diff --git a/include/wx/ribbon/bar.h b/include/wx/ribbon/bar.h
index 78c272a488..9dcbb04488 100644
--- a/include/wx/ribbon/bar.h
+++ b/include/wx/ribbon/bar.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 
 #if wxUSE_RIBBON
 
+class wxImageList;
+
 #include "wx/ribbon/control.h"
 #include "wx/ribbon/page.h"
 
@@ -152,6 +154,13 @@ public:
 
     void HideIfExpanded();
 
+    void UseImageList(bool useImageList = true) { m_useImageList = useImageList; }
+    bool UsesImageList() const { return m_useImageList; }
+    // Implementation only.
+    wxImageList* GetButtonImageList(wxSize* isize = NULL);
+    // Implementation only.
+    wxImageList* GetButtonSmallImageList(wxSize* isize = NULL);
+
 protected:
     friend class wxRibbonPage;
 
@@ -208,6 +217,10 @@ protected:
 
     wxRibbonDisplayMode m_ribbon_state;
 
+    bool m_useImageList;
+    wxImageList* m_buttonImageList;
+    wxImageList* m_buttonSmallImageList;
+
 #ifndef SWIG
     wxDECLARE_CLASS(wxRibbonBar);
     wxDECLARE_EVENT_TABLE();
diff --git a/include/wx/ribbon/buttonbar.h b/include/wx/ribbon/buttonbar.h
index bc54379261..e4bccc185f 100644
--- a/include/wx/ribbon/buttonbar.h
+++ b/include/wx/ribbon/buttonbar.h
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ protected:
     bool m_layouts_valid;
     bool m_lock_active_state;
     bool m_show_tooltips_for_disabled;
+    wxRibbonBar* m_ownerRibbonBar;
 
 #ifndef SWIG
     wxDECLARE_CLASS(wxRibbonButtonBar);
diff --git a/interface/wx/ribbon/bar.h b/interface/wx/ribbon/bar.h
index 615d07e30b..acd040998a 100644
--- a/interface/wx/ribbon/bar.h
+++ b/interface/wx/ribbon/bar.h
@@ -453,4 +453,26 @@ public:
         Also calls wxRibbonPage::Realize() on each child page.
     */
     virtual bool Realize();
+
+    /**
+        If the ribbon bar has many buttons, wxImageList can be used to reduce
+        bitmap resources. Call SetUseImageList after creating the ribbon bar,
+        and any subsequent AddButton or InsertButton calls will have their
+        images stored in an image list instead. Note that the conversion might
+        cause some images created from icons with alpha layers to have a black
+        background. Such images need to be edited before use.
+
+        @since 3.1.4
+    */
+    void UseImageList(bool useImageList = true);
+
+    /**
+        Returns whether a wxImageList is being used for buttons.
+
+        @see SetUseImageList()
+
+        @since 3.1.4
+    */
+    bool UsesImageList() const;
+
 };
diff --git a/src/ribbon/bar.cpp b/src/ribbon/bar.cpp
index bb53511cf5..8ed66a313f 100644
--- a/src/ribbon/bar.cpp
+++ b/src/ribbon/bar.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "wx/arrimpl.cpp"
+#include "wx/imaglist.h"
 
 WX_DEFINE_USER_EXPORTED_OBJARRAY(wxRibbonPageTabInfoArray)
 
@@ -735,6 +736,10 @@ wxRibbonBar::wxRibbonBar()
     m_tab_scroll_buttons_shown = false;
     m_arePanelsShown = true;
     m_help_button_hovered = false;
+    m_useImageList = false;
+    m_buttonImageList = NULL;
+    m_buttonSmallImageList = NULL;
+
 }
 
 wxRibbonBar::wxRibbonBar(wxWindow* parent,
@@ -750,6 +755,14 @@ wxRibbonBar::wxRibbonBar(wxWindow* parent,
 wxRibbonBar::~wxRibbonBar()
 {
     SetArtProvider(NULL);
+    if (m_buttonImageList)
+       {
+       delete m_buttonImageList; m_buttonImageList = NULL;
+       }
+    if (m_buttonSmallImageList)
+       {
+       delete m_buttonSmallImageList; m_buttonSmallImageList = NULL;
+       }
 }
 
 bool wxRibbonBar::Create(wxWindow* parent,
@@ -798,6 +811,28 @@ void wxRibbonBar::CommonInit(long style)
     m_bar_hovered = false;
 
     m_ribbon_state = wxRIBBON_BAR_PINNED;
+
+    m_useImageList = false;
+    m_buttonImageList = NULL;
+    m_buttonSmallImageList = NULL;
+}
+
+wxImageList* wxRibbonBar::GetButtonImageList(wxSize* isize)
+{
+    if (m_useImageList && m_buttonImageList == NULL)
+    {
+        m_buttonImageList = new wxImageList(isize->GetWidth(), isize->GetHeight(), /*mask*/false);
+    }
+    return m_buttonImageList;
+}
+
+wxImageList* wxRibbonBar::GetButtonSmallImageList(wxSize* isize)
+{
+    if (m_useImageList && m_buttonSmallImageList == NULL)
+    {
+        m_buttonSmallImageList = new wxImageList(isize->GetWidth(), isize->GetHeight(), /*mask*/false);
+    }
+    return m_buttonSmallImageList;
 }
 
 void wxRibbonBar::SetArtProvider(wxRibbonArtProvider* art)
diff --git a/src/ribbon/buttonbar.cpp b/src/ribbon/buttonbar.cpp
index 17cbd00827..d4946a1aee 100644
--- a/src/ribbon/buttonbar.cpp
+++ b/src/ribbon/buttonbar.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "wx/ribbon/buttonbar.h"
 #include "wx/ribbon/art.h"
 #include "wx/dcbuffer.h"
+#include "wx/imaglist.h"
 
