diff --git a/include/wx/ribbon/bar.h b/include/wx/ribbon/bar.h
index c4904e9c64..954a8e6f76 100644
--- a/include/wx/ribbon/bar.h
+++ b/include/wx/ribbon/bar.h
@@ -140,9 +140,11 @@ public:
     void AddPageHighlight(size_t page, bool highlight = true);
     void RemovePageHighlight(size_t page) { AddPageHighlight(page, false); }
 
+    void ShowPanels(wxRibbonDisplayMode mode);
     void ShowPanels(bool show = true);
-    void HidePanels() { ShowPanels(false); }
+    void HidePanels() { ShowPanels(wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED); }
     bool ArePanelsShown() const { return m_arePanelsShown; }
+    wxRibbonDisplayMode GetDisplayMode() const { return m_ribbon_state; }
 
     virtual bool HasMultiplePages() const wxOVERRIDE { return true; }
 
diff --git a/interface/wx/ribbon/bar.h b/interface/wx/ribbon/bar.h
index c729347ab1..7b0926ef2c 100644
--- a/interface/wx/ribbon/bar.h
+++ b/interface/wx/ribbon/bar.h
@@ -348,6 +348,14 @@ public:
     */
     void RemovePageHighlight(size_t page);
 
+    /**
+        Shows or hide the panel area of the ribbon bar according to the
+        given display mode.
+
+        @since 3.1.0
+    */
+    void ShowPanels(wxRibbonDisplayMode mode);
+
     /**
         Shows or hides the panel area of the ribbon bar.
 
@@ -355,6 +363,10 @@ public:
         be shown. This is useful for giving the user more screen space to work
         with when he/she doesn't need to see the ribbon's options.
 
+        If the panel is currently shown, this method pins it, use the other
+        overload of this method to specify the exact panel display mode to
+        avoid it.
+
         @since 2.9.2
     */
     void ShowPanels(bool show = true);
@@ -362,7 +374,7 @@ public:
     /**
         Hides the panel area of the ribbon bar.
 
-        This method simply calls ShowPanels() with @false argument.
+        This method behaves like ShowPanels() with @false argument.
 
         @since 2.9.2
     */
@@ -377,6 +389,16 @@ public:
     */
     bool ArePanelsShown() const;
     
+    /**
+        Returns the current display mode of the panel area.
+
+        @see ShowPanels()
+
+        @since 3.1.0
+    */
+    wxRibbonDisplayMode GetDisplayMode() const;
+
+
     /**
         Perform initial layout and size calculations of the bar and its
         children. This must be called after all of the bar's children have been
diff --git a/src/ribbon/bar.cpp b/src/ribbon/bar.cpp
index 1bad16a18b..79f3966332 100644
--- a/src/ribbon/bar.cpp
+++ b/src/ribbon/bar.cpp
@@ -115,12 +115,32 @@ bool wxRibbonBar::DismissExpandedPanel()
     return m_pages.Item(m_current_page).page->DismissExpandedPanel();
 }
 
-void wxRibbonBar::ShowPanels(bool show)
+
+void wxRibbonBar::ShowPanels(wxRibbonDisplayMode mode)
 {
-    m_arePanelsShown = show;
+    switch ( mode )
+    {
+        case wxRIBBON_BAR_PINNED:
+        case wxRIBBON_BAR_EXPANDED:
+            m_arePanelsShown = true;
+            break;
+
+        case wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED:
+            m_arePanelsShown = false;
+            break;
+    }
+
     SetMinSize(wxSize(GetSize().GetWidth(), DoGetBestSize().GetHeight()));
     Realise();
     GetParent()->Layout();
+
+    m_ribbon_state = mode;
+}
+
+
+void wxRibbonBar::ShowPanels(bool show)
+{
+    ShowPanels( show ? wxRIBBON_BAR_PINNED : wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED );
 }
 
 void wxRibbonBar::SetWindowStyleFlag(long style)
@@ -974,13 +994,11 @@ void wxRibbonBar::OnMouseLeftDown(wxMouseEvent& evt)
     {
         if ( m_ribbon_state == wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED )
         {
-            ShowPanels();
-            m_ribbon_state = wxRIBBON_BAR_EXPANDED;
+            ShowPanels(wxRIBBON_BAR_EXPANDED);
         }
         else if ( (tab == &m_pages.Item(m_current_page)) && (m_ribbon_state == wxRIBBON_BAR_EXPANDED) )
         {
             HidePanels();
-            m_ribbon_state = wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED;
         }
     }
     else
@@ -988,7 +1006,6 @@ void wxRibbonBar::OnMouseLeftDown(wxMouseEvent& evt)
         if ( m_ribbon_state == wxRIBBON_BAR_EXPANDED )
         {
             HidePanels();
-            m_ribbon_state = wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED;
         }
     }
     if(tab && tab != &m_pages.Item(m_current_page))
@@ -1028,12 +1045,7 @@ void wxRibbonBar::OnMouseLeftDown(wxMouseEvent& evt)
         {
             if(m_toggle_button_rect.Contains(position))
             {
-                bool pshown = ArePanelsShown();
-                ShowPanels(!pshown);
-                if ( pshown )
-                    m_ribbon_state = wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED;
-                else
-                    m_ribbon_state = wxRIBBON_BAR_PINNED;
+                ShowPanels(ArePanelsShown() ? wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED : wxRIBBON_BAR_PINNED);
                 wxRibbonBarEvent event(wxEVT_RIBBONBAR_TOGGLED, GetId());
                 event.SetEventObject(this);
                 ProcessWindowEvent(event);
@@ -1168,13 +1180,11 @@ void wxRibbonBar::OnMouseDoubleClick(wxMouseEvent& evt)
     {
         if ( m_ribbon_state == wxRIBBON_BAR_PINNED )
         {
-            m_ribbon_state = wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED;
             HidePanels();
         }
         else
         {
-            m_ribbon_state = wxRIBBON_BAR_PINNED;
-            ShowPanels();
+            ShowPanels(wxRIBBON_BAR_PINNED);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -1269,20 +1279,8 @@ void wxRibbonBar::HitTestRibbonButton(const wxRect& rect, const wxPoint& positio
 
 void wxRibbonBar::HideIfExpanded()
 {
-    switch ( m_ribbon_state )
-    {
-        case wxRIBBON_BAR_EXPANDED:
-            m_ribbon_state = wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED;
-            // Fall through
-
-        case wxRIBBON_BAR_MINIMIZED:
-            HidePanels();
-            break;
-
-        case wxRIBBON_BAR_PINNED:
-            ShowPanels();
-            break;
-    }
+    if ( m_ribbon_state == wxRIBBON_BAR_EXPANDED)
+        HidePanels();
 }
 
 void wxRibbonBar::OnKillFocus(wxFocusEvent& WXUNUSED(evt))