diff --git a/include/wx/msw/metafile.h b/include/wx/msw/metafile.h
index 3fb6377b42..88777024fd 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/metafile.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/metafile.h
@@ -88,6 +88,18 @@ public:
     // Should be called at end of drawing
     virtual wxMetafile *Close();
     virtual void SetMapMode(int mode);
+
+#if wxABI_VERSION >= 20805
+    virtual void DoGetTextExtent(const wxString& string,
+                                 wxCoord *x, wxCoord *y,
+                                 wxCoord *descent = NULL,
+                                 wxCoord *externalLeading = NULL,
+                                 const wxFont *theFont = NULL) const;
+#endif // wx ABI 2.8.5+
+
+    // this method shouldn't have been defined here (DoGetTextExtent() is the
+    // correct one) but keep it to avoid breaking binary backwards
+    // compatibility
     virtual void GetTextExtent(const wxString& string, long *x, long *y,
             long *descent = NULL, long *externalLeading = NULL,
             wxFont *theFont = NULL, bool use16bit = false) const;
diff --git a/src/msw/metafile.cpp b/src/msw/metafile.cpp
index f1eb74391e..348eb328ea 100644
--- a/src/msw/metafile.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/metafile.cpp
@@ -209,21 +209,23 @@ wxMetafileDC::~wxMetafileDC()
     m_hDC = 0;
 }
 
-void wxMetafileDC::GetTextExtent(const wxString& string, long *x, long *y,
-                                 long *descent, long *externalLeading, wxFont *theFont, bool WXUNUSED(use16bit)) const
+void wxMetafileDC::DoGetTextExtent(const wxString& string,
+                                   wxCoord *x, wxCoord *y,
+                                   wxCoord *descent,
+                                   wxCoord *externalLeading,
+                                   const wxFont *theFont) const
 {
-    wxFont *fontToUse = theFont;
+    const wxFont *fontToUse = theFont;
     if (!fontToUse)
-        fontToUse = (wxFont*) &m_font;
+        fontToUse = &m_font;
 
-    HDC dc = GetDC(NULL);
+    ScreenHDC dc;
+    SelectInHDC selFont(dc, GetHfontOf(*fontToUse));
 
     SIZE sizeRect;
     TEXTMETRIC tm;
-    ::GetTextExtentPoint32(dc, WXSTRINGCAST string, wxStrlen(WXSTRINGCAST string), &sizeRect);
-    GetTextMetrics(dc, &tm);
-
-    ReleaseDC(NULL, dc);
+    ::GetTextExtentPoint32(dc, string, string.length(), &sizeRect);
+    ::GetTextMetrics(dc, &tm);
 
     if ( x )
         *x = sizeRect.cx;
@@ -235,6 +237,22 @@ void wxMetafileDC::GetTextExtent(const wxString& string, long *x, long *y,
         *externalLeading = tm.tmExternalLeading;
 }
 
+void wxMetafileDC::GetTextExtent(const wxString& string, long *x, long *y,
+                                 long *descent, long *externalLeading, wxFont *theFont, bool WXUNUSED(use16bit)) const
+{
+    wxCoord xc, yc, dc, elc;
+    DoGetTextExtent(string, &xc, &yc, &dc, &elc, theFont);
+
+    if ( x )
+        *x = xc;
+    if ( y )
+        *y = yc;
+    if ( descent )
+        *descent = dc;
+    if ( externalLeading )
+        *externalLeading = elc;
+}
+
 void wxMetafileDC::DoGetSize(int *width, int *height) const
 {
     wxCHECK_RET( m_refData, _T("invalid wxMetafileDC") );
diff --git a/version-script.in b/version-script.in
index 87ba41f5af..4f83eec356 100644
--- a/version-script.in
+++ b/version-script.in
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@
 # and once released its version cannot be changed.
 
 
+# public symbols added in 2.8.5 (please keep in alphabetical order):
+@WX_VERSION_TAG@.5 {
+    global:
+        *wxMetafileDC*DoGetTextExtent*;
+};
+
 # public symbols added in 2.8.4 (please keep in alphabetical order):
 @WX_VERSION_TAG@.4 {
     global: