diff --git a/include/wx/msw/statbmp.h b/include/wx/msw/statbmp.h
index 883b52ae37..1ac02c7be8 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/statbmp.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/statbmp.h
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ protected:
     void SetImage(const wxGDIImage* image);
     void SetImageNoCopy( wxGDIImage* image );
 
+#if wxABI_VERSION >= 20808
+    // draw the bitmap ourselves here if the OS can't do it correctly (if it
+    // can we leave it to it)
+    void DoPaintManually(wxPaintEvent& event);
+#endif
+
     // we can have either an icon or a bitmap
     bool m_isIcon;
     wxGDIImage *m_image;
diff --git a/src/msw/statbmp.cpp b/src/msw/statbmp.cpp
index cd03008f89..3a7e5f80b4 100644
--- a/src/msw/statbmp.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/statbmp.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #ifndef WX_PRECOMP
     #include "wx/window.h"
     #include "wx/icon.h"
+    #include "wx/dcclient.h"
 #endif
 
 #include "wx/msw/private.h"
@@ -168,6 +169,14 @@ bool wxStaticBitmap::Create(wxWindow *parent,
     // GetBestSize will work properly now, so set the best size if needed
     SetInitialSize(size);
 
+    // Win9x and 2000 don't draw correctly the images with alpha channel so we
+    // need to draw them ourselves and it's easier to just always do it rather
+    // than check if we have an image with alpha or not
+    if ( wxGetWinVersion() <= wxWinVersion_2000 )
+    {
+	Connect(wxEVT_PAINT, wxPaintEventHandler(wxStaticBitmap::DoPaintManually));
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -245,6 +254,25 @@ wxSize wxStaticBitmap::DoGetBestSize() const
     return wxSize(16, 16);
 }
 
+void wxStaticBitmap::DoPaintManually(wxPaintEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
+{
+    wxPaintDC dc(this);
+
+    const wxSize size(GetSize());
+    const wxBitmap bmp(GetBitmap());
+
+    // Clear the background
+    dc.SetBrush(GetBackgroundColour());
+    dc.SetPen(*wxTRANSPARENT_PEN);
+    dc.DrawRectangle(0, 0, size.GetWidth(), size.GetHeight());
+
+    // Draw the image in the middle
+    dc.DrawBitmap(bmp,
+                  (size.GetWidth() - bmp.GetWidth()) / 2,
+                  (size.GetHeight() - bmp.GetHeight()) / 2,
+                  true /* use mask */);
+}
+
 void wxStaticBitmap::SetImage( const wxGDIImage* image )
 {
     wxGDIImage* convertedImage = ConvertImage( *image );