diff --git a/docs/markdown/Dependencies.md b/docs/markdown/Dependencies.md
index f458afeae..eccfe0ac6 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/Dependencies.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/Dependencies.md
@@ -623,7 +623,9 @@ Curses (and ncurses) are a cross platform pain in the butt. Meson wraps up
 these dependencies in the `curses` dependency. This covers both `ncurses`
 (preferred) and other curses implementations.
 
-`method` may be `auto` or `pkg-config`
+`method` may be `auto`, `pkg-config`, or `config-tool`
+
+*New in 0.56.0* The `config-tool` method.
 
 <hr>
 <a name="footnote1">1</a>: They may appear to be case-insensitive, if the
diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/curses-dependency-improvements.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/curses-dependency-improvements.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bd1d0012a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/curses-dependency-improvements.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+## Improvements for the builtin curses dependency
+
+This method has been extended to use config-tools for lookup as well as
+pkg-config.
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
index c27075838..c1e17d771 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
@@ -404,7 +404,23 @@ class ShadercDependency(ExternalDependency):
         return [DependencyMethods.SYSTEM, DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG]
 
 
-@factory_methods({DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG})
+class CursesConfigToolDependency(ConfigToolDependency):
+
+    """Use the curses config tools."""
+
+    tool = 'curses-config'
+    # ncurses5.4-config is for macOS Catalina
+    tools = ['ncursesw6-config', 'ncursesw5-config', 'ncurses6-config', 'ncurses5-config', 'ncurses5.4-config']
+
+    def __init__(self, name: str, env: 'Environment', kwargs: T.Dict[str, T.Any], language: T.Optional[str] = None):
+        super().__init__(name, env, kwargs, language)
+        if not self.is_found:
+            return
+        self.compile_args = self.get_config_value(['--cflags'], 'compile_args')
+        self.link_args = self.get_config_value(['--libs'], 'link_args')
+
+
+@factory_methods({DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG, DependencyMethods.CONFIG_TOOL})
 def curses_factory(env: 'Environment', for_machine: 'MachineChoice',
                    kwargs: T.Dict[str, T.Any], methods: T.List[DependencyMethods]) -> T.List[T.Callable[[], 'Dependency']]:
     candidates = []  # type: T.List[T.Callable[[], Dependency]]
@@ -414,6 +430,9 @@ def curses_factory(env: 'Environment', for_machine: 'MachineChoice',
         for pkg in pkgconfig_files:
             candidates.append(functools.partial(PkgConfigDependency, pkg, env, kwargs))
 
+    if DependencyMethods.CONFIG_TOOL in methods:
+        candidates.append(functools.partial(CursesConfigToolDependency, 'curses', env, kwargs))
+
     return candidates
 
 
diff --git a/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/meson.build b/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/meson.build
index 21483fb6f..66e09576e 100644
--- a/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/meson.build	
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 project('curses', 'c')
 
-curses = dependency('curses', required: false)
+curses = dependency('curses', required: false, method : get_option('method'))
 if not curses.found()
   error('MESON_SKIP_TEST: Curses library not found')
 endif
diff --git a/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/meson_options.txt b/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/meson_options.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3a587f476
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/meson_options.txt	
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+option(
+    'method',
+    type : 'combo',
+    choices : ['pkg-config', 'config-tool'],
+    value : 'pkg-config',
+)
diff --git a/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/test.json b/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0de1f73a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/frameworks/31 curses/test.json	
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "matrix": {
+    "options": {
+      "method": [
+        { "val": "pkg-config" },
+        { "val": "config-tool" }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}