diff --git a/include/wx/pickerbase.h b/include/wx/pickerbase.h
index f4ec165784..963132bcb7 100644
--- a/include/wx/pickerbase.h
+++ b/include/wx/pickerbase.h
@@ -76,27 +76,29 @@ public:     // public API
         { return (GetTextCtrlItem()->GetFlag() & wxGROW) != 0; }
     void SetTextCtrlGrowable(bool grow = true)
     {
-        int f = GetDefaultTextCtrlFlag();
+        wxSizerItem* const item = GetTextCtrlItem();
+        int f = item->GetFlag();
         if ( grow )
             f |= wxGROW;
         else
             f &= ~wxGROW;
 
-        GetTextCtrlItem()->SetFlag(f);
+        item->SetFlag(f);
     }
 
     bool IsPickerCtrlGrowable() const
         { return (GetPickerCtrlItem()->GetFlag() & wxGROW) != 0; }
     void SetPickerCtrlGrowable(bool grow = true)
     {
-        int f = GetDefaultPickerCtrlFlag();
+        wxSizerItem* const item = GetPickerCtrlItem();
+        int f = item->GetFlag();
         if ( grow )
         {
             f &= ~wxALIGN_MASK;
             f |= wxGROW;
         }
 
-        GetPickerCtrlItem()->SetFlag(f);
+        item->SetFlag(f);
     }
 
     bool HasTextCtrl() const
@@ -150,15 +152,19 @@ protected:
         return m_sizer->GetItem((size_t)0);
     }
 
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_3_0
+    wxDEPRECATED_MSG("useless and will be removed in the future")
     int GetDefaultPickerCtrlFlag() const
     {
         return wxALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL;
     }
 
+    wxDEPRECATED_MSG("useless and will be removed in the future")
     int GetDefaultTextCtrlFlag() const
     {
         return wxALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL | wxRIGHT;
     }
+#endif // WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_3_0
 
     void PostCreation();
 
diff --git a/src/common/pickerbase.cpp b/src/common/pickerbase.cpp
index ffe484e9e4..faf2b991fa 100644
--- a/src/common/pickerbase.cpp
+++ b/src/common/pickerbase.cpp
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ bool wxPickerBase::CreateBase(wxWindow *parent,
                 wxWindowDestroyEventHandler(wxPickerBase::OnTextCtrlDelete),
                 NULL, this);
 
-        // the text control's proportion values defaults to 2
-        m_sizer->Add(m_text, 2, GetDefaultTextCtrlFlag(), 5);
+        m_sizer->Add(m_text,
+                     wxSizerFlags(1).CentreVertical().Border(wxRIGHT));
     }
 
     return true;
@@ -111,9 +111,9 @@ bool wxPickerBase::CreateBase(wxWindow *parent,
 
 void wxPickerBase::PostCreation()
 {
-    // the picker's proportion value defaults to 1 when there's no text control
-    // associated with it - in that case it defaults to 0
-    m_sizer->Add(m_picker, HasTextCtrl() ? 0 : 1, GetDefaultPickerCtrlFlag(), 5);
+    // the picker grows in the major direction only if there is no text control
+    m_sizer->Add(m_picker,
+                 wxSizerFlags(HasTextCtrl() ? 0 : 1).CentreVertical());
 
     // For aesthetic reasons, make sure the picker is at least as high as the
     // associated text control and is always at least square, unless we are