diff --git a/common/dialog_shim.cpp b/common/dialog_shim.cpp
index 548a91cdb4..f8236c1ac6 100644
--- a/common/dialog_shim.cpp
+++ b/common/dialog_shim.cpp
@@ -246,14 +246,20 @@ int DIALOG_SHIM::ShowQuasiModal()
 
     wxWindow* parent = GetParentForModalDialog( GetParent(), GetWindowStyle() );
 
-    ENABLE_DISABLE  toggle( parent );
+    ENABLE_DISABLE  toggle( parent );       // quasi-modal: disable only my "optimal" parent
 
     Show( true );
 
     m_qmodal_showing = true;
 
     WX_EVENT_LOOP           event_loop;
+
+#if wxCHECK_VERSION( 2, 9, 4 )  // 2.9.4 is only approximate.
+    // new code needs this, old code does it in wxEventLoop::Run() and cannot
+    // tolerate it here. Where that boundary is as a version number, I don't know.
+    // A closer look at the subversion repo for wx would tell.
     wxEventLoopActivator    event_loop_stacker( &event_loop );
+#endif
 
     m_qmodal_loop = &event_loop;
 
@@ -269,7 +275,7 @@ void DIALOG_SHIM::EndQuasiModal( int retCode )
 
     if( !IsQuasiModal() )
     {
-        wxFAIL_MSG( "either DIALOG_SHIM::EndQuasiModal called twice or ShowQuasiModal wasn't called" );
+        wxFAIL_MSG( wxT( "either DIALOG_SHIM::EndQuasiModal called twice or ShowQuasiModal wasn't called" ) );
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/common/kiway_player.cpp b/common/kiway_player.cpp
index bd993efa0b..ab0ae3e571 100644
--- a/common/kiway_player.cpp
+++ b/common/kiway_player.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void KIWAY_PLAYER::KiwayMailIn( KIWAY_EXPRESS& aEvent )
 
 bool KIWAY_PLAYER::ShowModal( wxString* aResult )
 {
-    wxASSERT_MSG( IsModal(), "ShowModal() shouldn't be called on non-modal frame" );
+    wxASSERT_MSG( IsModal(), wxT( "ShowModal() shouldn't be called on non-modal frame" ) );
 
     /*
         This function has a nice interface but a necessarily unsightly implementation.
@@ -95,13 +95,19 @@ bool KIWAY_PLAYER::ShowModal( wxString* aResult )
     } clear_this( (void*&) m_modal_loop );
 
     // exception safe way to disable all frames except the modal one,
-    // re-enable on exit
+    // re-enables only those that were disabled on exit
     wxWindowDisabler    toggle( this );
 
     Show( true );
 
     WX_EVENT_LOOP           event_loop;
+
+#if wxCHECK_VERSION( 2, 9, 4 )  // 2.9.4 is only approximate.
+    // new code needs this, old code does it in wxEventLoop::Run() and cannot
+    // tolerate it here. Where that boundary is as a version number, I don't know.
+    // A closer look at the subversion repo for wx would tell.
     wxEventLoopActivator    event_loop_stacker( &event_loop );
+#endif
 
     m_modal_loop = &event_loop;
 
diff --git a/pcbnew/clean.cpp b/pcbnew/clean.cpp
index 127f0cbae5..12ca312064 100644
--- a/pcbnew/clean.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/clean.cpp
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ bool TRACKS_CLEANER::clean_vias()
         // Correct via m_End defects (if any), should never happen
         if( via->GetStart() != via->GetEnd() )
         {
-            wxFAIL_MSG( "Via with mismatching ends" );
+            wxFAIL_MSG( wxT( "Via with mismatching ends" ) );
             via->SetEnd( via->GetStart() );
         }