diff --git a/programs/wineconsole/curses.c b/programs/wineconsole/curses.c
index 676f1bba822..8c491fd2a63 100644
--- a/programs/wineconsole/curses.c
+++ b/programs/wineconsole/curses.c
@@ -717,10 +717,10 @@ static int WCCURSES_MainLoop(struct inner_data* data)
  * Initialisation part II: creation of window.
  *
  */
-BOOL WCCURSES_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data)
+enum init_return WCCURSES_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data)
 {
     data->private = HeapAlloc(GetProcessHeap(), HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY, sizeof(struct inner_data_curse));
-    if (!data->private) return FALSE;
+    if (!data->private) return init_failed;
 
     data->fnMainLoop           = WCCURSES_MainLoop;
     data->fnPosCursor          = WCCURSES_PosCursor;
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ BOOL WCCURSES_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data)
                                  (obj_handle_t*)&PRIVATE(data)->hInput))
     {
         WINE_FIXME("Cannot open 0\n");
-        return 0;
+        return init_failed;
     }
 
     /* FIXME: should find a good way to enable buffer scrolling
@@ -782,12 +782,12 @@ BOOL WCCURSES_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data)
         mousemask(0, &PRIVATE(data)->initial_mouse_mask);
     }
 
-    return TRUE;
+    return init_success;
 }
 
 #else
 BOOL WCCURSES_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data)
 {
-    return FALSE;
+    return init_not_supported;
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/programs/wineconsole/user.c b/programs/wineconsole/user.c
index 1c3477dd54d..222fe558383 100644
--- a/programs/wineconsole/user.c
+++ b/programs/wineconsole/user.c
@@ -1353,14 +1353,14 @@ static int WCUSER_MainLoop(struct inner_data* data)
  * Initialisation part II: creation of window.
  *
  */
-BOOL WCUSER_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data)
+enum init_return WCUSER_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data)
 {
     static WCHAR wClassName[] = {'W','i','n','e','C','o','n','s','o','l','e','C','l','a','s','s',0};
 
     WNDCLASS		wndclass;
 
     data->private = HeapAlloc(GetProcessHeap(), HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY, sizeof(struct inner_data_user));
-    if (!data->private) return FALSE;
+    if (!data->private) return init_failed;
 
     data->fnMainLoop = WCUSER_MainLoop;
     data->fnPosCursor = WCUSER_PosCursor;
@@ -1389,7 +1389,7 @@ BOOL WCUSER_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data)
     CreateWindow(wndclass.lpszClassName, NULL,
 		 WS_OVERLAPPED|WS_CAPTION|WS_SYSMENU|WS_THICKFRAME|WS_MINIMIZEBOX|WS_HSCROLL|WS_VSCROLL,
 		 CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, 0, 0, 0, wndclass.hInstance, data);
-    if (!PRIVATE(data)->hWnd) return FALSE;
+    if (!PRIVATE(data)->hWnd) return init_failed;
 
-    return TRUE;
+    return init_success;
 }
diff --git a/programs/wineconsole/winecon_private.h b/programs/wineconsole/winecon_private.h
index fbe62d34ec9..81f18c6b123 100644
--- a/programs/wineconsole/winecon_private.h
+++ b/programs/wineconsole/winecon_private.h
@@ -89,5 +89,8 @@ extern void WINECON_RegSave(const struct config_data* cfg);
 extern void WINECON_DumpConfig(const char* pfx, const struct config_data* cfg);
 
 /* backends... */
-extern BOOL WCUSER_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data);
-extern BOOL WCCURSES_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data);
+enum init_return {
+    init_success, init_failed, init_not_supported
+};
+extern enum init_return WCUSER_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data);
+extern enum init_return WCCURSES_InitBackend(struct inner_data* data);
diff --git a/programs/wineconsole/wineconsole.c b/programs/wineconsole/wineconsole.c
index 046687e3b76..7d8c6bae28e 100644
--- a/programs/wineconsole/wineconsole.c
+++ b/programs/wineconsole/wineconsole.c
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ static void WINECON_Delete(struct inner_data* data)
  * active screen buffer)
  */
 static struct inner_data* WINECON_Init(HINSTANCE hInst, DWORD pid, LPCWSTR appname,
-                                       BOOL (*backend)(struct inner_data*))
+                                       enum init_return (*backend)(struct inner_data*))
 {
     struct inner_data*	data = NULL;
     DWORD		ret;
@@ -605,12 +605,26 @@ static struct inner_data* WINECON_Init(HINSTANCE hInst, DWORD pid, LPCWSTR appna
     WINE_TRACE("using hConOut %p\n", data->hConOut);
 
     /* filling data->curcfg from cfg */
-    if ((*backend)(data))
+ retry:
+    switch ((*backend)(data))
     {
+    case init_success:
         WINECON_SetConfig(data, &cfg, TRUE);
         data->curcfg.registry = cfg.registry;
         WINECON_DumpConfig("fint", &data->curcfg);
         return data;
+    case init_failed:
+        break;
+    case init_not_supported:
+        if (backend == WCCURSES_InitBackend)
+        {
+            WINE_ERR("(n)curses was not found at configuration time.\n"
+                     "If you want (n)curses support, please install relevant packages.\n"
+                     "Now forcing user backend instead of (n)curses.\n");
+            backend = WCUSER_InitBackend;
+            goto retry;
+        }
+        break;
     }
 
  error:
@@ -665,10 +679,10 @@ static BOOL WINECON_Spawn(struct inner_data* data, LPWSTR cmdLine)
 }
 
 struct wc_init {
-    LPCSTR      ptr;
+    LPCSTR              ptr;
     enum {from_event, from_process_name} mode;
-    BOOL        (*backend)(struct inner_data*);
-    HANDLE      event;
+    enum init_return    (*backend)(struct inner_data*);
+    HANDLE              event;
 };
 
 /******************************************************************