diff --git a/include/boost/system/detail/error_category_impl.hpp b/include/boost/system/detail/error_category_impl.hpp
index 7052d18..b3ab74c 100644
--- a/include/boost/system/detail/error_category_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/system/detail/error_category_impl.hpp
@@ -102,18 +102,17 @@ inline char const * error_category::message( int ev, char * buffer, std::size_t
 
 inline boost::system::error_category::operator std::error_category const & () const
 {
+    if( id_ == boost::system::detail::generic_category_id )
+    {
+        return std::generic_category();
+    }
+
     if( id_ == boost::system::detail::system_category_id )
     {
         static const boost::system::detail::std_category system_instance( this, 0x1F4D7 );
         return system_instance;
     }
 
-    if( id_ == boost::system::detail::generic_category_id )
-    {
-        static const boost::system::detail::std_category generic_instance( this, 0x1F4D3 );
-        return generic_instance;
-    }
-
     boost::system::detail::std_category* p = ps_.load( std::memory_order_acquire );
 
     if( p != 0 )
diff --git a/test/std_interop_test.cpp b/test/std_interop_test.cpp
index 94845d1..5e5fa9d 100644
--- a/test/std_interop_test.cpp
+++ b/test/std_interop_test.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ static void test_generic_category()
 
     int ev = ENOENT;
 
-    BOOST_TEST_EQ( bt.message( ev ), st.message( ev ) );
+    // Under MSVC, it's "no such file or directory" instead of "No such file or directory"
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ( bt.message( ev ).substr( 1 ), st.message( ev ).substr( 1 ) );
 
     {
         boost::system::error_code bc( ev, bt );