diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index f78e9e8c..364614c2 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -174,6 +174,10 @@ if(BUILD_BUILTIN_CONFIG)
 	 set(optional_sources ${optional_sources} conf_cookie.cc)
 endif(BUILD_BUILTIN_CONFIG)
 
+if(BUILD_NCURSES)
+	 set(optional_sources ${optional_sources} nc.cc)
+endif(BUILD_NCURSES)
+
 add_executable(conky ${conky_sources} ${optional_sources})
 
 target_link_libraries(conky ${conky_libs})
diff --git a/src/conky.cc b/src/conky.cc
index d8ddbdb8..9704904d 100644
--- a/src/conky.cc
+++ b/src/conky.cc
@@ -67,12 +67,6 @@
 #include <netdb.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
-#ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-#include <ncurses.h>
-#ifdef LEAKFREE_NCURSES
-#include "nc.h"
-#endif
-#endif
 #ifdef BUILD_WEATHER_XOAP
 #include <libxml/parser.h>
 #endif /* BUILD_WEATHER_XOAP */
@@ -94,6 +88,7 @@
 #endif /* BUILD_LUA */
 #include "logging.h"
 #include "mail.h"
+#include "nc.h"
 #include "net_stat.h"
 #include "temphelper.h"
 #include "template.h"
@@ -1141,7 +1136,7 @@ static inline void set_foreground_color(long c)
 	}
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 #ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-	if (output_methods & TO_NCURSES) {
+	if (out_to_ncurses.get(*state)) {
 		attron(COLOR_PAIR(c));
 	}
 #endif /* BUILD_NCURSES */
@@ -1183,7 +1178,7 @@ static void draw_string(const char *s)
 		fprintf(append_fpointer, "%s\n", s_with_newlines);
 	}
 #ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-	if ((output_methods & TO_NCURSES) && draw_mode == FG) {
+	if (out_to_ncurses.get(*state) && draw_mode == FG) {
 		printw("%s", s_with_newlines);
 	}
 #endif
@@ -1710,7 +1705,7 @@ int draw_each_line_inner(char *s, int special_index, int last_special_applied)
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 	draw_string(s);
 #ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-	if (output_methods & TO_NCURSES) {
+	if (out_to_ncurses.get(*state)) {
 		printw("\n");
 	}
 #endif /* BUILD_NCURSES */
@@ -1733,7 +1728,7 @@ static int draw_line(char *s, int special_index)
 	}
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 #ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-	if (output_methods & TO_NCURSES) {
+	if (out_to_ncurses.get(*state)) {
 		return draw_each_line_inner(s, special_index, -1);
 	}
 #endif /* BUILD_NCURSES */
@@ -2252,7 +2247,7 @@ static void main_loop(void)
 			update_text();
 			draw_stuff();
 #ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-			if(output_methods & TO_NCURSES) {
+			if(out_to_ncurses.get(*state)) {
 				refresh();
 				clear();
 			}
@@ -2418,11 +2413,6 @@ void clean_up(void *memtofree1, void* memtofree2)
 {
 	free_update_callbacks();
 
-#ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-	if(output_methods & TO_NCURSES) {
-		endwin();
-	}
-#endif
 	conftree_empty(currentconffile);
 	currentconffile = NULL;
 	free_and_zero(memtofree1);
@@ -2487,21 +2477,6 @@ void clean_up(void *memtofree1, void* memtofree2)
 	state.reset();
 }
 
-static bool string_to_bool(const char *s)
-{
-	if (!s) {
-		// Assumes an option without a true/false means true
-		return true;
-	} else if (strcasecmp(s, "yes") == EQUAL) {
-		return true;
-	} else if (strcasecmp(s, "true") == EQUAL) {
-		return true;
-	} else if (strcasecmp(s, "1") == EQUAL) {
-		return true;
-	}
-	return false;
-}
-
 static void set_default_configurations(void)
 {
 #ifdef BUILD_MPD
@@ -2947,15 +2922,6 @@ char load_config_file(const char *f)
 		CONF("max_text_width") {
 			max_text_width = atoi(value);
 		}
-#ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-		CONF("out_to_ncurses") {
-			if(string_to_bool(value)) {
-				initscr();
-				start_color();
-				output_methods |= TO_NCURSES;
-			}
-		}
-#endif
 		CONF("overwrite_file") {
 			free_and_zero(overwrite_file);
 			if (overwrite_works(value)) {
@@ -3265,14 +3231,14 @@ char load_config_file(const char *f)
 	if(out_to_x.get(*state)) {
 		current_text_color = default_color.get(*state);
 	}
-	if (out_to_x.get(*state) && (output_methods & TO_NCURSES)) {
+	if (out_to_x.get(*state) && out_to_ncurses.get(*state)) {
 		NORM_ERR("out_to_x and out_to_ncurses are incompatible, turning out_to_ncurses off");
-		output_methods &= ~TO_NCURSES;
-		endwin();
+		state->pushboolean(false);
+		out_to_ncurses.lua_set(*state);
 	}
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 	if ((out_to_stdout.get(*state) || out_to_stderr.get(*state))
-			&& (output_methods & TO_NCURSES)) {
+			&& out_to_ncurses.get(*state)) {
 		NORM_ERR("out_to_ncurses conflicts with out_to_console and out_to_stderr, disabling the later ones");
 		// XXX: this will need some rethinking
 		state->pushboolean(false);
diff --git a/src/conky.h b/src/conky.h
index 41eeacea..08cd2adb 100644
--- a/src/conky.h
+++ b/src/conky.h
@@ -324,9 +324,6 @@ extern std::string current_config;
 #define TO_STDERR 4
 #define OVERWRITE_FILE 8
 #define APPEND_FILE 16
-#ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-#define TO_NCURSES 32
-#endif /* BUILD_NCURSES */
 enum x_initialiser_state {
 	NO = 0,
 	YES = 1,
diff --git a/src/core.cc b/src/core.cc
index 3ab6b22e..e2281ab4 100644
--- a/src/core.cc
+++ b/src/core.cc
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 #include "mixer.h"
 #include "mail.h"
 #include "mboxscan.h"
+#include "nc.h"
 #include "net_stat.h"
 #ifdef BUILD_NVIDIA
 #include "nvidia.h"
@@ -78,10 +79,6 @@
 #include "user.h"
 #include "users.h"
 
