diff --git a/modules/juce_audio_formats/codecs/juce_WindowsMediaAudioFormat.cpp b/modules/juce_audio_formats/codecs/juce_WindowsMediaAudioFormat.cpp
index ab96a09904..6321df24f6 100644
--- a/modules/juce_audio_formats/codecs/juce_WindowsMediaAudioFormat.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_audio_formats/codecs/juce_WindowsMediaAudioFormat.cpp
@@ -29,10 +29,9 @@ namespace WindowsMediaCodec
 class JuceIStream   : public ComBaseClassHelper <IStream>
 {
 public:
-    JuceIStream (InputStream& source_) noexcept
-        : source (source_)
+    JuceIStream (InputStream& in) noexcept
+        : ComBaseClassHelper <IStream> (0), source (in)
     {
-        resetReferenceCount();
     }
 
     JUCE_COMRESULT Commit (DWORD)                        { return S_OK; }
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/native/juce_win32_ComSmartPtr.h b/modules/juce_core/native/juce_win32_ComSmartPtr.h
index ab775b011d..2cf3b725af 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/native/juce_win32_ComSmartPtr.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/native/juce_win32_ComSmartPtr.h
@@ -97,14 +97,12 @@ template <class ComClass>
 class ComBaseClassHelperBase   : public ComClass
 {
 public:
-    ComBaseClassHelperBase()  : refCount (1) {}
+    ComBaseClassHelperBase (unsigned int initialRefCount)  : refCount (initialRefCount) {}
     virtual ~ComBaseClassHelperBase() {}
 
     ULONG __stdcall AddRef()    { return ++refCount; }
     ULONG __stdcall Release()   { const ULONG r = --refCount; if (r == 0) delete this; return r; }
 
-    void resetReferenceCount() noexcept     { refCount = 0; }
-
 protected:
     ULONG refCount;
 };
@@ -115,7 +113,7 @@ template <class ComClass>
 class ComBaseClassHelper   : public ComBaseClassHelperBase <ComClass>
 {
 public:
-    ComBaseClassHelper() {}
+    ComBaseClassHelper (unsigned int initialRefCount = 1) : ComBaseClassHelperBase <ComClass> (initialRefCount) {}
     ~ComBaseClassHelper() {}
 
     JUCE_COMRESULT QueryInterface (REFIID refId, void** result)
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/colour/juce_Colour.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/colour/juce_Colour.cpp
index 9c4b45e2ad..8da7189e9c 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/colour/juce_Colour.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/colour/juce_Colour.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ namespace ColourHelpers
             if (h < 3.0f)   return PixelARGB (alpha, x, intV, (uint8) roundToInt (v * (1.0f - (s * (1.0f - f)))));
             if (h < 4.0f)   return PixelARGB (alpha, x,       (uint8) roundToInt (v * (1.0f - s * f)), intV);
             if (h < 5.0f)   return PixelARGB (alpha,          (uint8) roundToInt (v * (1.0f - (s * (1.0f - f)))), x, intV);
-            else            return PixelARGB (alpha, intV, x, (uint8) roundToInt (v * (1.0f - s * f)));
+                            return PixelARGB (alpha, intV, x, (uint8) roundToInt (v * (1.0f - s * f)));
         }
 
         float hue, saturation, brightness;
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_win32_DirectWriteTypeLayout.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_win32_DirectWriteTypeLayout.cpp
index bcdee3f3d8..f7e9eb8a82 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_win32_DirectWriteTypeLayout.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_win32_DirectWriteTypeLayout.cpp
@@ -27,15 +27,15 @@
 #if JUCE_USE_DIRECTWRITE
 namespace DirectWriteTypeLayout
 {
-    class CustomDirectWriteTextRenderer   : public ComBaseClassHelper <IDWriteTextRenderer>
+    class CustomDirectWriteTextRenderer   : public ComBaseClassHelper<IDWriteTextRenderer>
     {
     public:
-        CustomDirectWriteTextRenderer (IDWriteFontCollection* const fontCollection_)
-            : fontCollection (fontCollection_),
+        CustomDirectWriteTextRenderer (IDWriteFontCollection* const fonts)
+            : ComBaseClassHelper<IDWriteTextRenderer> (0),
+              fontCollection (fonts),
               currentLine (-1),
               lastOriginY (-10000.0f)
         {
-            resetReferenceCount();
         }
 
