diff --git a/include/wx/variant.h b/include/wx/variant.h
index 671db18c65..f3b1aca1ad 100644
--- a/include/wx/variant.h
+++ b/include/wx/variant.h
@@ -230,6 +230,26 @@ public:
     inline operator wxString () const {  return MakeString(); }
     wxString GetString() const;
 
+#if wxUSE_STD_STRING
+    wxVariant(const std::string& val, const wxString& name = wxEmptyString);
+    bool operator==(const std::string& value) const
+        { return operator==(wxString(value)); }
+    bool operator!=(const std::string& value) const
+        { return operator!=(wxString(value)); }
+    wxVariant& operator=(const std::string& value)
+        { return operator=(wxString(value)); }
+    operator std::string() const { return (operator wxString()).ToStdString(); }
+
+    wxVariant(const wxStdWideString& val, const wxString& name = wxEmptyString);
+    bool operator==(const wxStdWideString& value) const
+        { return operator==(wxString(value)); }
+    bool operator!=(const wxStdWideString& value) const
+        { return operator!=(wxString(value)); }
+    wxVariant& operator=(const wxStdWideString& value)
+        { return operator=(wxString(value)); }
+    operator wxStdWideString() const { return (operator wxString()).ToStdWstring(); }
+#endif // wxUSE_STD_STRING
+
     // wxUniChar
     wxVariant(const wxUniChar& val, const wxString& name = wxEmptyString);
     wxVariant(const wxUniCharRef& val, const wxString& name = wxEmptyString);
diff --git a/src/common/variant.cpp b/src/common/variant.cpp
index f5a417ce37..371630d322 100644
--- a/src/common/variant.cpp
+++ b/src/common/variant.cpp
@@ -986,6 +986,20 @@ wxVariant::wxVariant(const wxScopedWCharBuffer& val, const wxString& name)
     m_name = name;
 }
 
+#if wxUSE_STD_STRING
+wxVariant::wxVariant(const std::string& val, const wxString& name)
+{
+    m_refData = new wxVariantDataString(wxString(val));
+    m_name = name;
+}
+
+wxVariant::wxVariant(const wxStdWideString& val, const wxString& name)
+{
+    m_refData = new wxVariantDataString(wxString(val));
+    m_name = name;
+}
+#endif // wxUSE_STD_STRING
+
 bool wxVariant::operator== (const wxString& value) const
 {
     wxString thisValue;