diff --git a/include/wx/msw/menuitem.h b/include/wx/msw/menuitem.h
index 741addbcc7..4362d621e6 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/menuitem.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/menuitem.h
@@ -117,9 +117,12 @@ private:
     bool MSWMustUseOwnerDrawn();
 #endif // wxUSE_OWNER_DRAWN
 
-    // helper function to get a handle of bitmap associated with item
+    // helper function to get a handle for normal bitmap associated with item
     WXHBITMAP GetHBitmapForMenu(bool checked = true);
 
+    // helper function to get a handle for checkable bitmap associated with item
+    WXHBITMAP GetHBitmapForMenuCheckable(bool checked);
+
     // helper function to set/change the bitmap
     void DoSetBitmap(const wxBitmap& bmp, bool bChecked);
 
diff --git a/samples/menu/menu.cpp b/samples/menu/menu.cpp
index f02168fbf8..3afe190faf 100644
--- a/samples/menu/menu.cpp
+++ b/samples/menu/menu.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
 
 #ifndef WX_PRECOMP
     #include "wx/app.h"
+    #include "wx/bitmap.h"
     #include "wx/frame.h"
+    #include "wx/image.h"
     #include "wx/menu.h"
     #include "wx/msgdlg.h"
     #include "wx/log.h"
@@ -607,6 +609,33 @@ MyFrame::MyFrame()
     testMenu->Append(Menu_Test_Normal, wxT("&Normal item"));
     testMenu->AppendSeparator();
     testMenu->AppendCheckItem(Menu_Test_Check, wxT("&Check item"));
+
+#ifdef __WXMSW__
+#if wxUSE_IMAGE
+    wxBitmap bmpUnchecked(8, 8);
+
+    wxImage imageChecked(8, 8);
+    imageChecked.Clear(0xff);
+    wxBitmap bmpChecked(imageChecked);
+
+    wxMenuItem *checkedBitmapItem = new wxMenuItem(testMenu, wxID_ANY,
+        "Check item with bitmaps", "", wxITEM_CHECK);
+    checkedBitmapItem->SetBitmaps(bmpChecked, bmpUnchecked);
+    testMenu->Append(checkedBitmapItem);
+
+    checkedBitmapItem = new wxMenuItem(testMenu, wxID_ANY,
+        "Check item with bitmaps set afterwards", "", wxITEM_CHECK);
+    testMenu->Append(checkedBitmapItem);
+    checkedBitmapItem->SetBitmaps(bmpChecked, bmpUnchecked);
+
+    checkedBitmapItem = new wxMenuItem(testMenu, wxID_ANY,
+        "Check item with bitmaps set afterwards (initially checked)", "", wxITEM_CHECK);
+    testMenu->Append(checkedBitmapItem);
+    checkedBitmapItem->Check();
+    checkedBitmapItem->SetBitmaps(bmpChecked, bmpUnchecked);
+#endif
+#endif
+
     testMenu->AppendSeparator();
     testMenu->AppendRadioItem(Menu_Test_Radio1, wxT("Radio item &1"));
     testMenu->AppendRadioItem(Menu_Test_Radio2, wxT("Radio item &2"));
diff --git a/src/msw/menu.cpp b/src/msw/menu.cpp
index acc9e48867..ee4e49936d 100644
--- a/src/msw/menu.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/menu.cpp
@@ -573,8 +573,8 @@ bool wxMenu::DoInsertOrAppend(wxMenuItem *pItem, size_t pos)
                 if ( pItem->IsCheckable() )
                 {
                     mii.fMask |= MIIM_CHECKMARKS;
-                    mii.hbmpChecked = pItem->GetHBitmapForMenu(true);
-                    mii.hbmpUnchecked = pItem->GetHBitmapForMenu(false);
+                    mii.hbmpChecked = pItem->GetHBitmapForMenuCheckable(true);
+                    mii.hbmpUnchecked = pItem->GetHBitmapForMenuCheckable(false);
                 }
                 else if ( pItem->GetBitmap().IsOk() )
                 {
diff --git a/src/msw/menuitem.cpp b/src/msw/menuitem.cpp
index a6593f35ed..62d7922cf3 100644
--- a/src/msw/menuitem.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/menuitem.cpp
@@ -807,8 +807,8 @@ void wxMenuItem::DoSetBitmap(const wxBitmap& bmp, bool bChecked)
     if ( IsCheckable() )
     {
         mii.fMask = MIIM_CHECKMARKS;
-        mii.hbmpChecked = GetHBitmapForMenu(true);
-        mii.hbmpUnchecked = GetHBitmapForMenu(false);
+        mii.hbmpChecked = GetHBitmapForMenuCheckable(true);
+        mii.hbmpUnchecked = GetHBitmapForMenuCheckable(false);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -1184,6 +1184,52 @@ bool wxMenuItem::OnDrawItem(wxDC& dc, const wxRect& rc,
 namespace
 {
 