         JUCE_COMRESULT QueryInterface (REFIID refId, void** result)
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_win32_ActiveXComponent.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_win32_ActiveXComponent.cpp
index cfea903f94..cbc0253cf8 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_win32_ActiveXComponent.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_win32_ActiveXComponent.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ namespace ActiveXHelpers
     class JuceOleInPlaceFrame   : public ComBaseClassHelper <IOleInPlaceFrame>
     {
     public:
-        JuceOleInPlaceFrame (HWND window_)   : window (window_) {}
+        JuceOleInPlaceFrame (HWND hwnd)   : window (hwnd) {}
 
         JUCE_COMRESULT GetWindow (HWND* lphwnd)                      { *lphwnd = window; return S_OK; }
         JUCE_COMRESULT ContextSensitiveHelp (BOOL)                   { return E_NOTIMPL; }
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ namespace ActiveXHelpers
     class JuceIOleInPlaceSite   : public ComBaseClassHelper <IOleInPlaceSite>
     {
     public:
-        JuceIOleInPlaceSite (HWND window_)
-            : window (window_),
+        JuceIOleInPlaceSite (HWND hwnd)
+            : window (hwnd),
               frame (new JuceOleInPlaceFrame (window))
         {}
 
@@ -161,11 +161,9 @@ namespace ActiveXHelpers
     HWND getHWND (const ActiveXControlComponent* const component)
     {
         HWND hwnd = 0;
-
         const IID iid = IID_IOleWindow;
-        IOleWindow* const window = (IOleWindow*) component->queryInterface (&iid);
 
-        if (window != nullptr)
+        if (IOleWindow* const window = (IOleWindow*) component->queryInterface (&iid))
         {
             window->GetWindow (&hwnd);
             window->Release();
@@ -338,12 +336,8 @@ void ActiveXControlComponent::paint (Graphics& g)
 bool ActiveXControlComponent::createControl (const void* controlIID)
 {
     deleteControl();
-    ComponentPeer* const peer = getPeer();
 
-    // the component must have already been added to a real window when you call this!
-    jassert (peer != nullptr);
-
-    if (peer != nullptr)
+    if (ComponentPeer* const peer = getPeer())
     {
         const Rectangle<int> bounds (getTopLevelComponent()->getLocalArea (this, getLocalBounds()));
         HWND hwnd = (HWND) peer->getNativeHandle();
@@ -383,6 +377,11 @@ bool ActiveXControlComponent::createControl (const void* controlIID)
             }
         }
     }
+    else
+    {
+        // the component must have already been added to a real window when you call this!
+        jassertfalse;
+    }
 
     return false;
 }
diff --git a/modules/juce_video/native/juce_win32_CameraDevice.cpp b/modules/juce_video/native/juce_win32_CameraDevice.cpp
index da59b4adf9..be6ec5c460 100644
--- a/modules/juce_video/native/juce_win32_CameraDevice.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_video/native/juce_win32_CameraDevice.cpp
@@ -677,7 +677,8 @@ private:
     class GrabberCallback   : public ComBaseClassHelperBase <ISampleGrabberCB>
     {
     public:
-        GrabberCallback (DShowCameraDeviceInteral& cam)  : owner (cam) {}
+        GrabberCallback (DShowCameraDeviceInteral& cam)
+            : ComBaseClassHelperBase <ISampleGrabberCB> (0), owner (cam) {}
 
         STDMETHODIMP SampleCB (double, IMediaSample*)  { return E_FAIL; }