diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/elvis/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/elvis/default.nix
index 0850dd0e7be..8774b1b461f 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/elvis/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/elvis/default.nix
@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   buildInputs = [ ncurses ];
 
-  patchPhase = ''
-    sed -i s/-lcurses/-lncurses/ configure
-  '';
-
   preConfigure = ''
     mkdir -p $out/share/man/man1
   '';
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/nvi/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/nvi/default.nix
index ee9b775453c..89762d5bc33 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/nvi/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/nvi/default.nix
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   # nvi tries to write to a usual tmp directory (/var/tmp),
   # so we will force it to use /tmp.
   patchPhase = ''
-    sed -i -e s/-lcurses/-lncurses/ \
+    sed -i build/configure \
       -e s@vi_cv_path_preserve=no@vi_cv_path_preserve=/tmp/vi.recover@ \
-      -e s@/var/tmp@@ build/configure
+      -e s@/var/tmp@@
   '';
 
   configurePhase = ''
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/sipp/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/sipp/default.nix
index d3373e9f4a6..266a9824ed2 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/sipp/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/sipp/default.nix
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   configurePhase = ''
     export ac_cv_lib_curses_initscr=yes
     export ac_cv_lib_pthread_pthread_mutex_init=yes
-    sed -i "s@-lcurses@-lncurses@g" ./configure
     sed -i "s@pcap/\(.*\).pcap@$out/share/pcap/\1.pcap@g" src/scenario.cpp
     ./configure --prefix=$out --with-pcap
   '';