diff --git a/include/wx/window.h b/include/wx/window.h
index 83660b0cf8..2e1eee3839 100644
--- a/include/wx/window.h
+++ b/include/wx/window.h
@@ -1671,14 +1671,9 @@ protected:
     // of the left and the right border in the x component of the returned size
     // and the sum of the heights of the top and bottom borders in the y one
     //
-    // NB: this is new/temporary API only implemented by wxMSW and wxUniv so
-    //     far and subject to change, don't use
-    virtual wxSize DoGetBorderSize() const
-    {
-        wxFAIL_MSG( "must be overridden if called" );
-
-        return wxDefaultSize;
-    }
+    // NB: this is currently only implemented by wxMSW and wxUniv so far and
+    //     simply asserts in the other ports
+    virtual wxSize DoGetBorderSize() const;
 
     // move the window to the specified location and resize it: this is called
     // from both DoSetSize() and DoSetClientSize() and would usually just
diff --git a/src/common/wincmn.cpp b/src/common/wincmn.cpp
index 5fbba53392..8cbef77168 100644
--- a/src/common/wincmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/wincmn.cpp
@@ -722,6 +722,21 @@ wxSize wxWindowBase::GetEffectiveMinSize() const
     return min;
 }
 
+wxSize wxWindowBase::DoGetBorderSize() const
+{
+    // there is one case in which we can implement it for all ports easily:
+    // do it as some classes used by both wxUniv and native ports (e.g.
+    // wxGenericStaticText) do override DoGetBestClientSize() and so this
+    // method must work for them and that ensures that it does, at least in
+    // the default case)
+    if ( GetBorder() == wxBORDER_NONE )
+        return wxSize(0, 0);
+
+    wxFAIL_MSG( "must be overridden if called" );
+
+    return wxDefaultSize;
+}
+
 wxSize wxWindowBase::GetBestSize() const
 {
     if ( !m_windowSizer && m_bestSizeCache.IsFullySpecified() )