diff --git a/src/mac/carbon/utils.cpp b/src/mac/carbon/utils.cpp
index d7e671c582..2e2ffd6c4a 100644
--- a/src/mac/carbon/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/mac/carbon/utils.cpp
@@ -486,5 +486,11 @@ wxWindow* wxFindWindowAtPoint(const wxPoint& pt)
 
 wxString wxGetOsDescription()
 {
-  return "MacOS" ; //TODO:define further
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+#ifdef WXWIN_OS_DESCRIPTION
+    // use configure generated description if available
+    return wxString("MacOS (") + WXWIN_OS_DESCRIPTION + wxString(")");
+#else
+    return "MacOS" ; //TODO:define further
+#endif
+}
+
diff --git a/src/mac/utils.cpp b/src/mac/utils.cpp
index d7e671c582..2e2ffd6c4a 100644
--- a/src/mac/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/mac/utils.cpp
@@ -486,5 +486,11 @@ wxWindow* wxFindWindowAtPoint(const wxPoint& pt)
 
 wxString wxGetOsDescription()
 {
-  return "MacOS" ; //TODO:define further
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+#ifdef WXWIN_OS_DESCRIPTION
+    // use configure generated description if available
+    return wxString("MacOS (") + WXWIN_OS_DESCRIPTION + wxString(")");
+#else
+    return "MacOS" ; //TODO:define further
+#endif
+}
+
diff --git a/src/unix/utilsunx.cpp b/src/unix/utilsunx.cpp
index 6fdbc765eb..171918e24e 100644
--- a/src/unix/utilsunx.cpp
+++ b/src/unix/utilsunx.cpp
@@ -948,6 +948,7 @@ bool wxGetUserName(wxChar *buf, int sz)
     return FALSE;
 }
 
+#ifndef __WXMAC__
 wxString wxGetOsDescription()
 {
 #ifndef WXWIN_OS_DESCRIPTION
@@ -956,6 +957,7 @@ wxString wxGetOsDescription()
     return WXWIN_OS_DESCRIPTION;
 #endif
 }
+#endif
 
 // this function returns the GUI toolkit version in GUI programs, but OS
 // version in non-GUI ones