-155911.yL3z8q.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..ec3c798995849b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-08-20-17-41-11.gh-issue-155911.yL3z8q.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix curses detection when a curses library is already in ``LIBS``.
+Patch by Shamil Abdulaev.
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 51e657ff0d61e31..c3aa188f86119d5 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -26693,8 +26693,9 @@ fi
 
 
   # Check that we're able to link with crucial curses/panel functions. This
-  # also serves as a fallback in case pkg-config failed.
-  as_fn_append LIBS " $CURSES_LIBS $PANEL_LIBS"
+  # also serves as a fallback in case pkg-config failed. Extension modules are
+  # not linked with LIBS, so exclude it to get the required libraries.
+  LIBS="$CURSES_LIBS $PANEL_LIBS"
   { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing initscr" >&5
 printf %s "checking for library containing initscr... " >&6; }
 if test ${ac_cv_search_initscr+y}
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f93a9f29b39aff8..3f97ba4f76adb9f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -6835,8 +6835,9 @@ WITH_SAVE_ENV([
   ]))
 
   # Check that we're able to link with crucial curses/panel functions. This
-  # also serves as a fallback in case pkg-config failed.
-  AS_VAR_APPEND([LIBS], [" $CURSES_LIBS $PANEL_LIBS"])
+  # also serves as a fallback in case pkg-config failed. Extension modules are
+  # not linked with LIBS, so exclude it to get the required libraries.
+  LIBS="$CURSES_LIBS $PANEL_LIBS"
   AC_SEARCH_LIBS([initscr], [ncursesw ncurses],
     [AS_VAR_IF([have_curses], [no],
       [AS_VAR_SET([have_curses], [yes])