diff --git a/include/wx/gdiobj.h b/include/wx/gdiobj.h
index a7f946d2d6..d38a44bb7e 100644
--- a/include/wx/gdiobj.h
+++ b/include/wx/gdiobj.h
@@ -23,9 +23,16 @@
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE wxGDIRefData : public wxObjectRefData
 {
 public:
+    // Default ctor which needs to be defined just because we use
+    // wxDECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS() below.
+    wxGDIRefData() { }
+
     // override this in the derived classes to check if this data object is
     // really fully initialized
     virtual bool IsOk() const { return true; }
+
+private:
+    wxDECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxGDIRefData);
 };
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/include/wx/msw/gdiimage.h b/include/wx/msw/gdiimage.h
index 10810cf42b..a2016597c2 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/gdiimage.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/gdiimage.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public:
         m_handle = 0;
     }
 
-    wxGDIImageRefData(const wxGDIImageRefData& data) : wxGDIRefData(data)
+    wxGDIImageRefData(const wxGDIImageRefData& data) : wxGDIRefData()
     {
         m_width = data.m_width;
         m_height = data.m_height;
diff --git a/include/wx/object.h b/include/wx/object.h
index 80fbae4d2b..5c14734fdd 100644
--- a/include/wx/object.h
+++ b/include/wx/object.h
@@ -422,6 +422,12 @@ protected:
 private:
     // our refcount:
     int m_count;
+
+    // It doesn't make sense to copy the reference counted objects, a new ref
+    // counter should be created for a new object instead and compilation
+    // errors in the code using wxRefCounter due to the lack of copy ctor often
+    // indicate a problem, e.g. a forgotten copy ctor implementation somewhere.
+    wxDECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxRefCounter);
 };
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/common/iconbndl.cpp b/src/common/iconbndl.cpp
index e87312bc5e..b59a47864e 100644
--- a/src/common/iconbndl.cpp
+++ b/src/common/iconbndl.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,17 @@ IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxIconBundle, wxGDIObject)
 class WXDLLEXPORT wxIconBundleRefData : public wxGDIRefData
 {
 public:
-    // default and copy ctors and assignment operators are ok
+    wxIconBundleRefData() { }
+
+    // We need the copy ctor for CloneGDIRefData() but notice that we use the
+    // base class default ctor in it and not the copy one which it doesn't have.
+    wxIconBundleRefData(const wxIconBundleRefData& other)
+        : wxGDIRefData(),
+          m_icons(other.m_icons)
+    {
+    }
+
+    // default assignment operator and dtor are ok
 
     virtual bool IsOk() const { return !m_icons.empty(); }