diff --git a/include/wx/listbook.h b/include/wx/listbook.h
index 57f24203dd..a8abcce052 100644
--- a/include/wx/listbook.h
+++ b/include/wx/listbook.h
@@ -124,8 +124,10 @@ private:
 // listbook event class and related stuff
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-// wxListbookEvent is obsolete and defined for compatibility only
-typedef wxBookCtrlEvent wxListbookEvent;
+// wxListbookEvent is obsolete and defined for compatibility only (notice that
+// we use #define and not typedef to also keep compatibility with the existing
+// code which forward declares it)
+#define wxListbookEvent wxBookCtrlEvent
 typedef wxBookCtrlEventFunction wxListbookEventFunction;
 #define wxListbookEventHandler(func) wxBookCtrlEventHandler(func)
 
diff --git a/include/wx/notebook.h b/include/wx/notebook.h
index 01b962694d..ddc7ef40ed 100644
--- a/include/wx/notebook.h
+++ b/include/wx/notebook.h
@@ -111,8 +111,10 @@ protected:
 // notebook event class and related stuff
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-// wxNotebookEvent is obsolete and defined for compatibility only
-typedef wxBookCtrlEvent wxNotebookEvent;
+// wxNotebookEvent is obsolete and defined for compatibility only (notice that
+// we use #define and not typedef to also keep compatibility with the existing
+// code which forward declares it)
+#define wxNotebookEvent wxBookCtrlEvent
 typedef wxBookCtrlEventFunction wxNotebookEventFunction;
 #define wxNotebookEventHandler(func) wxBookCtrlEventHandler(func)