diff --git a/include/wx/window.h b/include/wx/window.h
index 6062504215..78b1fd342a 100644
--- a/include/wx/window.h
+++ b/include/wx/window.h
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ public:
 
         // generate a control id for the controls which were not given one by
         // user
-    static int NewControlId() { return ++ms_lastControlId; }
+    static int NewControlId() { return --ms_lastControlId; }
 
     // moving/resizing
     // ---------------
diff --git a/src/common/wincmn.cpp b/src/common/wincmn.cpp
index 37d54450d7..153a0408af 100644
--- a/src/common/wincmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/wincmn.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 // static data
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-int wxWindowBase::ms_lastControlId = 0;
+int wxWindowBase::ms_lastControlId = -2;
 
 IMPLEMENT_ABSTRACT_CLASS(wxWindowBase, wxEvtHandler)
 
@@ -152,8 +152,7 @@ bool wxWindowBase::CreateBase(wxWindowBase *parent,
     wxASSERT_MSG( m_isWindow, _T("Init() must have been called before!") );
 
     // generate a new id if the user doesn't care about it
-      // No, we keep the -1 from now on. RR.
-//    m_windowId = id == -1 ? NewControlId() : id;
+    m_windowId = id == -1 ? NewControlId() : id;
 
     SetName(name);
     SetWindowStyleFlag(style);