diff --git a/src/gtk/textctrl.cpp b/src/gtk/textctrl.cpp
index dddbd8509a..204ea58855 100644
--- a/src/gtk/textctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/textctrl.cpp
@@ -740,6 +740,9 @@ bool wxTextCtrl::Create( wxWindow *parent,
         // a single-line text control: no need for scrollbars
         m_widget =
         m_text = gtk_entry_new();
+        // work around probable bug in GTK+ 2.18 when calling WriteText on a
+        // new, empty control, see http://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/11409
+        gtk_entry_get_text((GtkEntry*)m_text);
 
         if (style & wxNO_BORDER)
             g_object_set (m_text, "has-frame", FALSE, NULL);