diff --git a/include/wx/filename.h b/include/wx/filename.h
index 93b12c5107..347b0ab621 100644
--- a/include/wx/filename.h
+++ b/include/wx/filename.h
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ class WXDLLIMPEXP_FWD_BASE wxFile;
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_FWD_BASE wxFFile;
 #endif
 
+// this symbol is defined for the platforms where file systems use volumes in
+// paths
+#if defined(__WXMSW__) || defined(__DOS__) || defined(__OS2__)
+    #define wxHAS_FILESYSTEM_VOLUMES
+#endif
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // constants
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -75,6 +81,7 @@ enum wxPathNormalize
 // what exactly should GetPath() return?
 enum
 {
+    wxPATH_NO_SEPARATOR  = 0x0000,  // for symmetry with wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR
     wxPATH_GET_VOLUME    = 0x0001,  // include the volume if applicable
     wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR = 0x0002   // terminate the path with the separator
 };
@@ -484,7 +491,12 @@ public:
                             wxString *path,
                             wxPathFormat format = wxPATH_NATIVE);
 
-    // Filesize
+#ifdef wxHAS_FILESYSTEM_VOLUMES
+        // return the string representing a file system volume, or drive
+    static wxString GetVolumeString(char drive, int flags = wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR);
+#endif // wxHAS_FILESYSTEM_VOLUMES
+
+    // File size
 
 #if wxUSE_LONGLONG
         // returns the size of the given filename
diff --git a/interface/wx/filename.h b/interface/wx/filename.h
index 3308fb84ad..39e27ceba2 100644
--- a/interface/wx/filename.h
+++ b/interface/wx/filename.h
@@ -427,18 +427,25 @@ public:
     wxString GetName() const;
 
     /**
-        Returns the path part of the filename (without the name or extension). The
-        possible flags values are:
+        Returns the path part of the filename (without the name or extension).
+
+        The possible flags values are:
 
         @b wxPATH_GET_VOLUME
 
-        Return the path with the volume (does nothing for the filename formats without
-        volumes), otherwise the path without volume part is returned.
+        Return the path with the volume (does nothing for the filename formats
+        without volumes), otherwise the path without volume part is returned.
 
         @b wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR
 
-        Return the path with the trailing separator, if this flag is not given there
-        will be no separator at the end of the path.
+        Return the path with the trailing separator, if this flag is not given
+        there will be no separator at the end of the path.
+
+        @b wxPATH_NO_SEPARATOR
+
+        Don't include the trailing separator in the returned string. This is
+        the default (the value of this flag is 0) and exists only for symmetry
+        with wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR.
     */
     wxString GetPath(int flags = wxPATH_GET_VOLUME,
                      wxPathFormat format = wxPATH_NATIVE) const;
@@ -534,6 +541,25 @@ public:
     */
     static wxString GetVolumeSeparator(wxPathFormat format = wxPATH_NATIVE);
 
+     /**
+        This function builds a volume path string, for example "C:\\".
+
+        Implemented for the platforms which use drive letters, i.e. DOS, MSW
+        and OS/2 only.
+
+        @since 2.9.0
+
+        @param drive
+           The drive letter, 'A' through 'Z' or 'a' through 'z'.
+
+        @param flags
+           @c wxPATH_NO_SEPARATOR or @c wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR to omit or include
+           the trailing path separator, the default is to include it.
+
+        @return Volume path string.
+    */
+    static wxString GetVolumeString(char drive, int flags = wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR);
+
     /**
         Returns @true if an extension is present.
     */
diff --git a/src/common/filename.cpp b/src/common/filename.cpp
index 1e3444bc87..9285be0e5d 100644
--- a/src/common/filename.cpp
+++ b/src/common/filename.cpp
@@ -1953,6 +1953,23 @@ wxPathFormat wxFileName::GetFormat( wxPathFormat format )
     return format;
 }
 
+#ifdef wxHAS_FILESYSTEM_VOLUMES
+
+/* static */
+wxString wxFileName::GetVolumeString(char drive, int flags)
+{
+    wxASSERT_MSG( !(flags & ~wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR), "invalid flag specified" );
+
+    wxString vol(drive);
+    vol += wxFILE_SEP_DSK;
+    if ( flags & wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR )
+        vol += wxFILE_SEP_PATH;
+
+    return vol;
+}
+
+#endif // wxHAS_FILESYSTEM_VOLUMES
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // path splitting function
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/generic/dirctrlg.cpp b/src/generic/dirctrlg.cpp
index f75a597988..8ad7f390a0 100644
--- a/src/generic/dirctrlg.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/dirctrlg.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
     #include "wx/module.h"
 #endif
 
+#include "wx/filename.h"
 #include "wx/filefn.h"
 #include "wx/imaglist.h"
 #include "wx/tokenzr.h"
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ bool wxIsDriveAvailable(const wxString& dirName);
 
 size_t wxGetAvailableDrives(wxArrayString &paths, wxArrayString &names, wxArrayInt &icon_ids)
 {
-#if defined(__WINDOWS__) || defined(__DOS__) || defined(__OS2__)
+#ifdef wxHAS_FILESYSTEM_VOLUMES
 
 #ifdef __WXWINCE__
     // No logical drives; return "\"
@@ -164,9 +165,10 @@ size_t wxGetAvailableDrives(wxArrayString &paths, wxArrayString &names, wxArrayI
         {
             if (ulDriveMap & ( 1 << i ))
             {
-                wxString path, name;
-                path.Printf(wxT("%c:\\"), 'A' + i);
-                name.Printf(wxT("%c:"), 'A' + i);
+                const wxString path = wxFileName::GetVolumeString(
+                                        'A' + i, wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR);
+                const wxString name = wxFileName::GetVolumeString(
+                                        'A' + i, wxPATH_NO_SEPARATOR);
 
                 // Note: If _filesys is unsupported by some compilers,
                 //       we can always replace it by DosQueryFSAttach
@@ -201,20 +203,18 @@ size_t wxGetAvailableDrives(wxArrayString &paths, wxArrayString &names, wxArrayI
         }
     }
 #else // !__WIN32__, !__OS2__
-    int drive;
-
     /* If we can switch to the drive, it exists. */
-    for( drive = 1; drive <= 26; drive++ )
+    for ( char drive = 'A'; drive <= 'Z'; drive++ )
     {
-        wxString path, name;
-        path.Printf(wxT("%c:\\"), (char) (drive + 'a' - 1));
-        name.Printf(wxT("%c:"), (char) (drive + 'A' - 1));
+        const wxString
+            path = wxFileName::GetVolumeString(drive, wxPATH_GET_SEPARATOR);
 
         if (wxIsDriveAvailable(path))
         {
             paths.Add(path);
-            names.Add(name);
-            icon_ids.Add((drive <= 2) ? wxFileIconsTable::floppy : wxFileIconsTable::drive);
+            names.Add(wxFileName::GetVolumeString(drive, wxPATH_NO_SEPARATOR));
+            icon_ids.Add(drive <= 2 ? wxFileIconsTable::floppy
+                                    : wxFileIconsTable::drive);
         }
     }
 #endif // __WIN32__/!__WIN32__