diff --git a/Foundation/include/Poco/Dynamic/Var.h b/Foundation/include/Poco/Dynamic/Var.h
index 83d1e1971..77b52939c 100644
--- a/Foundation/include/Poco/Dynamic/Var.h
+++ b/Foundation/include/Poco/Dynamic/Var.h
@@ -190,11 +190,6 @@ public:
 		}
 	}
 
-	operator const std::string & ();
-		/// Specialization of the cast operator for const std::string reference.
-		/// The main reason for this specialization is to help compilers
-		/// with construction/assignment of Var to std::string.
-
 	template <typename T>
 	const T& extract() const
 		/// Returns a const reference to the actual value.
diff --git a/Foundation/src/Var.cpp b/Foundation/src/Var.cpp
index 78debccec..e9457946d 100644
--- a/Foundation/src/Var.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/src/Var.cpp
@@ -69,15 +69,6 @@ Var::~Var()
 }
 
 
-Var::operator const std::string & ()
-{
-	if (typeid(std::string) != _pHolder->type())
-		*this = this->convert<std::string>();
-
-	return extract<std::string>();
-}
-
-
 Var& Var::operator = (const Var& other)
 {
 	Var tmp(other);
diff --git a/Foundation/testsuite/src/VarTest.cpp b/Foundation/testsuite/src/VarTest.cpp
index 5b89bc312..398db810f 100644
--- a/Foundation/testsuite/src/VarTest.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/testsuite/src/VarTest.cpp
@@ -1406,18 +1406,14 @@ void VarTest::testConversionOperator()
 	assert (any == i);
 
 	any = 123;
-#ifdef _MSC_VER
-	std::string s1(any);
-#else // gcc won't compile above (ambiguous cctor call)
-	std::string s1 = any;
-#endif
+	std::string s1 = any.convert<std::string>();
 	assert (s1 == "123");
 	assert (s1 == any);
 	assert (any == s1);
 	assert ("123" == any);
 
 	any = 321;
-	s1 =any.convert<std::string>();
+	s1 = any.convert<std::string>();
 	assert (s1 == "321");
 
 	any = "456";
@@ -1425,7 +1421,7 @@ void VarTest::testConversionOperator()
 	assert ("456" == any);
 
 	any = 789;
-	std::string s2 = any;
+	std::string s2 = any.convert<std::string>();
 	assert (s2 == "789");
 	assert (s2 == any);
 	assert (any == s2);