diff --git a/docs/changes.txt b/docs/changes.txt
index 1178a107d8..d50ccb9359 100644
--- a/docs/changes.txt
+++ b/docs/changes.txt
@@ -496,6 +496,11 @@ Build system changes
   configurations if you need them is to use nmake from the command line with
   WXUNIV=1 or UNICODE=0 command line parameter respectively.
 
+- The manifest is not included by wx/msw/wx.rc any longer for MSVC compiler.
+  If you're using MSVC 6 or 7 which require it, you must explicitly define
+  wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST=1 and also predefine WX_CPU_X86 in the resource compiler
+  options in your project file.
+
 
 Major new features in this release
 ----------------------------------
diff --git a/docs/doxygen/mainpages/const_wxusedef.h b/docs/doxygen/mainpages/const_wxusedef.h
index d38f5c3a6b..e4cf760469 100644
--- a/docs/doxygen/mainpages/const_wxusedef.h
+++ b/docs/doxygen/mainpages/const_wxusedef.h
@@ -342,7 +342,8 @@ library:
 @itemdef{wxUSE_HOTKEY, Use wxWindow::RegisterHotKey() and wxWindow::UnregisterHotKey}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_INKEDIT, Use InkEdit library. Related to Tablet PCs.}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_MS_HTML_HELP, Use wxCHMHelpController class.}
-@itemdef{wxUSE_NO_MANIFEST, Use to prevent the auto generation, under MSVC, of manifest file needed by windows XP and above.}
+@itemdef{wxUSE_NO_MANIFEST, Can be predefined to disable inclusion of the
+manifest from wxWidgets RC file. See also wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST.}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_NORLANDER_HEADERS, Using headers whose author is Anders Norlander.}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_OLE, Enables OLE helper routines.}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_OLE_AUTOMATION, Enable OLE automation utilities.}
@@ -350,6 +351,11 @@ library:
 @itemdef{wxUSE_PENWINDOWS, See src/msw/penwin.cpp file.}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_POSTSCRIPT_ARCHITECTURE_IN_MSW, Use PS printing in wxMSW.}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_PS_PRINTING, See src/msw/dcprint.cpp file.}
+@itemdef{wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST, Include manifest for common controls library v6
+from wxWidgets RC file. This may be needed to be defined explicitly for MSVC 6
+and 7 (98 and 2003) only as later versions of MSVC generate this manifest
+themselves and the manifest generation is enabled by default for the other
+compilers. See also wxUSE_NO_MANIFEST.}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_REGKEY, Use wxRegKey class.}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_RICHEDIT, Enable use of riched32.dll in wxTextCtrl}
 @itemdef{wxUSE_RICHEDIT2, Enable use of riched20.dll in wxTextCtrl}
diff --git a/docs/msw/install.txt b/docs/msw/install.txt
index 123d796484..54ecc1e72b 100644
--- a/docs/msw/install.txt
+++ b/docs/msw/install.txt
@@ -797,6 +797,8 @@ following to use wxWidgets:
   - _UNICODE unless you want to use deprecated ANSI build of wxWidgets.
   - NDEBUG if you want to build in release mode, i.e. disable asserts.
   - WXUSINGDLL if you are using DLL build of wxWidgets.
+* If using MSVC 6 or 7 only (i.e. not for later versions), also define
+  wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST=1 and WX_CPU_X86.
 * Add $WXWIN/lib/prefix_lib-or-dll to the libraries path. The prefix depends
   on the compiler, by default it is "vc" for MSVC, "gcc" for g++ and so on.
 * Add the list of libraries to link with to the linker input. The exact list
diff --git a/include/wx/msw/genrcdefs.h b/include/wx/msw/genrcdefs.h
index 4dfb6c1c0a..a69638e9ba 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/genrcdefs.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/genrcdefs.h
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ EMIT(#ifndef _WX_RCDEFS_H)
 EMIT(#define _WX_RCDEFS_H)
 
 #ifdef _MSC_FULL_VER
-EMIT(#define WX_MSC_FULL_VER _MSC_FULL_VER)
+#if _MSC_FULL_VER < 140040130
+EMIT(#define wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST 1)
+#endif
 #endif
 
 #ifdef _M_AMD64
diff --git a/include/wx/msw/rcdefs.h b/include/wx/msw/rcdefs.h
index c5ef7d1f62..75e5d15a3d 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/rcdefs.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/rcdefs.h
@@ -10,6 +10,33 @@
 #ifndef _WX_RCDEFS_H
 #define _WX_RCDEFS_H
 
-#define WX_CPU_X86
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+    // We must be using windres which uses gcc as its preprocessor. We do need
+    // to generate the manifest then as gcc doesn't do it automatically and we
+    // can define the architecture macro on our own as all the usual symbols
+    // are available (unlike with Microsoft RC.EXE which doesn't predefine
+    // anything useful at all).
+    #ifndef wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST
+        #define wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST 1
+    #endif
+
+    #if defined __i386__
+        #ifndef WX_CPU_X86
+            #define WX_CPU_X86
+        #endif
+    #elif defined __x86_64__
+        #ifndef WX_CPU_AMD64
+            #define WX_CPU_AMD64
+        #endif
+    #elif defined __ia64__
+        #ifndef WX_CPU_IA64
+            #define WX_CPU_IA64
+        #endif
+    #endif
+#endif
+
+// Don't do anything here for the other compilers, in particular don't define
+// WX_CPU_X86 here as we used to do. If people define wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST, they
+// must also define the architecture constant correctly.
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/wx/msw/wx.rc b/include/wx/msw/wx.rc
index d9aff3b171..771779f447 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/wx.rc
+++ b/include/wx/msw/wx.rc
@@ -90,14 +90,15 @@ wxBITMAP_STD_COLOURS    BITMAP "wx/msw/colours.bmp"
 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
-// Manifest file for Windows XP
+// Include manifest file for common controls library v6 required to use themes.
+//
+// Predefining wxUSE_NO_MANIFEST as 1 always disables the use of the manifest.
+// Otherwise we include it only if wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST is defined as 1.
 //
 
 #if !defined(wxUSE_NO_MANIFEST) || (wxUSE_NO_MANIFEST == 0)
 
-// Visual Studio 2005 generates the manifest automatically and so we
-// shouldn't include it in the resources manually: 
-#if !defined(WX_MSC_FULL_VER) || WX_MSC_FULL_VER < 140040130
+#if defined(wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST) && wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST
 
 // see "about isolated applications" topic in MSDN
 #ifdef ISOLATION_AWARE_ENABLED
@@ -112,8 +113,16 @@ wxMANIFEST_ID 24 "wx/msw/amd64.manifest"
 wxMANIFEST_ID 24 "wx/msw/ia64.manifest"
 #elif defined(WX_CPU_X86)
 wxMANIFEST_ID 24 "wx/msw/wx.manifest"
+#else
+// Notice that if the manifest is included, WX_CPU_XXX constant corresponding
+// to the architecture we're compiling for must be defined. This can be done
+// either manually in your make/project file or by configuring the resource
+// compiler paths to search in $(WXWIN)/lib/$(COMPILER_PREFIX)_lib/mswu[d]
+// directory for its include files, as wx/msw/rcdefs.h file in this directory
+// is generated during wxWidgets build and contains the correct definition.
+#error "One of WX_CPU_XXX constants must be defined. See comment above."
 #endif
 
-#endif // !defined(WX_MSC_FULL_VER) || WX_MSC_FULL_VER < 140040130
+#endif // wxUSE_RC_MANIFEST
 
 #endif // !defined(wxUSE_NO_MANIFEST) || (wxUSE_NO_MANIFEST == 0)