diff --git a/docs/msw/install.txt b/docs/msw/install.txt
index c1b271ce32..68c6a49ad5 100644
--- a/docs/msw/install.txt
+++ b/docs/msw/install.txt
@@ -344,6 +344,13 @@ Note (4): if Watcom can't read the precompiled header when building a sample,
           try deleting .pch files in build\msw\wat_* and compiling
           the sample again.
 
+Note (5): wxUSE_STD_STRING is disabled in wx/string.h for Watcom as this
+          compiler doesn't come with standard C++ library headers by default.
+          If you install STLPort or another STL implementation, you'll need to
+          edit wx/string.h and remove the check for Digital Mars in it (search
+          for __WATCOM__).
+
+
 Metrowerks CodeWarrior compilation
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -597,6 +604,12 @@ using bakefile tool according to the instructions in build\bakefiles\README:
     bakefile_gen -f dmars -b ../../samples/minimal/minimal.bkl
 
 
+Note that wxUSE_STD_STRING is disabled in wx/string.h for Digital Mars as this
+compiler doesn't come with standard C++ library headers by default. If you
+install STLPort or another STL implementation, you'll need to edit wx/string.h
+and remove the check for Digital Mars in it (search for __DMC__).
+
+
 16-bit compilation is no longer supported.
 
 Configuring the build
diff --git a/include/wx/string.h b/include/wx/string.h
index fb73ad8757..0db91472e0 100644
--- a/include/wx/string.h
+++ b/include/wx/string.h
@@ -169,6 +169,17 @@ inline int Stricmp(const char *psz1, const char *psz2)
 // deal with STL/non-STL/non-STL-but-wxUSE_STD_STRING
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+#if wxUSE_STL || wxUSE_STD_STRING
+    // these compilers come without standard C++ library headers by default,
+    // remove the tests here if you do have them (e.g. from STLPort)
+    #if defined(__DMC__) || defined(__WATCOMC__)
+        #undef wxUSE_STL
+        #undef wxUSE_STD_STRING
+        #define wxUSE_STL 0
+        #define wxUSE_STD_STRING 0
+    #endif
+#endif // wxUSE_STL || wxUSE_STD_STRING
+
 // in both cases we need to define wxStdString
 #if wxUSE_STL || wxUSE_STD_STRING