diff --git a/package/petitboot/Config.in b/package/petitboot/Config.in
index 6a3d476b11..533c7a9f29 100644
--- a/package/petitboot/Config.in
+++ b/package/petitboot/Config.in
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_PETITBOOT
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_ELFUTILS
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LVM2 # devmapper
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_NCURSES
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_NCURSES_WCHAR
 	# run-time dependencies
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_KEXEC if !BR2_PACKAGE_KEXEC_LITE_ARCH_SUPPORTS
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_KEXEC_LITE if BR2_PACKAGE_KEXEC_LITE_ARCH_SUPPORTS && !BR2_PACKAGE_KEXEC
@@ -18,6 +19,9 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_PETITBOOT
 	help
 	  Petitboot is a small kexec-based bootloader
 
+	  NOTE: petitboot looks best in a UTF-8 locale; be sure there
+	  is one listed in BR2_GENERATE_LOCALE.
+
 	  http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/geoff/petitboot/petitboot.html
 
 if BR2_PACKAGE_PETITBOOT