diff --git a/src/common/string.cpp b/src/common/string.cpp
index 3fdcf1e0de..680cc70c2b 100644
--- a/src/common/string.cpp
+++ b/src/common/string.cpp
@@ -1632,7 +1632,7 @@ void wxString::resize(size_t nSize, wxChar ch)
     }
     else if ( nSize > len )
     {
-        *this += wxString(ch, len - nSize);
+        *this += wxString(ch, nSize - len);
     }
     //else: we have exactly the specified length, nothing to do
 }