-#ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-#include <ncurses.h>
-#endif
-
 /* check for OS and include appropriate headers */
 #if defined(__linux__)
 #include "linux.h"
@@ -505,7 +502,7 @@ struct text_object *construct_text_object(char *s, const char *arg, long
 		}
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 #ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-		if (output_methods & TO_NCURSES) {
+		if (out_to_ncurses.get(*state)) {
 			obj->data.l = COLOR_WHITE;
 			if(arg) {
 				if(strcasecmp(arg, "red") == 0) {
diff --git a/src/nc.cc b/src/nc.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27cd3cd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nc.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/* -*- mode: c; c-basic-offset: 4; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: t -*-
+ * vim: ts=4 sw=4 noet ai cindent syntax=cpp
+ */
+
+#include <config.h>
+
+#include "nc.h"
+
+namespace priv {
+    void out_to_ncurses_setting::lua_setter(lua::state &l, bool init)
+    {
+        lua::stack_sentry s(l, -2);
+
+        Base::lua_setter(l, init);
+
+        if(init && do_convert(l, -1).first) {
+            initscr();
+            start_color();
+        }
+
+        ++s;
+    }
+
+	void out_to_ncurses_setting::cleanup(lua::state &l)
+	{
+		lua::stack_sentry s(l, -1);
+
+		if(do_convert(l, -1).first)
+			endwin();
+
+		l.pop();
+	}
+}
+
+priv::out_to_ncurses_setting out_to_ncurses;
diff --git a/src/nc.h b/src/nc.h
index 5e04af69..ba9e87f7 100644
--- a/src/nc.h
+++ b/src/nc.h
@@ -2,13 +2,34 @@
  * vim: ts=4 sw=4 noet ai cindent syntax=cpp
  */
 
-#ifndef CONKY_NC_H
+#if defined(BUILD_NCURSES) && !defined(CONKY_NC_H)
 #define CONKY_NC_H
 
+#include <ncurses.h>
+
+#include "setting.hh"
+
+#ifdef LEAKFREE_NCURSES
 extern "C" {
-
 void _nc_free_and_exit(int);
+}
+#endif
 
+namespace priv {
+	class out_to_ncurses_setting: public conky::simple_config_setting<bool> {
+		typedef conky::simple_config_setting<bool> Base;
+	
+	protected:
+		virtual void lua_setter(lua::state &l, bool init);
+		virtual void cleanup(lua::state &l);
+
+	public:
+		out_to_ncurses_setting()
+			: Base("out_to_ncurses", false, false)
+		{}
+	};
 }
 
+extern priv::out_to_ncurses_setting out_to_ncurses;
+
 #endif /* CONKY_NC_H */
diff --git a/src/specials.cc b/src/specials.cc
index 67324451..1a4cfaeb 100644
--- a/src/specials.cc
+++ b/src/specials.cc
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "fonts.h"
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 #include "logging.h"
+#include "nc.h"
 #include "specials.h"
 #include <math.h>
 #ifdef HAVE_SYS_PARAM_H
@@ -484,7 +485,7 @@ void new_fg(struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_max_size)
 		new_special(p, FG)->arg = obj->data.l;
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 #ifdef BUILD_NCURSES
-	if (output_methods & TO_NCURSES)
+	if (out_to_ncurses.get(*state))
 		new_special(p, FG)->arg = obj->data.l;
 #endif /* BUILD_NCURSES */
 	UNUSED(obj);