diff --git a/docs/latex/wx/control.tex b/docs/latex/wx/control.tex
index 4b01800192..584363605b 100644
--- a/docs/latex/wx/control.tex
+++ b/docs/latex/wx/control.tex
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Simulates the effect of the user issuing a command to the item. See \helpref{wxC
 
 \membersection{wxControl::GetLabel}\label{wxcontrolgetlabel}
 
-\constfunc{const wxString\&}{GetLabel}{\void}
+\constfunc{wxString}{GetLabel}{\void}
 
 Returns the control's text.
 
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ undesired.
 
 \constfunc{const wxString\&}{GetLabelText}{\void}
 
-\func{static const wxString\&}{GetLabelText}{\param{const wxString\& }{label}}
+\func{static wxString}{GetLabelText}{\param{const wxString\& }{label}}
 
-Returns the control's label or the given \arg{label} string for the static
-version without the mnemonics characters.
+Returns the control's label, or the given \arg{label} string for the static
+version, without the mnemonics characters.
 
 
 \membersection{wxControl::SetLabel}\label{wxcontrolsetlabel}
diff --git a/docs/latex/wx/stattext.tex b/docs/latex/wx/stattext.tex
index 188ed07ce9..00be03aa2c 100644
--- a/docs/latex/wx/stattext.tex
+++ b/docs/latex/wx/stattext.tex
@@ -106,12 +106,15 @@ label text is needed.
 
 \membersection{wxStaticText::GetLabelText}\label{wxstatictextgetlabeltext}
 
-\constfunc{const wxString\&}{GetLabelText}{\void}
+\constfunc{wxString}{GetLabelText}{\void}
 
-Returns the control's label or the given \arg{label} string for the static
-version without the mnemonics characters (if any) and without the markup
-(if the control has \texttt{wxST\_MARKUP} style).
+\func{static wxString}{GetLabelText}{\param{const wxString\& }{label}}
 
+The first form returns the control's label without the mnemonics characters (if any) 
+and without the markup (if the control has \texttt{wxST\_MARKUP} style).
+
+The second (static) version returns the given \arg{label} string without the mnemonics 
+characters (if any) and without the markup.
 
 
 \membersection{wxStaticText::SetLabel}\label{wxstatictextsetlabel}
diff --git a/include/wx/stattext.h b/include/wx/stattext.h
index 8795777ea8..3a1c6cb047 100644
--- a/include/wx/stattext.h
+++ b/include/wx/stattext.h
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ public:
 
     // public utilities (symmetric to those in wxControl about mnemonics):
 
+    // get the string without mnemonic characters ('&') and without markup
+    static wxString GetLabelText(const wxString& label);
+
     // removes the markup accepted by wxStaticText when wxST_MARKUP is used,
     // and then returns the cleaned string
     static wxString RemoveMarkup(const wxString& str);
diff --git a/src/common/stattextcmn.cpp b/src/common/stattextcmn.cpp
index b40340b5c7..b4b6acee00 100644
--- a/src/common/stattextcmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/stattextcmn.cpp
@@ -154,6 +154,14 @@ wxString wxStaticTextBase::GetLabelText() const
     return RemoveMnemonics(ret);
 }
 
+/*static*/
+wxString wxStaticTextBase::GetLabelText(const wxString& label)
+{
+    // remove markup
+    wxString ret = RemoveMarkup(label);
+    return RemoveMnemonics(ret);
+}
+
 /*static*/
 wxString wxStaticTextBase::RemoveMarkup(const wxString& text)
 {