diff --git a/docs/changes.txt b/docs/changes.txt
index a5196548aa..ba14312ee6 100644
--- a/docs/changes.txt
+++ b/docs/changes.txt
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ Changes in behaviour not resulting in compilation errors
 - wxFileDialog::GetPath() and wxFileDialog::GetFilename() now assert and return
   an empty string if called on dialogs with the wxFD_MULTIPLE style.
 
+- wxGetInstallPrefix() now returns wxString.
+
 
 Changes in behaviour which may result in build errors
 -----------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/include/wx/utils.h b/include/wx/utils.h
index c6d35299c2..3f4aea8daf 100644
--- a/include/wx/utils.h
+++ b/include/wx/utils.h
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxLinuxDistributionInfo wxGetLinuxDistributionInfo();
 WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxString wxNow();
 
 // Return path where wxWidgets is installed (mostly useful in Unices)
-WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE const wxChar *wxGetInstallPrefix();
+WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxString wxGetInstallPrefix();
 // Return path to wxWin data (/usr/share/wx/%{version}) (Unices)
 WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxString wxGetDataDir();
 
diff --git a/src/common/utilscmn.cpp b/src/common/utilscmn.cpp
index 05b6fa002f..bcfee48b33 100644
--- a/src/common/utilscmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/utilscmn.cpp
@@ -182,12 +182,12 @@ void wxUsleep(unsigned long milliseconds)
 }
 #endif
 
-const wxChar *wxGetInstallPrefix()
+wxString wxGetInstallPrefix()
 {
     wxString prefix;
 
     if ( wxGetEnv(wxT("WXPREFIX"), &prefix) )
-        return prefix.c_str();
+        return prefix;
 
 #ifdef wxINSTALL_PREFIX
     return wxT(wxINSTALL_PREFIX);