diff --git a/Lib/test/test_curses.py b/Lib/test/test_curses.py
index 3ba79be789cf3e5..915eae5ec233d51 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_curses.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_curses.py
@@ -2799,9 +2799,11 @@ def test_complexchar(self):
         # its single character.  A narrow build just forms fewer cells.
         cc = curses.complexchar
         def storable(s):
+            # ValueError if s has combining marks on a narrow build.
+            # OverflowError if s is a multibyte character on a narrow build.
             try:
                 cc(s)
-            except ValueError:
+            except (ValueError, OverflowError):
                 return False
             return True