diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/tmux/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/tmux/package.py
index 272cd5e317e..b65a067d452 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/tmux/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/tmux/package.py
@@ -30,5 +30,10 @@ class Tmux(AutotoolsPackage):
     depends_on('libevent')
     depends_on('ncurses')
 
+    def flag_handler(self, name, flags):
+        if name == 'cppflags':
+            flags.append(self.spec['ncurses'].headers.include_flags)
+        return (None, flags, None)
+
     def configure_args(self):
         return ['LIBTINFO_LIBS=-lncurses']