diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/tmux/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/tmux/package.py
index 6ee165a7b1127cdd3ed8068143ace124ea07cd92..e6677668fd4412350d2b1584e643bb70bea7ce25 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/tmux/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/tmux/package.py
@@ -29,13 +29,7 @@ class Tmux(AutotoolsPackage):
     version('2.1', sha256='31564e7bf4bcef2defb3cb34b9e596bd43a3937cad9e5438701a81a5a9af6176')
     version('1.9a', sha256='c5e3b22b901cf109b20dab54a4a651f0471abd1f79f6039d79b250d21c2733f5')
 
+    # used by configure to e.g. find libtinfo
+    depends_on('pkgconfig', type='build')
     depends_on('libevent')
     depends_on('ncurses')
-
-    def flag_handler(self, name, flags):
-        if name == 'cppflags':
-            flags.append(self.spec['ncurses'].headers.include_flags)
-        return (None, flags, None)
-
-    def configure_args(self):
-        return ['LIBTINFO_LIBS=-lncurses']