diff --git a/wxPython/src/_extras.py b/wxPython/src/_extras.py
index b20cce579f..9cc1b6e2a1 100644
--- a/wxPython/src/_extras.py
+++ b/wxPython/src/_extras.py
@@ -599,8 +599,7 @@ wxSystemSettings_GetSystemFont   = wxSystemSettings_GetFont
 wxSystemSettings_GetSystemMetric = wxSystemSettings_GetMetric
 
 # workarounds for bad wxRTTI names
-wxGauge95    = wxGauge
-wxGauge95Ptr = wxGaugePtr
+__wxPyPtrTypeMap['wxGauge95']    = 'wxGauge'
 
 
 wxPyAssertionError = wxc.wxPyAssertionError
diff --git a/wxPython/src/helpers.cpp b/wxPython/src/helpers.cpp
index 721f22917d..fa7706d490 100644
--- a/wxPython/src/helpers.cpp
+++ b/wxPython/src/helpers.cpp
@@ -507,12 +507,18 @@ void wxPyPtrTypeMap_Add(const char* commonName, const char* ptrName) {
 
 PyObject* wxPyClassExists(const wxString& className) {
 
+    PyObject* item;
+    wxString  name(className);
+    char      buff[64];               // should always be big enough...
+
     if (!className)
         return NULL;
 
-    char    buff[64];               // should always be big enough...
+    if ((item = PyDict_GetItemString(wxPyPtrTypeMap, (char*)(const char*)name.mbc_str())) != NULL) {
+        name = wxString(PyString_AsString(item), *wxConvCurrent);
+    }
 
-    sprintf(buff, "%sPtr", (const char*)className.mbc_str());
+    sprintf(buff, "%sPtr", (const char*)name.mbc_str());
     PyObject* classobj = PyDict_GetItemString(wxPython_dict, buff);
 
     return classobj;  // returns NULL if not found
diff --git a/wxPython/src/msw/wx.py b/wxPython/src/msw/wx.py
index 15fcbd4e27..d9af616a52 100644
--- a/wxPython/src/msw/wx.py
+++ b/wxPython/src/msw/wx.py
@@ -1546,8 +1546,7 @@ wxSystemSettings_GetSystemFont   = wxSystemSettings_GetFont
 wxSystemSettings_GetSystemMetric = wxSystemSettings_GetMetric
 
 # workarounds for bad wxRTTI names
-wxGauge95    = wxGauge
-wxGauge95Ptr = wxGaugePtr
+__wxPyPtrTypeMap['wxGauge95']    = 'wxGauge'
 
 
 wxPyAssertionError = wxc.wxPyAssertionError