diff --git a/samples/dataview/dataview.cpp b/samples/dataview/dataview.cpp
index 6383ede75f..e443e2c25d 100644
--- a/samples/dataview/dataview.cpp
+++ b/samples/dataview/dataview.cpp
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ public:
                            unsigned int nPanel,
                            unsigned long style = 0);
 
-public:     // event handlers
-
+private:
+    // event handlers
     void OnStyleChange(wxCommandEvent& event);
     void OnSetBackgroundColour(wxCommandEvent& event);
     void OnSetForegroundColour(wxCommandEvent& event);
@@ -127,7 +127,12 @@ public:     // event handlers
     void OnDropPossible( wxDataViewEvent &event );
     void OnDrop( wxDataViewEvent &event );
 
-private:
+    void OnDataViewChar(wxKeyEvent& event);
+
+    // helper used by both OnDeleteSelected() and OnDataViewChar()
+    void DeleteSelectedItems();
+
+
     wxNotebook* m_notebook;
 
     // the controls stored in the various tabs of the main notebook:
@@ -510,6 +515,9 @@ void MyFrame::BuildDataViewCtrl(wxPanel* parent, unsigned int nPanel, unsigned l
             m_ctrl[0] =
                 new wxDataViewCtrl( parent, ID_MUSIC_CTRL, wxDefaultPosition,
                                     wxDefaultSize, style );
+            m_ctrl[0]->Connect(wxEVT_CHAR,
+                               wxKeyEventHandler(MyFrame::OnDataViewChar),
+                               NULL, this);
 
             m_music_model = new MyMusicTreeModel;
             m_ctrl[0]->AssociateModel( m_music_model.get() );
@@ -851,7 +859,7 @@ void MyFrame::OnAddMozart( wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event) )
     m_music_model->AddToClassical( "Kleine Nachtmusik", "Wolfgang Mozart", 1787 );
 }
 
-void MyFrame::OnDeleteSelected( wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event) )
+void MyFrame::DeleteSelectedItems()
 {
     wxDataViewItemArray items;
     int len = m_ctrl[0]->GetSelections( items );
@@ -860,6 +868,11 @@ void MyFrame::OnDeleteSelected( wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event) )
             m_music_model->Delete( items[i] );
 }
 
+void MyFrame::OnDeleteSelected( wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event) )
+{
+    DeleteSelectedItems();
+}
+
 void MyFrame::OnDeleteYear( wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event) )
 {
     m_ctrl[0]->DeleteColumn( m_ctrl[0]->GetColumn( 2 ) );
@@ -1074,6 +1087,13 @@ void MyFrame::OnRightClick( wxMouseEvent &event )
                  event.GetX(), event.GetY() );
 }
 
+void MyFrame::OnDataViewChar(wxKeyEvent& event)
+{
+    if ( event.GetKeyCode() == WXK_DELETE )
+        DeleteSelectedItems();
+    else
+        event.Skip();
+}
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // MyFrame - event handlers for the second page
diff --git a/src/generic/datavgen.cpp b/src/generic/datavgen.cpp
index dc1bf273c0..dd7813621d 100644
--- a/src/generic/datavgen.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/datavgen.cpp
@@ -3281,7 +3281,15 @@ void wxDataViewMainWindow::DestroyTree()
 
 void wxDataViewMainWindow::OnChar( wxKeyEvent &event )
 {
-    if ( GetParent()->HandleAsNavigationKey(event) )
+    wxWindow * const parent = GetParent();
+
+    // propagate the char event upwards
+    wxKeyEvent eventForParent(event);
+    eventForParent.SetEventObject(parent);
+    if ( parent->ProcessWindowEvent(eventForParent) )
+        return;
+
+    if ( parent->HandleAsNavigationKey(event) )
         return;
 
     // no item -> nothing to do
@@ -3299,7 +3307,6 @@ void wxDataViewMainWindow::OnChar( wxKeyEvent &event )
     {
         case WXK_RETURN:
             {
-                wxWindow *parent = GetParent();
                 wxDataViewEvent le(wxEVT_COMMAND_DATAVIEW_ITEM_ACTIVATED,
                                    parent->GetId());
                 le.SetItem( GetItemByRow(m_currentRow) );
@@ -3861,6 +3868,11 @@ bool wxDataViewCtrl::Create(wxWindow *parent, wxWindowID id,
 
     m_clientArea = new wxDataViewMainWindow( this, wxID_ANY );
 
+    // We use the cursor keys for moving the selection, not scrolling, so call
+    // this method to ensure wxScrollHelperEvtHandler doesn't catch all
+    // keyboard events forwarded to us from wxListMainWindow.
+    DisableKeyboardScrolling();
+
     if (HasFlag(wxDV_NO_HEADER))
         m_headerArea = NULL;
     else