diff --git a/include/wx/string.h b/include/wx/string.h
index 1ceea75a1c..9cdfb05f21 100644
--- a/include/wx/string.h
+++ b/include/wx/string.h
@@ -377,16 +377,15 @@ public:
     // operator version of GetChar
     wxChar  operator[](int n) const
       { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n ); return m_pchData[n]; }
-    // This is a rather ugly hack, but needed to resolve overloading
-    // conflicts on the AXP architecture:
-#ifdef __alpha__
-    // operator version of GetChar
-    wxChar  operator[](unsigned int n) const
-      { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n ); return m_pchData[n]; }
-#endif
-    // operator version of GetWritableChar
+
+    // operator version of GetWriteableChar
     wxChar& operator[](size_t n)
       { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n ); CopyBeforeWrite(); return m_pchData[n]; }
+#ifdef __alpha__
+    // operator version of GetWriteableChar
+    wxChar&  operator[](unsigned int n)
+      { ASSERT_VALID_INDEX( n ); CopyBeforeWrite(); return m_pchData[n]; }
+#endif
 
     // implicit conversion to C string
     operator const wxChar*() const { return m_pchData; }