diff --git a/include/wx/event.h b/include/wx/event.h
index 482758b7a2..293211aae3 100644
--- a/include/wx/event.h
+++ b/include/wx/event.h
@@ -2335,39 +2335,15 @@ private:
  wxEVT_NC_PAINT
  */
 
-#if wxDEBUG_LEVEL && defined(__WXMSW__)
-    #define wxHAS_PAINT_DEBUG
-
-    // see comments in src/msw/dcclient.cpp where g_isPainting is defined
-    extern WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE int g_isPainting;
-#endif // debug
-
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE wxPaintEvent : public wxEvent
 {
 public:
     wxPaintEvent(int Id = 0)
         : wxEvent(Id, wxEVT_PAINT)
     {
-#ifdef wxHAS_PAINT_DEBUG
-        // set the internal flag for the duration of redrawing
-        g_isPainting++;
-#endif // debug
     }
 
-    // default copy ctor and dtor are normally fine, we only need them to keep
-    // g_isPainting updated in debug build
-#ifdef wxHAS_PAINT_DEBUG
-    wxPaintEvent(const wxPaintEvent& event)
-            : wxEvent(event)
-    {
-        g_isPainting++;
-    }
-
-    virtual ~wxPaintEvent()
-    {
-        g_isPainting--;
-    }
-#endif // debug
+    // default copy ctor and dtor are fine
 
     virtual wxEvent *Clone() const wxOVERRIDE { return new wxPaintEvent(*this); }
 
diff --git a/src/msw/dcclient.cpp b/src/msw/dcclient.cpp
index ed6fcf3e9e..2b628ef97d 100644
--- a/src/msw/dcclient.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/dcclient.cpp
@@ -138,18 +138,6 @@ PaintDCInfos gs_PaintDCInfos;
 
 } // anonymous namespace
 
-// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// global variables
-// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-#ifdef wxHAS_PAINT_DEBUG
-    // a global variable which we check to verify that wxPaintDC are only
-    // created in response to WM_PAINT message - doing this from elsewhere is a
-    // common programming error among wxWidgets programmers and might lead to
-    // very subtle and difficult to debug refresh/repaint bugs.
-    int g_isPainting = 0;
-#endif // wxHAS_PAINT_DEBUG
-
 // ===========================================================================
 // implementation
 // ===========================================================================
@@ -269,15 +257,6 @@ wxPaintDCImpl::wxPaintDCImpl( wxDC *owner, wxWindow *window ) :
 {
     wxCHECK_RET( window, wxT("NULL canvas in wxPaintDCImpl ctor") );
 
-#ifdef wxHAS_PAINT_DEBUG
-    if ( g_isPainting <= 0 )
-    {
-        wxFAIL_MSG( wxT("wxPaintDCImpl may be created only in EVT_PAINT handler!") );
-
-        return;
-    }
-#endif // wxHAS_PAINT_DEBUG
-
     // see comments in src/msw/window.cpp where this is defined
     extern wxStack<bool> wxDidCreatePaintDC;