diff --git a/docs/changes.txt b/docs/changes.txt
index 6b65d24741..6eaaa7086d 100644
--- a/docs/changes.txt
+++ b/docs/changes.txt
@@ -92,25 +92,29 @@ Major new features in 2.8 release
 -----
 
 All (GUI):
-- wxGraphicsContext implementations now all have the pixel's center at 0.5,0.5, 
-  avoiding differences in anti-aliasing between platforms
+
+- wxGraphicsContext implementations now all have the pixel's center at (0.5,0.5), 
+  avoiding differences in anti-aliasing between platforms.
 
 wxMSW:
 
 - Correct (harmless) warnings given for forward-declared DLL-exported classes
-  by mingw32 4.2 (Tim Stahlhut)
+  by mingw32 4.2 (Tim Stahlhut).
 
 wxGTK:
 
 - Added gtk.window.force-background-colour wxSystemOptions option to work around
   a background colour bug in the gtk-qt theme under KDE.
+- wxSystemSettings::GetColour(wxSYS_COLOUR_WINDOW) now returns the background
+  colour of text controls.
 
 wxMac:
-- multiline textcontrols now support attributes for margins and alignement, only
-  a single tab distance can be set though
-- deactivated refcounting checks when running under leopard for the toolbar implementation
-  as the implementation there seems to be different
-- fixed 'Reopen' application behaviour (not always was a window shown when reopening the app)
+
+- Multiline textcontrols now support attributes for margins and alignement; only
+  a single tab distance can be set though.
+- Deactivated refcounting checks when running under leopard for the toolbar implementation
+  as the implementation there seems to be different.
+- Fixed 'Reopen' application behaviour (a window was not always shown when reopening the app).
 
 
 2.8.6
diff --git a/src/gtk/settings.cpp b/src/gtk/settings.cpp
index b04ebd1355..ac66632361 100644
--- a/src/gtk/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/settings.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct wxSystemObjects
              m_colHighlight,
              m_colHighlightText,
              m_colListBox,
+             m_colWindow,
              m_colBtnText,
              m_colMenuItemHighlight,
              m_colTooltip,
@@ -52,6 +53,21 @@ struct wxSystemObjects
 
 static wxSystemObjects gs_objects;
 
+void wxClearGtkSystemObjects()
+{
+    gs_objects.m_colBtnFace = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_colBtnShadow = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_colBtnHighlight = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_colHighlightText = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_colListBox = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_colWindow = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_colBtnText = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_colMenuItemHighlight = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_colTooltip = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_colTooltipText = wxColour();
+    gs_objects.m_fontSystem = wxNullFont;
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // wxSystemSettings implementation
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -61,7 +77,8 @@ enum wxGtkWidgetType
 {
     wxGTK_BUTTON,
     wxGTK_LIST,
-    wxGTK_MENUITEM
+    wxGTK_MENUITEM,
+    wxGTK_TEXTCTRL
 };
 
 // the colour we need
@@ -90,6 +107,10 @@ static bool GetColourFromGTKWidget(GdkColor& gdkColor,
             widget = gtk_button_new();
             break;
 
+        case wxGTK_TEXTCTRL:
+            widget = gtk_text_view_new();
+            break;
+
         case wxGTK_LIST:
             widget = gtk_tree_view_new_with_model(
                 (GtkTreeModel*)gtk_list_store_new(1, G_TYPE_INT));
@@ -176,7 +197,15 @@ wxColour wxSystemSettingsNative::GetColour( wxSystemColour index )
             break;
 
         case wxSYS_COLOUR_WINDOW:
-            color = *wxWHITE;
+            if (!gs_objects.m_colWindow.Ok())
+            {
+                gdkColor.red =
+                gdkColor.green =
+                gdkColor.blue = 0xFFFF;
+                GetColourFromGTKWidget(gdkColor, wxGTK_TEXTCTRL, GTK_STATE_NORMAL, wxGTK_BASE);
+                gs_objects.m_colWindow = wxColor(gdkColor);
+            }
+            color = gs_objects.m_colWindow;
             break;
 
         case wxSYS_COLOUR_3DDKSHADOW: