diff --git a/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.27.2.ebuild b/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.27.2.ebuild
index 0c3fc633b29be..40fc50dd413db 100644
--- a/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.27.2.ebuild
+++ b/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.27.2.ebuild
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ IUSE="doc +libsamplerate +ncurses nls selinux"
 
 CDEPEND=">=media-libs/alsa-lib-1.0.27.1
 	libsamplerate? ( media-libs/libsamplerate )
-	ncurses? ( >=sys-libs/ncurses-5.7-r7 )"
+	ncurses? ( >=sys-libs/ncurses-5.7-r7:5= )"
 DEPEND="${CDEPEND}
 	virtual/pkgconfig
 	doc? ( app-text/xmlto )"
diff --git a/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.28-r1.ebuild b/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.28-r1.ebuild
index 42c776b922153..d224f65bd7892 100644
--- a/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.28-r1.ebuild
+++ b/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.28-r1.ebuild
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ IUSE="doc +libsamplerate +ncurses nls selinux"
 
 CDEPEND=">=media-libs/alsa-lib-${PV}
 	libsamplerate? ( media-libs/libsamplerate )
-	ncurses? ( >=sys-libs/ncurses-5.7-r7 )"
+	ncurses? ( >=sys-libs/ncurses-5.7-r7:5= )"
 DEPEND="${CDEPEND}
 	virtual/pkgconfig
 	doc? ( app-text/xmlto )"
diff --git a/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.28.ebuild b/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.28.ebuild
index 8922ee294e607..dd63c8453a537 100644
--- a/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.28.ebuild
+++ b/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.28.ebuild
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ IUSE="doc +libsamplerate +ncurses nls selinux"
 
 CDEPEND=">=media-libs/alsa-lib-${PV}
 	libsamplerate? ( media-libs/libsamplerate )
-	ncurses? ( >=sys-libs/ncurses-5.7-r7 )"
+	ncurses? ( >=sys-libs/ncurses-5.7-r7:5= )"
 DEPEND="${CDEPEND}
 	virtual/pkgconfig
 	doc? ( app-text/xmlto )"
diff --git a/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.29.ebuild b/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.29.ebuild
index f9c558c759fe6..6ef282e04ec84 100644
--- a/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.29.ebuild
+++ b/media-sound/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.29.ebuild
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ IUSE="doc +libsamplerate +ncurses nls selinux"
 
 CDEPEND=">=media-libs/alsa-lib-${PV}
 	libsamplerate? ( media-libs/libsamplerate )
-	ncurses? ( >=sys-libs/ncurses-5.7-r7 )"
+	ncurses? ( >=sys-libs/ncurses-5.7-r7:5= )"
 DEPEND="${CDEPEND}
 	virtual/pkgconfig
 	doc? ( app-text/xmlto )"
diff --git a/media-sound/alsa-utils/metadata.xml b/media-sound/alsa-utils/metadata.xml
index 8553be1f56dc3..031bd1ce91f06 100644
--- a/media-sound/alsa-utils/metadata.xml
+++ b/media-sound/alsa-utils/metadata.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <email>alsa-bugs@gentoo.org</email>
   </maintainer>
   <use>
-    <flag name='libsamplerate'>install utils that use libsamplerate (e.g. alsaloop)</flag>
-    <flag name='ncurses'>install utils that use ncurses (e.g. alsamixer)</flag>
+    <flag name="libsamplerate">install utils that use libsamplerate (e.g. alsaloop)</flag>
+    <flag name="ncurses">install utils that use ncurses (e.g. alsamixer)</flag>
   </use>
 </pkgmetadata>