diff --git a/include/wx/stringimpl.h b/include/wx/stringimpl.h
index dce1f1ed40..e62127f06f 100644
--- a/include/wx/stringimpl.h
+++ b/include/wx/stringimpl.h
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ extern WXDLLIMPEXP_DATA_BASE(const wxStringCharType*) wxEmptyStringImpl;
     // the versions of std::string included with gcc 2.95 and VC6 (for which
     // _MSC_VER == 1200) and eVC4 (_MSC_VER == 1201) lack clear() method
     #if (defined(__GNUG__) && (__GNUG__ < 3)) || \
-        (defined(_MSC_VER) && (_MSC_VER <= 1201))
+        !wxCHECK_VISUALC_VERSION(7) || defined(__EVC4__)
         #define wxSTRING_BASE_HASNT_CLEAR
     #endif