diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a7c4a9d421a..24d60e8ffc1 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3176,7 +3176,12 @@ then
         fi
 	case $ac_sys_system in
 	AIX*)
-	   LINKCC="\$(srcdir)/Modules/makexp_aix Modules/python.exp \"\" \$(LIBRARY); $LINKCC";;
+	   exp_extra="\"\""
+	   if test $ac_sys_release -ge 5 -o \
+		   $ac_sys_release -eq 4 -a `uname -r` -ge 2 ; then
+	       exp_extra="."
+	   fi
+	   LINKCC="\$(srcdir)/Modules/makexp_aix Modules/python.exp $exp_extra \$(LIBRARY); $LINKCC";;
 	dgux*)
 	   LINKCC="LD_RUN_PATH=$libdir $LINKCC";;
 	Monterey64*)
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 5f455c127b5..34c7238c22b 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -421,7 +421,12 @@ then
         fi
 	case $ac_sys_system in
 	AIX*)
-	   LINKCC="\$(srcdir)/Modules/makexp_aix Modules/python.exp \"\" \$(LIBRARY); $LINKCC";;
+	   exp_extra="\"\""
+	   if test $ac_sys_release -ge 5 -o \
+		   $ac_sys_release -eq 4 -a `uname -r` -ge 2 ; then
+	       exp_extra="."
+	   fi
+	   LINKCC="\$(srcdir)/Modules/makexp_aix Modules/python.exp $exp_extra \$(LIBRARY); $LINKCC";;
 	dgux*)
 	   LINKCC="LD_RUN_PATH=$libdir $LINKCC";;
 	Monterey64*)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c611bf2549e..730e00c4c6e 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -413,6 +413,8 @@ def detect_modules(self):
             if self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs,
                                                  'ncurses'):
                 readline_libs.append('ncurses')
+            elif self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs, 'curses'):
+                readline_libs.append('curses')
             elif self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs +
                                                ['/usr/lib/termcap'],
                                                'termcap'):
@@ -654,8 +656,10 @@ class found(Exception): pass
                 # the _curses module.
             if (self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs, 'terminfo')):
                 curses_libs = ['curses', 'terminfo']
-            else:
+            elif (self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs, 'termcap')):
                 curses_libs = ['curses', 'termcap']
+            else:
+                curses_libs = ['curses']
 
             exts.append( Extension('_curses', ['_cursesmodule.c'],
                                    libraries = curses_libs) )