 #ifndef WX_PRECOMP
 #endif
@@ -127,6 +128,8 @@ public:
     wxBitmap bitmap_small;
     wxBitmap bitmap_small_disabled;
     wxCoord text_min_width[3];
+    wxCoord barButtonImageListPos;
+    int barButtonSmallImageListPos;
     wxRibbonButtonBarButtonSizeInfo sizes[3];
     wxRibbonButtonBarButtonState min_size_class;
     wxRibbonButtonBarButtonState max_size_class;
@@ -345,6 +348,31 @@ wxRibbonButtonBarButtonBase* wxRibbonButtonBar::InsertButton(
     base->min_size_class = wxRIBBON_BUTTONBAR_BUTTON_SMALL;
     base->max_size_class = wxRIBBON_BUTTONBAR_BUTTON_LARGE;
 
+    wxImageList* buttonImageList = NULL;
+    wxImageList* buttonSmallImageList = NULL;
+    if (m_ownerRibbonBar)
+        {
+        buttonImageList = m_ownerRibbonBar->GetButtonImageList(&m_bitmap_size_large);
+        buttonSmallImageList = m_ownerRibbonBar->GetButtonSmallImageList(&m_bitmap_size_small);
+        }
+    if (base->bitmap_large.IsOk() && buttonImageList)
+    {
+        base->barButtonImageListPos = buttonImageList->Add(base->bitmap_large);
+        base->bitmap_large = wxNullBitmap;
+        buttonImageList->Add(base->bitmap_large_disabled);
+        base->bitmap_large_disabled = wxNullBitmap;
+
+        base->barButtonSmallImageListPos = buttonSmallImageList->Add(base->bitmap_small);
+        base->bitmap_small = wxNullBitmap;
+        buttonSmallImageList->Add(base->bitmap_small_disabled);
+        base->bitmap_small_disabled = wxNullBitmap;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        base->barButtonImageListPos = -1;
+        base->barButtonSmallImageListPos = -1;
+    }
+
     wxClientDC temp_dc(this);
     FetchButtonSizeInfo(base, wxRIBBON_BUTTONBAR_BUTTON_SMALL, temp_dc);
     FetchButtonSizeInfo(base, wxRIBBON_BUTTONBAR_BUTTON_MEDIUM, temp_dc);
@@ -851,19 +879,41 @@ void wxRibbonButtonBar::OnPaint(wxPaintEvent& WXUNUSED(evt))
     {
         wxRibbonButtonBarButtonInstance& button = layout->buttons.Item(btn_i);
         wxRibbonButtonBarButtonBase* base = button.base;
-
-        wxBitmap* bitmap = &base->bitmap_large;
-        wxBitmap* bitmap_small = &base->bitmap_small;
-        if(base->state & wxRIBBON_BUTTONBAR_BUTTON_DISABLED)
-        {
-            bitmap = &base->bitmap_large_disabled;
-            bitmap_small = &base->bitmap_small_disabled;
-        }
         wxRect rect(button.position + m_layout_offset, base->sizes[button.size].size);
+        if (base->barButtonImageListPos != -1 && m_ownerRibbonBar)
+        {
+            wxImageList* buttonImageList = m_ownerRibbonBar->GetButtonImageList();
+            wxImageList* buttonSmallImageList = m_ownerRibbonBar->GetButtonSmallImageList();
 
-        m_art->DrawButtonBarButton(dc, this, rect, base->kind,
-            base->state | button.size, base->label, *bitmap, *bitmap_small);
-    }
+            wxBitmap bitmap;
+            wxBitmap bitmap_small;
+            if (base->state & wxRIBBON_BUTTONBAR_BUTTON_DISABLED)
+            {
+                bitmap = buttonImageList->GetBitmap(base->barButtonImageListPos+1);
+                bitmap_small = buttonSmallImageList->GetBitmap(base->barButtonSmallImageListPos+1);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                bitmap = buttonImageList->GetBitmap(base->barButtonImageListPos);
+                bitmap_small = buttonSmallImageList->GetBitmap(base->barButtonSmallImageListPos);
+            }
+           m_art->DrawButtonBarButton(dc, this, rect, base->kind,
+              base->state | button.size, base->label, bitmap, bitmap_small);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            wxBitmap* bitmap = &base->bitmap_large;
+            wxBitmap* bitmap_small = &base->bitmap_small;
+            if(base->state & wxRIBBON_BUTTONBAR_BUTTON_DISABLED)
+            {
+                bitmap = &base->bitmap_large_disabled;
+                bitmap_small = &base->bitmap_small_disabled;
+            }
+            m_art->DrawButtonBarButton(dc, this, rect, base->kind,
+                base->state | button.size, base->label, *bitmap, *bitmap_small);
+        }
+
+     }
 }
 
 void wxRibbonButtonBar::OnSize(wxSizeEvent& evt)
@@ -889,6 +939,20 @@ void wxRibbonButtonBar::OnSize(wxSizeEvent& evt)
 
 void wxRibbonButtonBar::CommonInit(long WXUNUSED(style))
 {
+    //Our ultimate parent MAY be a ribbon bar, in which case
+    //we can use its image list.
+    m_ownerRibbonBar = NULL;
+    wxWindow* pWin = GetParent();
+    while (pWin)
+    {
+        m_ownerRibbonBar = dynamic_cast<wxRibbonBar*>(pWin);
+        if (m_ownerRibbonBar)
+        {
+            break;
+        }
+        pWin = pWin->GetParent();
+    }
+
     m_bitmap_size_large = wxSize(32, 32);
     m_bitmap_size_small = wxSize(16, 16);