diff --git a/docs/changes.txt b/docs/changes.txt
index c6f93d8848..bae06e4442 100644
--- a/docs/changes.txt
+++ b/docs/changes.txt
@@ -408,6 +408,10 @@ Changes in behaviour which may result in compilation errors
   any more. Use wxBookCtrlEvent in your code if you need to forward-declare
   it or just include the appropriate header instead of forward declaration.
 
+- wxStandardPaths class can't be created now. This was never the right thing
+  to do, wxStandardPaths::Get() always had to be used to access the global
+  object of the correct type but now doing it results in a compilation error.
+
 
 Deprecated methods and their replacements
 -----------------------------------------
diff --git a/include/wx/msw/stdpaths.h b/include/wx/msw/stdpaths.h
index a9d53f38a6..eb18bd2b83 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/stdpaths.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/stdpaths.h
@@ -19,10 +19,6 @@
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxStandardPaths : public wxStandardPathsBase
 {
 public:
-    // ctor calls IgnoreAppBuildSubDirs() and also sets up the object to use
-    // both vendor and application name by default
-    wxStandardPaths();
-
     // implement base class pure virtuals
     virtual wxString GetExecutablePath() const;
     virtual wxString GetConfigDir() const;
@@ -67,6 +63,13 @@ public:
     static wxString MSWGetShellDir(int csidl);
 
 protected:
+    // Ctor is protected, use wxStandardPaths::Get() instead of instantiating
+    // objects of this class directly.
+    //
+    // It calls IgnoreAppBuildSubDirs() and also sets up the object to use
+    // both vendor and application name by default.
+    wxStandardPaths();
+
     // get the path corresponding to the given standard CSIDL_XXX constant
     static wxString DoGetDirectory(int csidl);
 
diff --git a/include/wx/os2/stdpaths.h b/include/wx/os2/stdpaths.h
index 72ae2ea183..571ca38b99 100644
--- a/include/wx/os2/stdpaths.h
+++ b/include/wx/os2/stdpaths.h
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ public:
     virtual wxString GetUserDataDir() const;
     virtual wxString GetPluginsDir() const;
 
+protected:
+    // Ctor is protected, use wxStandardPaths::Get() instead of instantiating
+    // objects of this class directly.
+    wxStandardPaths() { }
+
 private:
     static wxString m_prefix;
 };
diff --git a/include/wx/osx/core/stdpaths.h b/include/wx/osx/core/stdpaths.h
index 4c48407f7b..aed2c10a21 100644
--- a/include/wx/osx/core/stdpaths.h
+++ b/include/wx/osx/core/stdpaths.h
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ typedef __CFBundle * wxCFBundleRef;
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxStandardPathsCF : public wxStandardPathsCFBase
 {
 public:
-    wxStandardPathsCF();
     virtual ~wxStandardPathsCF();
 
     // wxMac specific: allow user to specify a different bundle
@@ -57,6 +56,10 @@ public:
     virtual wxString GetDocumentsDir() const;
 
 protected:
+    // Ctor is protected, use wxStandardPaths::Get() instead of instantiating
+    // objects of this class directly.
+    wxStandardPathsCF();
+
     // this function can be called with any of CFBundleCopyXXXURL function
     // pointer as parameter
     wxString GetFromFunc(wxCFURLRef (*func)(wxCFBundleRef)) const;
diff --git a/include/wx/stdpaths.h b/include/wx/stdpaths.h
index 1bf5af0831..55c0b785f8 100644
--- a/include/wx/stdpaths.h
+++ b/include/wx/stdpaths.h
@@ -142,9 +142,6 @@ public:
     virtual wxString GetTempDir() const;
 
 
-    // ctor for the base class
-    wxStandardPathsBase();
-
     // virtual dtor for the base class
     virtual ~wxStandardPathsBase();
 
@@ -158,6 +155,10 @@ public:
 
 
 protected:
+    // Ctor is protected as this is a base class which should never be created
+    // directly.
+    wxStandardPathsBase();
+
     // append the path component, with a leading path separator if a
     // path separator or dot (.) is not already at the end of dir
     static wxString AppendPathComponent(const wxString& dir, const wxString& component);
@@ -210,6 +211,12 @@ public:
     virtual wxString GetPluginsDir() const { return m_prefix; }
     virtual wxString GetDocumentsDir() const { return m_prefix; }
 
+protected:
+    // Ctor is protected because wxStandardPaths::Get() should always be used
+    // to access the global wxStandardPaths object of the correct type instead
+    // of creating one of a possibly wrong type yourself.
+    wxStandardPaths() { }
+
 private:
     wxString m_prefix;
 };
diff --git a/include/wx/unix/stdpaths.h b/include/wx/unix/stdpaths.h
index 0692bfaec1..0d63f1a4ce 100644
--- a/include/wx/unix/stdpaths.h
+++ b/include/wx/unix/stdpaths.h
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ public:
     virtual wxString GetDocumentsDir() const;
 #endif
 
+protected:
+    // Ctor is protected, use wxStandardPaths::Get() instead of instantiating
+    // objects of this class directly.
+    wxStandardPaths() { }
+
 private:
     wxString m_prefix;
 };
diff --git a/interface/wx/stdpaths.h b/interface/wx/stdpaths.h
index 29d9c849e3..829de479ae 100644
--- a/interface/wx/stdpaths.h
+++ b/interface/wx/stdpaths.h
@@ -363,5 +363,15 @@ public:
         @since 2.9.0
     */
     void UseAppInfo(int info);
+
+protected:
+    /**
+        Protected default constructor.
+
+        This constructor is protected in order to prevent creation of objects
+        of this class as Get() should be used instead to access the unique
+        global wxStandardPaths object of the correct type.
+     */
+    wxStandardPaths();
 };
 
diff --git a/src/common/stdpbase.cpp b/src/common/stdpbase.cpp
index e421f3b26a..1d831afed3 100644
--- a/src/common/stdpbase.cpp
+++ b/src/common/stdpbase.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,21 @@
 // module globals
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-static wxStandardPaths gs_stdPaths;
+namespace
+{
+
+// Derive a class just to be able to create it: wxStandardPaths ctor is
+// protected to prevent its misuse, but it also means we can't create an object
+// of this class directly.
+class wxStandardPathsDefault : public wxStandardPaths
+{
+public:
+    wxStandardPathsDefault() { }
+};
+
+static wxStandardPathsDefault gs_stdPaths;
+
+} // anonymous namespace
 
 // ============================================================================
 // implementation
diff --git a/src/osx/core/utilsexc_cf.cpp b/src/osx/core/utilsexc_cf.cpp
index f00cb5e38f..b9fae2e446 100644
--- a/src/osx/core/utilsexc_cf.cpp
+++ b/src/osx/core/utilsexc_cf.cpp
@@ -156,9 +156,19 @@ wxEventLoopSourcesManagerBase* wxGUIAppTraits::GetEventLoopSourcesManager()
 // NOTE: This doesn't really belong here but this was a handy file to
 // put it in because it's already compiled for wxCocoa and wxMac GUI lib.
 #if wxUSE_STDPATHS
-static wxStandardPathsCF gs_stdPaths;
 wxStandardPaths& wxGUIAppTraits::GetStandardPaths()
 {
+    // Derive a class just to be able to create it: wxStandardPaths ctor is
+    // protected to prevent its misuse, but it also means we can't create an
+    // object of this class directly.
+    class wxStandardPathsDefault : public wxStandardPathsCF
+    {
+    public:
+        wxStandardPathsDefault() { }
+    };
+
+    static wxStandardPathsDefault gs_stdPaths;
+
     return gs_stdPaths;
 }
 #endif