diff --git a/Include/py_curses.h b/Include/py_curses.h
index 3ecf48fcdff..aaff4bd836f 100644
--- a/Include/py_curses.h
+++ b/Include/py_curses.h
@@ -18,6 +18,17 @@
 ** against multiple definition of wchar_t and wint_t.
 */
 #ifdef	_XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED
+#ifndef __FreeBSD_version
+#include <osreldate.h>
+#endif
+#if __FreeBSD_version >= 500000
+#ifndef __wchar_t
+#define __wchar_t
+#endif
+#ifndef __wint_t
+#define __wint_t
+#endif
+#else
 #ifndef _WCHAR_T
 #define _WCHAR_T
 #endif
@@ -26,6 +37,7 @@
 #endif
 #endif
 #endif
+#endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSES_H
 #include <ncurses.h>