diff --git a/win/win32/vs2017/NetHack.vcxproj b/win/win32/vs2017/NetHack.vcxproj
index 981bc1e45..e51474a65 100644
--- a/win/win32/vs2017/NetHack.vcxproj
+++ b/win/win32/vs2017/NetHack.vcxproj
@@ -16,18 +16,16 @@
   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutDir>$(BinDir)</OutDir>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
-    <IncludePath>$(PDCURSES);$(IncludePath)</IncludePath>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">
-    <IncludePath>$(PDCURSES);$(IncludePath)</IncludePath>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
-    <IncludePath>$(PDCURSES);$(IncludePath)</IncludePath>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
-    <IncludePath>$(PDCURSES);$(IncludePath)</IncludePath>
-  </PropertyGroup>
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="Exists('$(PDCURSES)')">
+    <ClCompile>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>$(PDCURSES);%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+	  <PreprocessorDefinitions>CURSES_GRAPHICS;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+    </ClCompile>
+	<Link>
+      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>$(PDCURSES)\bin\$(Platform)\$(Configuration)\</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
+      <AdditionalDependencies>PDCurses.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
+	  </Link>
+  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup>
     <ClCompile>
       <AdditionalOptions>/Gs /Oi- %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
@@ -36,14 +34,10 @@
       <FavorSizeOrSpeed>Speed</FavorSizeOrSpeed>
       <OmitFramePointers>true</OmitFramePointers>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>$(WinWin32Dir);$(IncDir);$(SysWinntDir);$(SysShareDir);$(WinShareDir);%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>TILES;WIN32CON;DLB;MSWIN_GRAPHICS;CURSES_GRAPHICS;_LIB;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>TILES;WIN32CON;DLB;MSWIN_GRAPHICS;_LIB;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
-      <AdditionalDependencies>kernel32.lib;user32.lib;gdi32.lib;winspool.lib;comdlg32.lib;advapi32.lib;shell32.lib;ole32.lib;oleaut32.lib;uuid.lib;odbc32.lib;odbccp32.lib;winmm.lib;Winmm.lib;PDCurses.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
-      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">$(PDCURSES)\bin\$(Platform)\$(Configuration)\</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
-      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">$(PDCURSES)\bin\$(Platform)\$(Configuration)\</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
-      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">$(PDCURSES)\bin\$(Platform)\$(Configuration)\</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
-      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">$(PDCURSES)\bin\$(Platform)\$(Configuration)\</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
+      <AdditionalDependencies>kernel32.lib;user32.lib;gdi32.lib;winspool.lib;comdlg32.lib;advapi32.lib;shell32.lib;ole32.lib;oleaut32.lib;uuid.lib;odbc32.lib;odbccp32.lib;winmm.lib;Winmm.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
@@ -170,14 +164,14 @@
     <ClCompile Include="$(WinTtyDir)getline.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="$(WinTtyDir)topl.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="$(WinTtyDir)wintty.c" />
-    <ClCompile Include="$(WinCursDir)cursdial.c" />
-    <ClCompile Include="$(WinCursDir)cursinit.c" />
-    <ClCompile Include="$(WinCursDir)cursinvt.c" />
-    <ClCompile Include="$(WinCursDir)cursmain.c" />
-    <ClCompile Include="$(WinCursDir)cursmesg.c" />
-    <ClCompile Include="$(WinCursDir)cursmisc.c" />
-    <ClCompile Include="$(WinCursDir)cursstat.c" />
-    <ClCompile Include="$(WinCursDir)curswins.c" />
+    <ClCompile Condition="Exists('$(PDCURSES)')" Include="$(WinCursDir)cursdial.c" />
+    <ClCompile Condition="Exists('$(PDCURSES)')" Include="$(WinCursDir)cursinit.c" />
+    <ClCompile Condition="Exists('$(PDCURSES)')" Include="$(WinCursDir)cursinvt.c" />
+    <ClCompile Condition="Exists('$(PDCURSES)')" Include="$(WinCursDir)cursmain.c" />
+    <ClCompile Condition="Exists('$(PDCURSES)')" Include="$(WinCursDir)cursmesg.c" />
+    <ClCompile Condition="Exists('$(PDCURSES)')" Include="$(WinCursDir)cursmisc.c" />
+    <ClCompile Condition="Exists('$(PDCURSES)')" Include="$(WinCursDir)cursstat.c" />
+    <ClCompile Condition="Exists('$(PDCURSES)')" Include="$(WinCursDir)curswins.c" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)align.h" />
diff --git a/win/win32/vs2017/dirs.props b/win/win32/vs2017/dirs.props
index e1c36b8a1..0ebb31a25 100644
--- a/win/win32/vs2017/dirs.props
+++ b/win/win32/vs2017/dirs.props
@@ -22,4 +22,7 @@
 	<IntDir>$(ObjDir)</IntDir>
 	<WinCursDir>$(RootDir)win\curses\</WinCursDir>
   </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PDCURSES)'=='' AND Exists('$(RootDir)..\PDCurses')">
+	<PDCURSES>$(RootDir)..\PDCurses\</PDCURSES>
+  </PropertyGroup>
 </Project>