--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -717,40 +717,28 @@
 	[ac_lib_slang=auto]
 )
 if test $ac_lib_slang = auto; then
-	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([SLANG], [slang], [ac_lib_slang=yes], [ac_lib_slang=no])
-	if test $ac_lib_slang = yes; then
-		ac_save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
-		ac_save_LIBS="$LIBS"
-		CFLAGS="SLANG_CFLAGS $CFLAGS"
-		LIBS="$SLANG_LIBS $LIBS"
-                AC_MSG_CHECKING([for linking slang])
-                AC_TRY_LINK([
-				#include <slang.h>
-			], [
-				if (SLang_init_tty(-1, 0, 0) < 0) {
-					perror("SLang_init_tty");
-					return 1;
-				}
-
-				SLang_reset_tty();
-				return 0;
-			],[ac_lib_slang=yes],[ac_lib_slang=no])
-		AC_MSG_RESULT([$ac_lib_slang])
-		CFLAGS="$ac_save_CFLAGS"
-		LIBS="$ac_save_LIBS"
-        fi
+	AC_CHECK_LIB(
+		[slang],
+		[SLang_init_tty],
+		[ac_lib_slang=yes],
+		[ac_lib_slang=no],
+		[]
+	)
 elif test $ac_lib_slang = yes; then
-	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([SLANG], [slang], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([the slang library is missing]))
+	AC_CHECK_LIB(
+		[slang],
+		[SLang_init_tty],
+		[],
+		[AC_MSG_ERROR([the sLang library is missing])],
+		[]
+	)
 fi
 if test $ac_lib_slang = yes; then
 	AC_CHECK_HEADERS([slang.h slang/slang.h], [break])
 	ac_lib_video="$ac_lib_video slang"
 	ac_lib_text_flag=yes
 fi
-AC_SUBST([SLANGCFLAGS],[$SLANG_CFLAGS])
-AC_SUBST([SLANGLIBS],[$SLANG_LIBS])
 AC_SUBST([CONF_LIB_SLANG],[$ac_lib_slang])
-
 
 dnl Checks for ncurses
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(
@@ -760,36 +748,27 @@
 	[ac_lib_ncurses=auto]
 )
 if test $ac_lib_ncurses = auto; then
-	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([NCURSES], [ncurses], [ac_lib_ncurses=yes], [ac_lib_ncurses=no])
-	if test $ac_lib_ncurses = yes; then
-		ac_save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
-		ac_save_LIBS="$LIBS"
-		CFLAGS="$NCURSES_CFLAGS $CFLAGS"
-		LIBS="$NCURSES_LIBS $LIBS"
-		AC_MSG_CHECKING([for linking ncurses])
-		AC_TRY_LINK([
-				#include <ncurses.h>
-			], [
-				initscr();
-				noecho();
-				curs_set(FALSE);
-				endwin();
-			],[ac_lib_ncurses=yes],[ac_lib_ncurses=no])
-                AC_MSG_RESULT([$ac_lib_ncurses])
-                CFLAGS="$ac_save_CFLAGS"
-                LIBS="$ac_save_LIBS"
-        fi
+	AC_CHECK_LIB(
+		[ncurses],
+		[endwin],
+		[ac_lib_ncurses=yes],
+		[ac_lib_ncurses=no],
+		[]
+	)
 elif test $ac_lib_ncurses = yes; then
-	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([NCURSES], [ncurses], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([the ncurses library is missing]))
+	AC_CHECK_LIB(
+		[ncurses],
+		[endwin],
+		[],
+		[AC_MSG_ERROR([the sLang library is missing])],
+		[]
+	)
 fi
 if test $ac_lib_ncurses = yes; then
 	ac_lib_video="$ac_lib_video ncurses"
 	ac_lib_text_flag=yes
 fi
-AC_SUBST([NCURSESCFLAGS],[$NCURSES_CFLAGS])
-AC_SUBST([NCURSESLIBS],[$NCURSES_LIBS])
 AC_SUBST([CONF_LIB_NCURSES],[$ac_lib_ncurses])
-
 
 dnl Checks for freetype
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(