diff --git a/samples/xrc/myframe.cpp b/samples/xrc/myframe.cpp
index 7fcf80ccbb..70ebe38069 100644
--- a/samples/xrc/myframe.cpp
+++ b/samples/xrc/myframe.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include "objrefdlg.h"
 // For functions to manipulate the corresponding controls.
 #include "wx/animate.h"
+#include "wx/generic/animate.h"
 #include "wx/infobar.h"
 #include "wx/treectrl.h"
 #include "wx/listctrl.h"
@@ -206,14 +207,17 @@ void MyFrame::OnAnimationCtrlPlay(wxCommandEvent& event)
 
     wxWindow *win = btn->GetParent();
     wxAnimationCtrl *ctrl = XRCCTRL(*win, "controls_animation_ctrl", wxAnimationCtrl);
+    wxGenericAnimationCtrl *generic =
+        XRCCTRL(*win, "controls_generic_animation_ctrl", wxGenericAnimationCtrl);
     if (ctrl->IsPlaying())
     {
         ctrl->Stop();
+        generic->Stop();
         btn->SetLabel("Play");
     }
     else
     {
-        if (ctrl->Play())
+        if ( ctrl->Play() && generic->Play() )
             btn->SetLabel("Stop");
         else
             wxLogError("Cannot play the animation...");
diff --git a/samples/xrc/rc/controls.xrc b/samples/xrc/rc/controls.xrc
index 993b2a2441..13f0d85e4a 100644
--- a/samples/xrc/rc/controls.xrc
+++ b/samples/xrc/rc/controls.xrc
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
                     <object class="wxPanel" name="animctrl">
                         <object class="wxFlexGridSizer">
                             <cols>2</cols>
-                            <rows>1</rows>
+                            <rows>2</rows>
                             <vgap>0</vgap>
                             <hgap>0</hgap>
                             <growablecols>0,1</growablecols>
@@ -91,6 +91,17 @@
                                 </object>
                             </object>
 
+                            <object class="spacer"/>
+
+                            <object class="sizeritem">
+                                <flag>wxALIGN_CENTRE|wxALL</flag>
+                                <border>5</border>
+                                <object class="wxGenericAnimationCtrl" name="controls_generic_animation_ctrl">
+                                    <animation>throbber.gif</animation>
+                                    <inactive-bitmap>stop.xpm</inactive-bitmap>
+                                </object>
+                            </object>
+
                         </object>
                     </object>
                 </object>
diff --git a/src/xrc/xh_animatctrl.cpp b/src/xrc/xh_animatctrl.cpp
index d2e8444352..b34874c25c 100644
--- a/src/xrc/xh_animatctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/xrc/xh_animatctrl.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include "wx/xrc/xh_animatctrl.h"
 #include "wx/animate.h"
+#include "wx/generic/animate.h"
 #include "wx/scopedptr.h"
 
 wxIMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxAnimationCtrlXmlHandler, wxXmlResourceHandler);
@@ -31,16 +32,65 @@ wxAnimationCtrlXmlHandler::wxAnimationCtrlXmlHandler() : wxXmlResourceHandler()
 
 wxObject *wxAnimationCtrlXmlHandler::DoCreateResource()
 {
-    XRC_MAKE_INSTANCE(ctrl, wxAnimationCtrl)
+    wxAnimationCtrlBase *ctrl = NULL;
+    if ( m_instance )
+        ctrl = wxStaticCast(m_instance, wxAnimationCtrlBase);
 
-    wxScopedPtr<wxAnimation> animation(GetAnimation(wxT("animation")));
+    if ( !ctrl )
+    {
+        if ( m_class == "wxAnimationCtrl" )
+        {
+            ctrl = new wxAnimationCtrl(m_parentAsWindow,
+                                       GetID(),
+                                       wxNullAnimation,
+                                       GetPosition(), GetSize(),
+                                       GetStyle("style", wxAC_DEFAULT_STYLE),
+                                       GetName());
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            ctrl = new wxGenericAnimationCtrl(m_parentAsWindow,
+                                              GetID(),
+                                              wxNullAnimation,
+                                              GetPosition(), GetSize(),
+                                              GetStyle("style", wxAC_DEFAULT_STYLE),
+                                              GetName());
+        }
+    }
+    if ( GetBool("hidden", 0) == 1 )
+        ctrl->Hide();
 
-    ctrl->Create(m_parentAsWindow,
-                  GetID(),
-                  animation ? *animation : wxNullAnimation,
-                  GetPosition(), GetSize(),
-                  GetStyle(wxT("style"), wxAC_DEFAULT_STYLE),
-                  GetName());
+    const wxString aniParam = "animation";
+    wxString path = GetFilePath(GetParamNode(aniParam));
+    // load the animation from file
+    if ( !path.empty() )
+    {
+        wxAnimation ani = ctrl->CreateAnimation();
+#if wxUSE_FILESYSTEM
+        wxScopedPtr<wxFSFile> fsfile(
+            GetCurFileSystem().OpenFile(path, wxFS_READ | wxFS_SEEKABLE)
+        );
+        if (fsfile)
+        {
+            ani.Load(*fsfile->GetStream());
+        }
+#else
+        ani.LoadFile(name);
+#endif
+
+        if ( ani.IsOk() )
+        {
+            ctrl->SetAnimation(ani);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            ReportParamError
+            (
+                aniParam,
+                wxString::Format("cannot create animation from \"%s\"", path)
+            );
+        }
+    }
 
     // if no inactive-bitmap has been provided, GetBitmap() will return wxNullBitmap
     // which just tells wxAnimationCtrl to use the default for inactive status
@@ -53,7 +103,8 @@ wxObject *wxAnimationCtrlXmlHandler::DoCreateResource()
 
 bool wxAnimationCtrlXmlHandler::CanHandle(wxXmlNode *node)
 {
-    return IsOfClass(node, wxT("wxAnimationCtrl"));
+    return IsOfClass(node, wxT("wxAnimationCtrl")) ||
+           IsOfClass(node, wxT("wxGenericAnimationCtrl"));
 }
 
 #endif // wxUSE_XRC && wxUSE_ANIMATIONCTRL