diff --git a/cross/readline/Makefile b/cross/readline/Makefile
index 3c281879d91..0dc8a07fc59 100644
--- a/cross/readline/Makefile
+++ b/cross/readline/Makefile
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ LICENSE  = GPLv3
 GNU_CONFIGURE = 1
 CONFIGURE_ARGS  = --disable-static
 CONFIGURE_ARGS += --disable-install-examples
+CONFIGURE_ARGS += --with-curses=ncursesw
 ADDITIONAL_CFLAGS = -O
 
+POST_INSTALL_TARGET = readline_post_install
+
 include ../../mk/spksrc.cross-cc.mk
+
+.PHONY: readline_post_install
+readline_post_install:
+	$(RUN) sed -i 's/Requires.private: ncurses/Requires.private: ncursesw/' readline.pc
+	$(RUN) install -m 644 readline.pc $(STAGING_INSTALL_PREFIX)/lib/pkgconfig