diff --git a/src/osx/window_osx.cpp b/src/osx/window_osx.cpp
index 3d4eb703c1..0f8f921aae 100644
--- a/src/osx/window_osx.cpp
+++ b/src/osx/window_osx.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "wx/tooltip.h"
 #include "wx/spinctrl.h"
 #include "wx/geometry.h"
+#include "wx/weakref.h"
 
 #if wxUSE_LISTCTRL
     #include "wx/listctrl.h"
@@ -610,7 +611,7 @@ void wxWindowMac::SetFocus()
 
 void wxWindowMac::OSXSimulateFocusEvents()
 {
-    wxWindow* former = FindFocus() ;
+    wxWeakRef<wxWindow> former = FindFocus() ;
     if ( former != NULL && former != this )
     {
         {
@@ -620,6 +621,9 @@ void wxWindowMac::OSXSimulateFocusEvents()
             former->HandleWindowEvent(event) ;
         }
 
+        // 'former' could have been destroyed by a wxEVT_KILL_FOCUS handler,
+        // so we must test it for non-NULL again
+        if ( former )
         {
             wxFocusEvent event(wxEVT_SET_FOCUS, former->GetId());
             event.SetEventObject(former);