diff --git a/include/wx/osx/core/private.h b/include/wx/osx/core/private.h
index 5d91413470..b21995257a 100644
--- a/include/wx/osx/core/private.h
+++ b/include/wx/osx/core/private.h
@@ -288,6 +288,8 @@ public :
 #if wxUSE_MARKUP && wxOSX_USE_COCOA
     virtual void        SetLabelMarkup( const wxString& WXUNUSED(markup) ) { }
 #endif
+    virtual void        SetInitialLabel( const wxString& title, wxFontEncoding encoding )
+                            { SetLabel(title, encoding); }
 
     virtual void        SetCursor( const wxCursor & cursor ) = 0;
     virtual void        CaptureMouse() = 0;
diff --git a/src/osx/cocoa/nativewin.mm b/src/osx/cocoa/nativewin.mm
index f2be5a7873..82dc4775d1 100644
--- a/src/osx/cocoa/nativewin.mm
+++ b/src/osx/cocoa/nativewin.mm
@@ -30,6 +30,27 @@
 // implementation
 // ============================================================================
 
+namespace
+{
+
+class wxNativeWidgetCocoaImpl : public wxWidgetCocoaImpl
+{
+public:
+    wxNativeWidgetCocoaImpl(wxWindowMac* peer, WXWidget w) : wxWidgetCocoaImpl(peer, w)
+    {}
+
+    virtual void SetInitialLabel(const wxString& WXUNUSED(title), wxFontEncoding WXUNUSED(encoding)) wxOVERRIDE
+    {
+        // Don't set initial label, because the control was created by the
+        // caller and is already fully setup. And some controls (notably
+        // NSPathControl) assert if an unexpected string value, such as an empty
+        // string, is set.
+    }
+};
+
+} // anonymous namespace
+
+
 bool
 wxNativeWindow::Create(wxWindow* parent,
                        wxWindowID winid,
@@ -62,7 +83,7 @@ wxNativeWindow::Create(wxWindow* parent,
     // As wxWidgets will release the view when this object is destroyed, retain
     // it here to avoid destroying the view owned by the user code.
     [view retain];
-    SetPeer(new wxWidgetCocoaImpl(this, view));
+    SetPeer(new wxNativeWidgetCocoaImpl(this, view));
 
     // It doesn't seem necessary to use MacPostControlCreate() here as we never
     // change the native control geometry here.
diff --git a/src/osx/window_osx.cpp b/src/osx/window_osx.cpp
index f12c025753..97acee559d 100644
--- a/src/osx/window_osx.cpp
+++ b/src/osx/window_osx.cpp
@@ -353,8 +353,7 @@ void wxWindowMac::SetPeer(wxOSXWidgetImpl* peer)
         if ( !m_hasFont )
             DoSetWindowVariant( m_windowVariant );
         
-        if ( !m_label.empty() )
-            GetPeer()->SetLabel( wxStripMenuCodes(m_label, wxStrip_Mnemonics), GetFont().GetEncoding() ) ;
+        GetPeer()->SetInitialLabel( wxStripMenuCodes(m_label, wxStrip_Mnemonics), GetFont().GetEncoding() ) ;
         
         // for controls we want to use best size for wxDefaultSize params )
         if ( !GetPeer()->IsUserPane() )