diff --git a/Modules/_cursesmodule.c b/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
index fb51c43..9149d76 100644
--- a/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
@@ -663,6 +663,12 @@
 }
 #endif
 
+#if defined(HAVE_CURSES_IS_PAD)
+#define py_is_pad(win)      is_pad(win)
+#elif defined(WINDOW_HAS_FLAGS)
+#define py_is_pad(win)      ((win) ? ((win)->_flags & _ISPAD) != 0 : FALSE)
+#endif
+
 /* chgat, added by Fabian Kreutz <fabian.kreutz at gmx.net> */
 
 static PyObject *
@@ -804,10 +810,11 @@
         return NULL;
     }
 
-#ifdef WINDOW_HAS_FLAGS
-    if (self->win->_flags & _ISPAD)
+#ifdef py_is_pad
+    if (py_is_pad(self->win)) {
         return PyCursesCheckERR(pechochar(self->win, ch | attr),
                                 "echochar");
+    }
     else
 #endif
         return PyCursesCheckERR(wechochar(self->win, ch | attr),
@@ -1243,10 +1250,10 @@
     int pminrow,pmincol,sminrow,smincol,smaxrow,smaxcol;
     int rtn;
 
-#ifndef WINDOW_HAS_FLAGS
+#ifndef py_is_pad
     if (0)
 #else
-        if (self->win->_flags & _ISPAD)
+        if (py_is_pad(self->win))
 #endif
         {
             switch(PyTuple_Size(args)) {
@@ -1386,10 +1393,10 @@
     int pminrow,pmincol,sminrow,smincol,smaxrow,smaxcol;
     int rtn;
 
-#ifndef WINDOW_HAS_FLAGS
+#ifndef py_is_pad
     if (0)
 #else
-        if (self->win->_flags & _ISPAD)
+        if (py_is_pad(self->win))
 #endif
         {
             switch(PyTuple_Size(args)) {
@@ -1455,9 +1462,10 @@
     }
 
     /* printf("Subwin: %i %i %i %i   \n", nlines, ncols, begin_y, begin_x); */
-#ifdef WINDOW_HAS_FLAGS
-    if (self->win->_flags & _ISPAD)
+#ifdef py_is_pad
+    if (py_is_pad(self->win)) {
         win = subpad(self->win, nlines, ncols, begin_y, begin_x);
+    }
     else
 #endif
         win = subwin(self->win, nlines, ncols, begin_y, begin_x);