diff --git a/include/wx/timer.h b/include/wx/timer.h
index fb15b3551b..42af63d9a9 100644
--- a/include/wx/timer.h
+++ b/include/wx/timer.h
@@ -161,21 +161,29 @@ class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxTimerEvent : public wxEvent
 public:
     wxTimerEvent(wxTimer& timer)
         : wxEvent(timer.GetId(), wxEVT_TIMER),
-          m_timer(timer)
+          m_timer(&timer)
     {
         SetEventObject(timer.GetOwner());
     }
 
     // accessors
-    int GetInterval() const { return m_timer.GetInterval(); }
-    wxTimer& GetTimer() const { return m_timer; }
+    int GetInterval() const { return m_timer->GetInterval(); }
+    wxTimer& GetTimer() const { return *m_timer; }
 
     // implement the base class pure virtual
     virtual wxEvent *Clone() const wxOVERRIDE { return new wxTimerEvent(*this); }
     virtual wxEventCategory GetEventCategory() const wxOVERRIDE { return wxEVT_CATEGORY_TIMER; }
 
+    // default ctor creates an unusable event object and should not be used (in
+    // fact, no code outside wxWidgets is supposed to create event objects)
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_3_0
+    wxDEPRECATED_MSG("wxTimerEvent not supposed to be created by user code")
+    wxTimerEvent()
+        : wxEvent(wxID_ANY, wxEVT_TIMER) { m_timer=NULL; }
+#endif // WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_3_0
+
 private:
-    wxTimer& m_timer;
+    wxTimer* m_timer;
 
     wxDECLARE_DYNAMIC_CLASS_NO_ASSIGN(wxTimerEvent);
 };