diff --git a/package/gnupg/Config.in b/package/gnupg/Config.in
index 7c31612298..2db46318f1 100644
--- a/package/gnupg/Config.in
+++ b/package/gnupg/Config.in
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG
 	bool "gnupg"
 	depends on !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_NCURSES
 	help
 	  GnuPG is the GNU project's complete and free implementation
 	  of the OpenPGP standard as defined by RFC4880. GnuPG allows
diff --git a/package/gnupg/gnupg.mk b/package/gnupg/gnupg.mk
index ac9047894d..bedcf6c985 100644
--- a/package/gnupg/gnupg.mk
+++ b/package/gnupg/gnupg.mk
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ GNUPG_SOURCE = gnupg-$(GNUPG_VERSION).tar.bz2
 GNUPG_SITE = https://gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnupg
 GNUPG_LICENSE = GPL-3.0+
 GNUPG_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
-GNUPG_DEPENDENCIES = zlib ncurses $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBICONV),libiconv)
+GNUPG_DEPENDENCIES = zlib $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBICONV),libiconv)
 GNUPG_CONF_ENV = ac_cv_sys_symbol_underscore=no
 GNUPG_CONF_OPTS = \
 	--disable-rpath \
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ GNUPG_CONF_OPTS = \
 	--enable-sha256 \
 	--enable-sha512
 
-HOST_GNUPG_DEPENDENCIES = host-zlib host-ncurses
+HOST_GNUPG_DEPENDENCIES = host-zlib
 HOST_GNUPG_CONF_OPTS = \
 	--disable-rpath \
 	--enable-minimal \