diff --git a/include/wx/msw/rt/utils.h b/include/wx/msw/rt/utils.h
index b315531090..213dfe41b7 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/rt/utils.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/rt/utils.h
@@ -66,11 +66,9 @@ public:
 
     operator HSTRING() const { return m_hstring; };
 
-    static const TempStringRef Make(const wxString &str);
+    TempStringRef(const wxString& str);
 
 private:
-    TempStringRef(const wxString &str);
-
     HSTRING             m_hstring;
     HSTRING_HEADER      m_header;
 
diff --git a/src/msw/rt/notifmsgrt.cpp b/src/msw/rt/notifmsgrt.cpp
index 1f7e7fd1a3..3b9ba571ce 100644
--- a/src/msw/rt/notifmsgrt.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/rt/notifmsgrt.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public:
         m_impl = NULL;
     }
 
-    // DesktopToastActivatedEventHandler 
+    // DesktopToastActivatedEventHandler
     IFACEMETHODIMP Invoke(IToastNotification *sender, IInspectable* args);
 
     // DesktopToastDismissedEventHandler
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ public:
 
     HRESULT CreateToast(IXmlDocument *xml)
     {
-        HRESULT hr = ms_toastMgr->CreateToastNotifierWithId(rt::TempStringRef::Make(ms_appId), &m_notifier);
+        HRESULT hr = ms_toastMgr->CreateToastNotifierWithId(rt::TempStringRef(ms_appId), &m_notifier);
         if ( SUCCEEDED(hr) )
         {
             wxCOMPtr<IToastNotificationFactory> factory;
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ public:
         if ( SUCCEEDED(hr) )
         {
             wxCOMPtr<IXmlNodeList> nodeList;
-            hr = (*toastXml)->GetElementsByTagName(rt::TempStringRef::Make("text"), &nodeList);
+            hr = (*toastXml)->GetElementsByTagName(rt::TempStringRef("text"), &nodeList);
             if ( SUCCEEDED(hr) )
             {
                 hr = SetNodeListValueString(0, m_title, nodeList, *toastXml);
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ public:
     {
         wxCOMPtr<IXmlText> inputText;
 
-        HRESULT hr = xml->CreateTextNode(rt::TempStringRef::Make(str), &inputText);
+        HRESULT hr = xml->CreateTextNode(rt::TempStringRef(str), &inputText);
         if ( SUCCEEDED(hr) )
         {
             wxCOMPtr<IXmlNode> inputTextNode;
diff --git a/src/msw/rt/utilsrt.cpp b/src/msw/rt/utilsrt.cpp
index c21c7fe55a..ec2fb3491e 100644
--- a/src/msw/rt/utilsrt.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/rt/utilsrt.cpp
@@ -166,15 +166,14 @@ int RTCore::ms_isAvailable = -1;
 // wxWinRT::TempStringRef
 //
 
-const TempStringRef TempStringRef::Make(const wxString &str)
-{
-    return TempStringRef(str);
-}
-
 TempStringRef::TempStringRef(const wxString &str)
+    : m_hstring(NULL), m_header()
 {
     if ( !RTCore::IsAvailable() )
+    {
         wxLogDebug("Can not create string reference without WinRT");
+        return;
+    }
 
     // This creates a fast-pass string which must not be deleted using WindowsDeleteString
     HRESULT hr = RTCore::Get().WindowsCreateStringReference(
@@ -221,7 +220,7 @@ bool GetActivationFactory(const wxString& activatableClassId, REFIID iid, void *
     if ( !RTCore::IsAvailable() )
         return false;
 
-    HRESULT hr = RTCore::Get().RoGetActivationFactory(TempStringRef::Make(activatableClassId), iid, factory);
+    HRESULT hr = RTCore::Get().RoGetActivationFactory(TempStringRef(activatableClassId), iid, factory);
     if ( FAILED(hr) )
     {
         wxLogDebug("RoGetActivationFactory failed %.8x", hr);