diff --git a/include/wx/generic/grid.h b/include/wx/generic/grid.h
index 38a51453e8..ec0ce7b6eb 100644
--- a/include/wx/generic/grid.h
+++ b/include/wx/generic/grid.h
@@ -1504,7 +1504,7 @@ public:
     void EnableCellEditControl( bool enable = true );
     void DisableCellEditControl() { EnableCellEditControl(false); }
     bool CanEnableCellControl() const;
-    bool IsCellEditControlEnabled() const;
+    bool IsCellEditControlEnabled() const { return m_cellEditCtrlEnabled; }
     bool IsCellEditControlShown() const;
 
     bool IsCurrentCellReadOnly() const;
diff --git a/interface/wx/grid.h b/interface/wx/grid.h
index aa9a6b4a45..245b570779 100644
--- a/interface/wx/grid.h
+++ b/interface/wx/grid.h
@@ -3440,6 +3440,9 @@ public:
         currently show, otherwise the @c wxEVT_GRID_EDITOR_HIDDEN event is
         generated but, unlike the "shown" event, it can't be vetoed and the
         in-place editor is dismissed unconditionally.
+
+        Note that it is an error to call this function if the current cell is
+        read-only, use CanEnableCellControl() to check for this precondition.
     */
     void EnableCellEditControl(bool enable = true);
 
diff --git a/src/generic/grid.cpp b/src/generic/grid.cpp
index 99f2b4e2cc..258b4c33b8 100644
--- a/src/generic/grid.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/grid.cpp
@@ -7149,12 +7149,12 @@ void wxGrid::EnableCellEditControl( bool enable )
     {
         if ( enable )
         {
+            // this should be checked by the caller!
+            wxCHECK_RET( CanEnableCellControl(), wxT("can't enable editing for this cell!") );
+
             if ( SendEvent(wxEVT_GRID_EDITOR_SHOWN) == -1 )
                 return;
 
-            // this should be checked by the caller!
-            wxASSERT_MSG( CanEnableCellControl(), wxT("can't enable editing for this cell!") );
-
             // do it before ShowCellEditControl()
             m_cellEditCtrlEnabled = enable;
 
@@ -7181,13 +7181,6 @@ bool wxGrid::CanEnableCellControl() const
         !IsCurrentCellReadOnly();
 }
 
-bool wxGrid::IsCellEditControlEnabled() const
-{
-    // the cell edit control might be disable for all cells or just for the
-    // current one if it's read only
-    return m_cellEditCtrlEnabled ? !IsCurrentCellReadOnly() : false;
-}
-
 bool wxGrid::IsCellEditControlShown() const
 {
     bool isShown = false;