diff --git a/include/wx/buffer.h b/include/wx/buffer.h
index a0c2786ef4..7daf8a8e71 100644
--- a/include/wx/buffer.h
+++ b/include/wx/buffer.h
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public:
 
 // wxCharTypeBuffer<T> implicitly convertible to T*
 template <typename T>
-class wxWritableCharTypeBuffer : wxCharTypeBuffer<T>
+class wxWritableCharTypeBuffer : public wxCharTypeBuffer<T>
 {
 public:
     typedef typename wxCharTypeBuffer<T>::CharType CharType;