diff --git a/src/common/appbase.cpp b/src/common/appbase.cpp
index 63512ccd38..b885f7d992 100644
--- a/src/common/appbase.cpp
+++ b/src/common/appbase.cpp
@@ -1307,7 +1307,7 @@ bool DoShowAssertDialog(const wxString& msg)
               wxT("further warnings.");
 
     switch ( ::MessageBox(NULL, msgDlg.t_str(), wxT("wxWidgets Debug Alert"),
-                          MB_YESNOCANCEL | MB_ICONSTOP ) )
+                          MB_YESNOCANCEL | MB_DEFBUTTON2 | MB_ICONSTOP ) )
     {
         case IDYES:
             // If we called wxTrap() directly from here, the programmer would
diff --git a/src/common/appcmn.cpp b/src/common/appcmn.cpp
index 0379985eba..022b5e6fcf 100644
--- a/src/common/appcmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/appcmn.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "wx/apptrait.h"
 #include "wx/cmdline.h"
 #include "wx/msgout.h"
+#include "wx/richmsgdlg.h"
 #include "wx/thread.h"
 #include "wx/vidmode.h"
 #include "wx/evtloop.h"
@@ -457,51 +458,94 @@ wxRendererNative *wxGUIAppTraitsBase::CreateRenderer()
 bool wxGUIAppTraitsBase::ShowAssertDialog(const wxString& msg)
 {
 #if wxDEBUG_LEVEL
-    // under MSW we prefer to use the base class version using ::MessageBox()
-    // even if wxMessageBox() is available because it has less chances to
-    // double fault our app than our wxMessageBox()
+    // If possible, show the assert using a dialog allowing to hide the stack
+    // trace by default to avoid frightening people unnecessarily.
     //
-    // under DFB the message dialog is not always functional right now
+    // Otherwise, show the assert using a basic message box, but under MSW
+    // we prefer to use the base class version using ::MessageBox() even if
+    // wxMessageBox() is available because it has less chances to double
+    // fault our app than our wxMessageBox()
     //
-    // and finally we can't use wxMessageBox() if it wasn't compiled in, of
-    // course
-#if !defined(__WXMSW__) && !defined(__WXDFB__) && wxUSE_MSGDLG
+    // Notice that under DFB the message dialog is not always functional right
+    // now and, finally, we can't use wxMessageBox() if it wasn't compiled in.
+#if wxUSE_RICHMSGDLG || \
+    (wxUSE_MSGDLG && !defined(__WXMSW__) && !defined(__WXDFB__))
 
     // we can't (safely) show the GUI dialog from another thread, only do it
     // for the asserts in the main thread
     if ( wxIsMainThread() )
     {
-        wxString msgDlg = msg;
+        // Note that this and the other messages here are intentionally not
+        // translated -- they are for developpers only.
+        static const wxStringCharType* caption = wxS("wxWidgets Debug Alert");
+
+        wxString msgDlg = wxS("A debugging check in this application ")
+                          wxS("has failed.\n\n") + msg;
+
+        // "No" button means to continue execution, so it should be the default
+        // action as leaving the "Yes" button the default one would mean that
+        // accidentally pressing Space or Enter would trap and kill the program.
+        const int flags = wxYES_NO | wxNO_DEFAULT | wxICON_STOP;
 
 #if wxUSE_STACKWALKER
         const wxString stackTrace = GetAssertStackTrace();
+#endif // wxUSE_STACKWALKER
+
+#if wxUSE_RICHMSGDLG
+        wxRichMessageDialog dlg(NULL, msgDlg, caption, flags);
+
+        dlg.SetYesNoLabels("Stop", "Continue");
+
+        dlg.ShowCheckBox("Don't show this dialog again");
+
+#if wxUSE_STACKWALKER
+        if ( !stackTrace.empty() )
+            dlg.ShowDetailedText(stackTrace);
+#endif // wxUSE_STACKWALKER
+#else // !wxUSE_RICHMSGDLG
+#if wxUSE_STACKWALKER
         if ( !stackTrace.empty() )
             msgDlg << wxT("\n\nCall stack:\n") << stackTrace;
 #endif // wxUSE_STACKWALKER
 
-        // this message is intentionally not translated -- it is for
-        // developpers only
         msgDlg += wxT("\nDo you want to stop the program?\n")
                   wxT("You can also choose [Cancel] to suppress ")
                   wxT("further warnings.");
 
-        switch ( wxMessageBox(msgDlg, wxT("wxWidgets Debug Alert"),
-                              wxYES_NO | wxCANCEL | wxICON_STOP ) )
+        wxMessageDialog dlg(NULL, msg, caption, flags);
+#endif // wxUSE_RICHMSGDLG/!wxUSE_RICHMSGDLG
+
+        switch ( dlg.ShowModal() )
         {
-            case wxYES:
-                wxTrap();
+            case wxID_YES:
+                // See the comment about using the same variable in
+                // DoShowAssertDialog().
+                wxTrapInAssert = true;
                 break;
 
-            case wxCANCEL:
-                // no more asserts
+            case wxID_CANCEL:
+                // This button is used with the plain message dialog only to
+                // indicate that no more assert dialogs should be shown, as
+                // there is no other way to do it with it.
                 return true;
 
-            //case wxNO: nothing to do
+            case wxID_NO:
+#if wxUSE_RICHMSGDLG
+                if ( dlg.IsCheckBoxChecked() )
+                {
+                    // With this dialog, the checkbox is used to indicate that
+                    // the subsequent asserts should be skipped.
+                    return true;
+                }
+#endif // wxUSE_RICHMSGDLG
+
+                // Nothing to do otherwise.
+                break;
         }
 
         return false;
     }
-#endif // wxUSE_MSGDLG
+#endif // wxUSE_RICHMSGDLG || wxUSE_MSGDLG
 #endif // wxDEBUG_LEVEL
 
     return wxAppTraitsBase::ShowAssertDialog(msg);