diff --git a/wxPython/src/my_typemaps.i b/wxPython/src/my_typemaps.i
index c538e130ae..ff4994d928 100644
--- a/wxPython/src/my_typemaps.i
+++ b/wxPython/src/my_typemaps.i
@@ -49,6 +49,17 @@
         delete $1;
 }
 
+%typemap(out) wxString& {
+%#if wxUSE_UNICODE
+    $result = PyUnicode_FromWideChar($1->c_str(), $1->Len());
+%#else
+    $result = PyString_FromStringAndSize($1->c_str(), $1->Len());
+%#endif
+}
+
+
+%apply wxString& { wxString* }
+
 
 
 %typemap(out) wxString {
@@ -59,25 +70,6 @@
 %#endif
 }
 
-
-%typemap(out) wxString* {
-%#if wxUSE_UNICODE
-    $result = PyUnicode_FromWideChar($1->c_str(), $1->Len());
-%#else
-    $result = PyString_FromStringAndSize($1->c_str(), $1->Len());
-%#endif
-}
-
-
-%typemap(out) wxString& {
-%#if wxUSE_UNICODE
-    $result = PyUnicode_FromWideChar($1->c_str(), $1->Len());
-%#else
-    $result = PyString_FromStringAndSize($1->c_str(), $1->Len());
-%#endif
-}
-
-
 %typemap(varout) wxString {
 %#if wxUSE_UNICODE
     $result = PyUnicode_FromWideChar($1.c_str(), $1.Len());