diff -r 2917a3ce988e Lib/test/test_curses.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_curses.py	Sat May 21 21:36:29 2016 +0300
+++ b/Lib/test/test_curses.py	Sun May 22 07:37:39 2016 +0300
@@ -42,12 +42,15 @@ class TestCurses(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
-        if not sys.__stdout__.isatty():
+        cls.tmp = None
+        if sys.__stdout__.isatty():
+            fd = sys.__stdout__.fileno()
+        elif sys.__stderr__.isatty():
+            fd = sys.__stderr__.fileno()
+        else:
             cls.tmp = tempfile.TemporaryFile()
             fd = cls.tmp.fileno()
-        else:
-            cls.tmp = None
-            fd = sys.__stdout__.fileno()
+        cls.isatty = not cls.tmp
         # testing setupterm() inside initscr/endwin
         # causes terminal breakage
         curses.setupterm(fd=fd)
@@ -63,11 +66,17 @@ class TestCurses(unittest.TestCase):
             # just to make the test output a little more readable
             print()
         self.stdscr = curses.initscr()
-        curses.savetty()
+        try:
+            curses.savetty()
+        except curses.error:
+            pass
 
     def tearDown(self):
-        curses.resetty()
-        curses.endwin()
+        try:
+            curses.resetty()
+            curses.endwin()
+        except curses.error:
+            pass
 
     def test_window_funcs(self):
         "Test the methods of windows"
@@ -188,14 +197,20 @@ class TestCurses(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_module_funcs(self):
         "Test module-level functions"
+        if self.isatty:
+            for func in [curses.cbreak, curses.def_prog_mode,
+                         curses.nocbreak, curses.noraw,
+                         curses.reset_prog_mode]:
+                with self.subTest(func=func.__qualname__):
+                    func()
+
         for func in [curses.baudrate, curses.beep, curses.can_change_color,
-                     curses.cbreak, curses.def_prog_mode, curses.doupdate,
+                     curses.doupdate,
                      curses.filter, curses.flash, curses.flushinp,
                      curses.has_colors, curses.has_ic, curses.has_il,
                      curses.isendwin, curses.killchar, curses.longname,
-                     curses.nocbreak, curses.noecho, curses.nonl,
-                     curses.noqiflush, curses.noraw,
-                     curses.reset_prog_mode, curses.termattrs,
+                     curses.noecho, curses.nonl, curses.noqiflush,
+                     curses.termattrs,
                      curses.termname, curses.erasechar, curses.getsyx]:
             with self.subTest(func=func.__qualname__):
                 func()
@@ -212,7 +227,8 @@ class TestCurses(unittest.TestCase):
             curses.getwin(f)
 
         curses.halfdelay(1)
-        curses.intrflush(1)
+        if self.isatty:
+            curses.intrflush(1)
         curses.meta(1)
         curses.napms(100)
         curses.newpad(50,50)
@@ -221,7 +237,9 @@ class TestCurses(unittest.TestCase):
         curses.nl() ; curses.nl(1)
         curses.putp(b'abc')
         curses.qiflush()
-        curses.raw() ; curses.raw(1)
+        if self.isatty:
+            curses.raw()
+            curses.raw(1)
         curses.setsyx(5,5)
         curses.tigetflag('hc')
         curses.tigetnum('co')