diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/llvm/3.4/llvm.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/llvm/3.4/llvm.nix
index 4947bdca2a9..df0bae3218d 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/llvm/3.4/llvm.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/llvm/3.4/llvm.nix
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     mv compiler-rt-${version} $sourceRoot/projects/compiler-rt
   '';
 
-  buildInputs = [ perl groff cmake libxml2 python libffi valgrind ncurses ];
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [ ncurses ]; # linked against it, e.g. mesa needs it now, too
+
+  buildInputs = [ perl groff cmake libxml2 python libffi valgrind ];
 
   # hacky fix: created binaries need to be run before installation
   preBuild = ''
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/mesa/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/mesa/default.nix
index 11b1e2bca77..1eb3258b14b 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/mesa/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/mesa/default.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 { stdenv, fetchurl, pkgconfig, intltool, flex, bison, autoreconfHook
 , python, libxml2Python, file, expat, makedepend
 , libdrm, xorg, wayland, udev, llvm, libffi
-, libvdpau, libelf, ncurses
+, libvdpau, libelf
 , enableTextureFloats ? false # Texture floats are patented, see docs/patents.txt
 , enableExtraFeatures ? false # not maintained
 }:
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
   buildInputs = with xorg; [
     autoreconfHook intltool expat libxml2Python llvm
     libXfixes glproto dri2proto libX11 libXext libxcb libXt
-    libffi wayland libvdpau libelf ncurses
+    libffi wayland libvdpau libelf
   ] ++ optionals enableExtraFeatures [ /*libXvMC*/ ]
     ++ optional stdenv.isLinux udev
     ;