diff --git a/package/libs/ncurses/Makefile b/package/libs/ncurses/Makefile
index 8c961f30b2..e22eb2b893 100644
--- a/package/libs/ncurses/Makefile
+++ b/package/libs/ncurses/Makefile
@@ -9,9 +9,8 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=ncurses
 PKG_VERSION:=6.1
-PKG_RELEASE:=4
+PKG_RELEASE:=5
 
-PKG_BUILD_DIR:=$(BUILD_DIR)/$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION)
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=@GNU/$(PKG_NAME)
 PKG_HASH:=aa057eeeb4a14d470101eff4597d5833dcef5965331be3528c08d99cebaa0d17
@@ -76,6 +75,9 @@ CONFIGURE_ARGS += \
 	--enable-widec \
 	--with-build-cppflags=-D_GNU_SOURCE
 
+CONFIGURE_VARS += \
+	cf_try_fPIC=no
+
 HOST_CFLAGS += $(HOST_FPIC)
 
 HOST_CONFIGURE_ARGS += \