diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/ncurses/ncurses.inc b/meta/recipes-core/ncurses/ncurses.inc
index 040495c84e..bcb9c94395 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/ncurses/ncurses.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/ncurses/ncurses.inc
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ do_configure() {
         # not the case for /dev/null redirections)
         export cf_cv_working_poll=yes
 
-	gnu-configize --force
+	( cd ${S}; gnu-configize --force )
 	ncurses_configure "narrowc" || \
 		return 1
 	! ${ENABLE_WIDEC} || \