diff --git a/include/wx/htmllbox.h b/include/wx/htmllbox.h
index 3ef995e74e..22f453c83c 100644
--- a/include/wx/htmllbox.h
+++ b/include/wx/htmllbox.h
@@ -302,6 +302,14 @@ protected:
     virtual wxString OnGetItem(size_t n) const
         { return m_items[n]; }
 
+    virtual void InitEvent(wxCommandEvent& event, int n)
+        {
+            // we're not a virtual control and we can include the string
+            // of the item which was clicked:
+            event.SetString(m_items[n]);
+            wxVListBox::InitEvent(event, n);
+        }
+
     wxArrayString   m_items;
     wxArrayPtrVoid  m_HTMLclientData;
 
diff --git a/include/wx/vlbox.h b/include/wx/vlbox.h
index 50d7472888..6ba94b4273 100644
--- a/include/wx/vlbox.h
+++ b/include/wx/vlbox.h
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ protected:
 
     // send the wxEVT_COMMAND_LISTBOX_SELECTED event
     void SendSelectedEvent();
+    virtual void InitEvent(wxCommandEvent& event, int n);
 
     // common implementation of SelectAll() and DeselectAll()
     bool DoSelectAll(bool select);
diff --git a/src/generic/vlbox.cpp b/src/generic/vlbox.cpp
index 0d7f8ef199..13ce1b6278 100644
--- a/src/generic/vlbox.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/vlbox.cpp
@@ -261,15 +261,19 @@ bool wxVListBox::DoSetCurrent(int current)
     return true;
 }
 
+void wxVListBox::InitEvent(wxCommandEvent& event, int n)
+{
+    event.SetEventObject(this);
+    event.SetInt(n);
+}
+
 void wxVListBox::SendSelectedEvent()
 {
     wxASSERT_MSG( m_current != wxNOT_FOUND,
                     _T("SendSelectedEvent() shouldn't be called") );
 
     wxCommandEvent event(wxEVT_COMMAND_LISTBOX_SELECTED, GetId());
-    event.SetEventObject(this);
-    event.SetInt(m_current);
-
+    InitEvent(event, m_current);
     (void)GetEventHandler()->ProcessEvent(event);
 }
 
@@ -708,9 +712,7 @@ void wxVListBox::OnLeftDClick(wxMouseEvent& eventMouse)
         if ( item == m_current )
         {
             wxCommandEvent event(wxEVT_COMMAND_LISTBOX_DOUBLECLICKED, GetId());
-            event.SetEventObject(this);
-            event.SetInt(item);
-
+            InitEvent(event, item);
             (void)GetEventHandler()->ProcessEvent(event);
         }
         else