diff --git a/tools/idf.py b/tools/idf.py
index 6e5ef03e9d..614b955083 100755
--- a/tools/idf.py
+++ b/tools/idf.py
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ def main() -> None:
     try:
         os.getcwd()
     except FileNotFoundError as e:
-        raise FatalError(f'ERROR: {e}. Working directory cannot be established. Check it\'s existence.')
+        raise FatalError(f'ERROR: {e}. Working directory cannot be established. Check its existence.')
 
     try:
         cli = init_cli(verbose_output=checks_output)
diff --git a/tools/idf_py_actions/core_ext.py b/tools/idf_py_actions/core_ext.py
index 3068130d64..1f64fd1720 100644
--- a/tools/idf_py_actions/core_ext.py
+++ b/tools/idf_py_actions/core_ext.py
@@ -62,6 +62,13 @@ def action_extensions(base_actions: Dict, project_path: str) -> Any:
         Menuconfig target is build_target extended with the style argument for setting the value for the environment
         variable.
         """
+        if sys.platform != 'win32':
+            try:
+                import curses  # noqa: F401
+            except ImportError:
+                raise FatalError('\n'.join(
+                    ['', "menuconfig failed to import the standard Python 'curses' library.",
+                     'Please re-run the install script which might be able to fix the issue.']))
         if sys.version_info[0] < 3:
             # The subprocess lib cannot accept environment variables as "unicode".
             # This encoding step is required only in Python 2.
diff --git a/tools/idf_tools.py b/tools/idf_tools.py
index 1cf6f489e0..8865348f6f 100755
--- a/tools/idf_tools.py
+++ b/tools/idf_tools.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # coding=utf-8
 #
-# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019-2022 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019-2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 #
@@ -2079,6 +2079,13 @@ def action_install_python_env(args):  # type: ignore
             # Reinstallation of the virtual environment could help if pip was installed for the main Python
             reinstall = True
 
+        if sys.platform != 'win32':
+            try:
+                subprocess.check_call([virtualenv_python, '-c', 'import curses'], stdout=sys.stdout, stderr=sys.stderr)
+            except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+                warn('curses can not be imported, new virtual environment will be created.')
+                reinstall = True
+
     if reinstall and os.path.exists(idf_python_env_path):
         warn('Removing the existing Python environment in {}'.format(idf_python_env_path))
         shutil.rmtree(idf_python_env_path)