diff --git a/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal b/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal
index 40f78392a..5e4b225e6 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal
+++ b/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ executable hledger-ui
     , transformers
     , vector
     , vty >= 5.2 && < 5.8
+  if os(windows)
+    buildable: False
   if flag(threaded)
     ghc-options: -threaded
   if flag(old-locale)
diff --git a/hledger-ui/package.yaml b/hledger-ui/package.yaml
index b94f0ad2a..f833e0ecf 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/package.yaml
+++ b/hledger-ui/package.yaml
@@ -48,6 +48,17 @@ flags:
     manual: false
     default: false
 
+# curses is required to build terminfo for vty for hledger-ui.
+# On POSIX systems it might be not present.
+# On windows it's very likely not present, but possibly it could be.
+# Ideally we'd like to
+# on POSIX: give a clear error ("install your system libcurses-dev package") if not present
+# on windows: quietly skip building if not present, build if it is present
+#  curses
+#    default: True
+#    description:
+# For now, just don't build hledger-ui on windows
+
 cpp-options: -DVERSION="0.28"
 
 executables:
@@ -85,6 +96,8 @@ executables:
       - vector
       - vty >= 5.2 && < 5.8
     when:
+      - condition: os(windows)
+        buildable: false
       - condition: flag(threaded)
         ghc-options: -threaded
       - condition: flag(old-locale)