diff --git a/include/wx/msw/icon.h b/include/wx/msw/icon.h
index 61e8ba461d..4a8ed4702a 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/icon.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/icon.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ public:
 
     void SetHICON(WXHICON icon) { SetHandle((WXHANDLE)icon); }
     WXHICON GetHICON() const { return (WXHICON)GetHandle(); }
+    bool InitFromHICON(WXHICON icon, int width, int height);
 
     // create from bitmap (which should have a mask unless it's monochrome):
     // there shouldn't be any implicit bitmap -> icon conversion (i.e. no
diff --git a/src/msw/icon.cpp b/src/msw/icon.cpp
index 078d2d1cfb..c22f120b01 100644
--- a/src/msw/icon.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/icon.cpp
@@ -118,8 +118,7 @@ void wxIcon::CopyFromBitmap(const wxBitmap& bmp)
     }
     else
     {
-        SetHICON((WXHICON)hicon);
-        SetSize(bmp.GetWidth(), bmp.GetHeight());
+        InitFromHICON((WXHICON)hicon, bmp.GetWidth(), bmp.GetHeight());
     }
 }
 
@@ -154,11 +153,26 @@ bool wxIcon::LoadFile(const wxString& filename,
 
 bool wxIcon::CreateFromHICON(WXHICON icon)
 {
-    SetHICON(icon);
-    if ( !IsOk() )
-        return false;
-
-    SetSize(wxGetHiconSize(icon));
-
-    return true;
+    wxSize size = wxGetHiconSize(icon);
+    return InitFromHICON(icon, size.GetWidth(), size.GetHeight());
+}
+
+bool wxIcon::InitFromHICON(WXHICON icon, int width, int height)
+{
+#if wxDEBUG_LEVEL >= 2
+    if ( icon != NULL )
+    {
+        wxSize size = wxGetHiconSize(icon);
+        wxASSERT_MSG(size.GetWidth() == width && size.GetHeight() == height,
+                     wxS("Inconsistent icon parameters"));
+    }
+#endif // wxDEBUG_LEVEL >= 2
+
+    AllocExclusive();
+
+    GetGDIImageData()->m_handle = (WXHANDLE)icon;
+    GetGDIImageData()->m_width = width;
+    GetGDIImageData()->m_height = height;
+
+    return IsOk();
 }
diff --git a/src/msw/imaglist.cpp b/src/msw/imaglist.cpp
index 460de7f0c5..33828288a4 100644
--- a/src/msw/imaglist.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/imaglist.cpp
@@ -461,11 +461,10 @@ wxIcon wxImageList::GetIcon(int index) const
     if (hIcon)
     {
         wxIcon icon;
-        icon.SetHICON((WXHICON)hIcon);
 
         int iconW, iconH;
         GetSize(index, iconW, iconH);
-        icon.SetSize(iconW, iconH);
+        icon.InitFromHICON((WXHICON)hIcon, iconW, iconH);
 
         return icon;
     }