diff --git a/tests/_common b/tests/_common
index dda96dca..e02a2372 100755
--- a/tests/_common
+++ b/tests/_common
@@ -173,3 +173,14 @@ _convert_to_bytes(){
     esac
     echo $bytes
 }
+
+_configure_feature(){
+    feature=$1
+    feature_test=$(cat ../config.log | grep '$ ./configure' | grep $feature)
+    if [[ "X$feature_test" != "X" ]]; then
+        #feature enabled
+        echo 1
+        return
+    fi
+    echo 0
+}
diff --git a/tests/note.test b/tests/note.test
index b35fa220..1741d900 100755
--- a/tests/note.test
+++ b/tests/note.test
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ echo -e "    $ptlfs -d -s $raw -O $img -F -L $logfile -n note test\n"
 _ptlbreak
 $ptlfs -d -s $raw -O $img -F -L $logfile -n "note test"
 _check_return_code
-$ptlfs -d -N -s $raw -O $img -F -L $logfile -n "note test"
-_check_return_code
+
+enable_ncursesw=$(_configure_feature ncursesw)
+if [[ $enable_ncursesw == 1 ]]; then
+    $ptlfs -d -N -s $raw -O $img -F -L $logfile -n "note test"
+    _check_return_code
+fi
 echo "note test ok"