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..679b3548dfb0a5e
--- /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 with libraries in ``LIBS`` and ``--without-curses``.
+Patched by Shamil Abdulaev.
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index ea560d600722592..f5a634f8f0ebf01 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -29698,8 +29698,8 @@ printf "%s\n" "$with_curses" >&6; }
 
 # Detect the selected backend.  ncursesw/ncurses are found via pkg-config;
 # native curses has no .pc file and is left to the header/link probes below.
-# curses_libs/panel_libs drive the AC_SEARCH_LIBS fallback; for "no" they are
-# empty so nothing links and have_curses stays "no".
+# curses_libs/panel_libs drive the AC_SEARCH_LIBS fallback; "no" skips the
+# probes below.
 case $with_curses in #(
   ncursesw) :
 
@@ -30884,6 +30884,11 @@ fi
    curses_libs="ncursesw ncurses"; panel_libs="panelw panel gnupanel" ;;
 esac
 
+if test "x$with_curses" = xno
+then :
+
+else case e in #(
+  e)
 save_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
 save_CPPFLAGS=$CPPFLAGS
 save_LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS
@@ -31038,8 +31043,16 @@ then :
   test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
   if test "x$have_curses" = xno
 then :
-  have_curses=yes
-       CURSES_LIBS=${CURSES_LIBS-"$ac_cv_search_initscr"}
+
+      have_curses=yes
+      if test "x$ac_cv_search_initscr" = x"none required"
+then :
+
+else case e in #(
+  e) CURSES_LIBS=${CURSES_LIBS-"$ac_cv_search_initscr"} ;;
+esac
+fi
+
 fi
 else case e in #(
   e) have_curses=no ;;
@@ -31112,8 +31125,16 @@ then :
   test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
   if test "x$have_panel" = xno
 then :
-  have_panel=yes
-       PANEL_LIBS=${PANEL_LIBS-"$ac_cv_search_update_panels"}
+
+      have_panel=yes
+      if test "x$ac_cv_search_update_panels" = x"none required"
+then :
+
+else case e in #(
+  e) PANEL_LIBS=${PANEL_LIBS-"$ac_cv_search_update_panels"} ;;
+esac
+fi
+
 fi
 else case e in #(
   e) have_panel=no ;;
@@ -33620,7 +33641,9 @@ CPPFLAGS=$save_CPPFLAGS
 LDFLAGS=$save_LDFLAGS
 LIBS=$save_LIBS
 
-
+ ;;
+esac
+fi
 { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for device files" >&5
 printf "%s\n" "$as_me: checking for device files" >&6;}
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7dfc6ca29297a8b..9405f4067c665cc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -7248,8 +7248,8 @@ AS_VAR_POPDEF([panel_var])])
 
 # Detect the selected backend.  ncursesw/ncurses are found via pkg-config;
 # native curses has no .pc file and is left to the header/link probes below.
-# curses_libs/panel_libs drive the AC_SEARCH_LIBS fallback; for "no" they are
-# empty so nothing links and have_curses stays "no".
+# curses_libs/panel_libs drive the AC_SEARCH_LIBS fallback; "no" skips the
+# probes below.
 AS_CASE([$with_curses],
   [ncursesw], [PY_CHECK_CURSES([ncursesw], [panelw])
                curses_libs="ncursesw"; panel_libs="panelw gnupanel"],
@@ -7262,6 +7262,7 @@ AS_CASE([$with_curses],
    AS_VAR_IF([have_curses], [no], [PY_CHECK_CURSES([ncurses], [panel])])
    curses_libs="ncursesw ncurses"; panel_libs="panelw panel gnupanel"])
 
+AS_VAR_IF([with_curses], [no], [], [
 WITH_SAVE_ENV([
   # Make sure we've got the header defines.  For the native "curses" backend,
   # probe only the plain headers: a system may also have ncurses headers (e.g.
@@ -7280,14 +7281,18 @@ WITH_SAVE_ENV([
   # also serves as a fallback in case pkg-config failed.
   AS_VAR_APPEND([LIBS], [" $CURSES_LIBS $PANEL_LIBS"])
   AC_SEARCH_LIBS([initscr], [$curses_libs],
-    [AS_VAR_IF([have_curses], [no],
-      [AS_VAR_SET([have_curses], [yes])
-       CURSES_LIBS=${CURSES_LIBS-"$ac_cv_search_initscr"}])],
+    [AS_VAR_IF([have_curses], [no], [
+      AS_VAR_SET([have_curses], [yes])
+      AS_VAR_IF([ac_cv_search_initscr], ["none required"], [],
+        [CURSES_LIBS=${CURSES_LIBS-"$ac_cv_search_initscr"}])
+    ])],
     [AS_VAR_SET([have_curses], [no])])
   AC_SEARCH_LIBS([update_panels], [$panel_libs],
-    [AS_VAR_IF([have_panel], [no],
-      [AS_VAR_SET([have_panel], [yes])
-       PANEL_LIBS=${PANEL_LIBS-"$ac_cv_search_update_panels"}])],
+    [AS_VAR_IF([have_panel], [no], [
+      AS_VAR_SET([have_panel], [yes])
+      AS_VAR_IF([ac_cv_search_update_panels], ["none required"], [],
+        [PANEL_LIBS=${PANEL_LIBS-"$ac_cv_search_update_panels"}])
+    ])],
     [AS_VAR_SET([have_panel], [no])])
 
 dnl Issue #25720: ncurses has introduced the NCURSES_OPAQUE symbol making opaque
@@ -7498,6 +7503,7 @@ PY_CHECK_CURSES_FUNC([scr_set])
 CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_cppflags
 ])dnl have_curses != no
 ])dnl save env
+])dnl with_curses != no
 
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([checking for device files])