diff --git a/packages/sysutils/less/build b/packages/sysutils/less/build
index 46334a878b..f2d771b2af 100755
--- a/packages/sysutils/less/build
+++ b/packages/sysutils/less/build
@@ -23,14 +23,15 @@
 . config/options $1
 
 cd $PKG_BUILD
+
+# make sourcefiles writable and run autotools
+  find . -type f -exec chmod +w "{}" ";"
+  do_autoreconf
+
 ./configure --host=$TARGET_NAME \
             --build=$HOST_NAME \
             --prefix=/usr \
             --bindir=/usr/bin \
-            --enable-shared \
-            --disable-static \
-            --disable-nls \
-            --disable-rpath
 
 make
 
diff --git a/packages/sysutils/less/meta b/packages/sysutils/less/meta
index da1eb1e273..3294fb3daa 100644
--- a/packages/sysutils/less/meta
+++ b/packages/sysutils/less/meta
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ PKG_REV="1"
 PKG_ARCH="any"
 PKG_LICENSE="GPL"
 PKG_URL="http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/$PKG_NAME-$PKG_VERSION.tar.gz"
-PKG_DEPENDS=""
-PKG_BUILD_DEPENDS="toolchain"
+PKG_DEPENDS="ncurses"
+PKG_BUILD_DEPENDS="toolchain ncurses"
 PKG_PRIORITY="optional"
 PKG_SECTION="system"
 PKG_SHORTDESC="less: free, open-source file pager"