diff --git a/include/wx/timer.h b/include/wx/timer.h
index 956cc2a87e..fb15b3551b 100644
--- a/include/wx/timer.h
+++ b/include/wx/timer.h
@@ -159,26 +159,23 @@ private:
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxTimerEvent : public wxEvent
 {
 public:
-    wxTimerEvent()
-        : wxEvent(wxID_ANY, wxEVT_TIMER) { m_timer=NULL; }
-
     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; }
 
 private:
-    wxTimer* m_timer;
+    wxTimer& m_timer;
 
     wxDECLARE_DYNAMIC_CLASS_NO_ASSIGN(wxTimerEvent);
 };
diff --git a/src/common/timercmn.cpp b/src/common/timercmn.cpp
index 79104c1acb..a70668eff6 100644
--- a/src/common/timercmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/timercmn.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@
 // wxWin macros
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-wxIMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxTimerEvent, wxEvent);
+// This class is not really abstract, but this macro has to be used because it
+// doesn't have a default ctor.
+wxIMPLEMENT_ABSTRACT_CLASS(wxTimerEvent, wxEvent);
 
 wxDEFINE_EVENT(wxEVT_TIMER, wxTimerEvent);
 
diff --git a/tests/events/clone.cpp b/tests/events/clone.cpp
index 2f06827fda..6ee15e84b3 100644
--- a/tests/events/clone.cpp
+++ b/tests/events/clone.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #ifndef WX_PRECOMP
     #include "wx/event.h"
+    #include "wx/timer.h"
 #endif // WX_PRECOMP
 
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -47,6 +48,9 @@ CPPUNIT_TEST_SUITE_NAMED_REGISTRATION( EventCloneTestCase, "EventCloneTestCase"
 
 void EventCloneTestCase::CheckAll()
 {
+    // Dummy timer needed just to create a wxTimerEvent.
+    wxTimer dummyTimer;
+
     // check if event classes implement Clone() correctly
     // NOTE: the check is done against _all_ event classes which are linked to
     //       the executable currently running, which are not necessarily all
@@ -61,20 +65,30 @@ void EventCloneTestCase::CheckAll()
              cn == "wxEvent" )
             continue;
 
-        const std::string
-            msg = std::string("Event class \"") +
-                  std::string(cn.c_str()) + "\"";
+        INFO("Event class \"" << cn << "\"");
 
-        CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE( msg, ci->IsDynamic() );
+        wxEvent* test;
+        if ( ci->IsDynamic() )
+        {
+            test = wxDynamicCast(ci->CreateObject(),wxEvent);
+        }
+        else if ( cn == "wxTimerEvent" )
+        {
+            test = new wxTimerEvent(dummyTimer);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            FAIL("Can't create objects of type " + cn);
+            continue;
+        }
 
-        wxEvent * const test = wxDynamicCast(ci->CreateObject(),wxEvent);
-        CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE( msg, test );
+        REQUIRE( test );
 
         wxEvent * const cloned = test->Clone();
         delete test;
 
-        CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE( msg, cloned );
-        CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE( msg, cloned->GetClassInfo() == ci );
+        REQUIRE( cloned );
+        CHECK( cloned->GetClassInfo() == ci );
 
         delete cloned;
     }