diff --git a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/core.hpp b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/core.hpp
index 101f7b0c40..b33fdea2a8 100644
--- a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/core.hpp
+++ b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/core.hpp
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ template<typename _Tp, int cn> class CV_EXPORTS Vec;
 template<typename _Tp, int m, int n> class CV_EXPORTS Matx;
 
 typedef std::string String;
-typedef std::basic_string<wchar_t> WString;
 
 class Mat;
 class SparseMat;
@@ -110,8 +109,12 @@ template<typename _Tp> class CV_EXPORTS MatIterator_;
 template<typename _Tp> class CV_EXPORTS MatConstIterator_;
 template<typename _Tp> class CV_EXPORTS MatCommaInitializer_;
 
+#if !defined(ANDROID) || (defined(_GLIBCXX_USE_WCHAR_T) && _GLIBCXX_USE_WCHAR_T)
+typedef std::basic_string<wchar_t> WString;
+
 CV_EXPORTS string fromUtf16(const WString& str);
 CV_EXPORTS WString toUtf16(const string& str);
+#endif
 
 CV_EXPORTS string format( const char* fmt, ... );
 CV_EXPORTS string tempfile( const char* suffix CV_DEFAULT(0));
diff --git a/modules/core/src/persistence.cpp b/modules/core/src/persistence.cpp
index 3f605f3a51..530dcdaec6 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/persistence.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/persistence.cpp
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ cv::string cv::FileStorage::getDefaultObjectName(const string& _filename)
 
 namespace cv
 {
-#if !defined(ANDROID) || defined(_GLIBCXX_USE_WCHAR_T)
+#if !defined(ANDROID) || (defined(_GLIBCXX_USE_WCHAR_T) && _GLIBCXX_USE_WCHAR_T)
 string fromUtf16(const WString& str)
 {
     cv::AutoBuffer<char> _buf(str.size()*4 + 1);