diff --git a/gui_ncurses.c b/gui_ncurses.c
index a341989..ee9b959 100644
--- a/gui_ncurses.c
+++ b/gui_ncurses.c
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ MOJOGUI_PLUGIN(ncurses)
 CREATE_MOJOGUI_ENTRY_POINT(ncurses)
 #endif
 
+// ncurses headers use 'format' in an __attribute__, undefine ours for now.
+#undef format
+
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
 // CMake searches for a whole bunch of different possible curses includes
@@ -36,6 +39,10 @@ CREATE_MOJOGUI_ENTRY_POINT(ncurses)
 
 #include <locale.h>
 
+// restore the format define from gui.h now that the ncurses headers are done.
+#define format entry->format
+
+
 // This was built to look roughly like dialog(1), but it's not nearly as
 //  robust. Also, I didn't use any of dialog's code, as it is GPL/LGPL,
 //  depending on what version you start with. There _is_ a libdialog, but