diff --git a/Doc/library/curses.rst b/Doc/library/curses.rst
index b3341fb8629f4ca..7b0240d6c8fc1c8 100644
--- a/Doc/library/curses.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/curses.rst
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ Initialization and termination
    Initialize the library. Return a :ref:`window <curses-window-objects>` object
    which represents the whole screen.
 
+   See :func:`setupterm` for a caveat about calling it before this function.
+
    .. note::
 
       If there is an error opening the terminal, the underlying curses library may
@@ -106,6 +108,8 @@ Initialization and termination
    The new screen becomes the current one.
    Use :func:`set_term` to switch between screens.
 
+   See :func:`setupterm` for a caveat about calling it before this function.
+
    .. versionadded:: next
 
 .. function:: new_prescr()
@@ -957,6 +961,13 @@ Terminfo database
    terminfo database entry could not be read.  If the terminal has already
    been initialized, this function has no effect.
 
+   .. note::
+
+      Calling :func:`initscr` or :func:`newterm` after :func:`setupterm`
+      leaks the terminal that :func:`setupterm` allocated:
+      the curses library keeps only a single current terminal
+      and does not free the previously allocated one.
+
 .. function:: tigetflag(capname)
 
    Return the value of the Boolean capability corresponding to the terminfo