+// Returns the HBITMAP to use in MENUITEMINFO, either for hBmpItem (then
+// forCheckableItem is false) or for hbmpChecked/hBmpUnchecked
+// usage (forCheckableItem is true). The difference is needed because
+// HBMMENU_CALLBACK can only be used for hBmpItem items.
+HBITMAP DoGetHBitmapForMenu(wxMenuItem *menuItem,
+    bool checked, bool forCheckableItem)
+{
+    // Under versions of Windows older than Vista we can't pass HBITMAP
+    // directly as hbmpItem for 2 reasons:
+    //  1. We can't draw it with transparency then (this is not
+    //     very important now but would be with themed menu bg)
+    //  2. Worse, Windows inverts the bitmap for the selected
+    //     item and this looks downright ugly
+    //
+    // So we prefer to instead draw it ourselves in MSWOnDrawItem() by using
+    // HBMMENU_CALLBACK for normal menu items when inserting it. And use
+    // NULL for checkable menu items as hbmpChecked/hBmpUnchecked does not
+    // support HBMMENU_CALLBACK.
+    //
+    // However under Vista using HBMMENU_CALLBACK causes the entire menu to be
+    // drawn using the classic theme instead of the current one and it does
+    // handle transparency just fine so do use the real bitmap there
+#if wxUSE_IMAGE
+    if ( wxGetWinVersion() >= wxWinVersion_Vista )
+    {
+        wxBitmap bmp = menuItem->GetBitmap(checked);
+        if ( bmp.IsOk() )
+        {
+            // we must use PARGB DIB for the menu bitmaps so ensure that we do
+            wxImage img(bmp.ConvertToImage());
+            if ( !img.HasAlpha() )
+            {
+                img.InitAlpha();
+                menuItem->SetBitmap(img, checked);
+            }
+
+            return GetHbitmapOf(menuItem->GetBitmap(checked));
+        }
+        //else: bitmap is not set
+        return NULL;
+    }
+#endif // wxUSE_IMAGE
+
+    return forCheckableItem ? NULL : HBMMENU_CALLBACK;
+}
+
 // helper function for draw coloured check mark
 void DrawColorCheckMark(HDC hdc, int x, int y, int cx, int cy, HDC hdcCheckMask, int idxColor)
 {
@@ -1376,44 +1422,17 @@ bool wxMenuItem::MSWMustUseOwnerDrawn()
 
 #endif // wxUSE_OWNER_DRAWN
 
-// returns the HBITMAP to use in MENUITEMINFO
+// returns the HBITMAP to use in MENUITEMINFO for hBmpItem member
 HBITMAP wxMenuItem::GetHBitmapForMenu(bool checked)
 {
-    // Under versions of Windows older than Vista we can't pass HBITMAP
-    // directly as hbmpItem for 2 reasons:
-    //  1. We can't draw it with transparency then (this is not
-    //     very important now but would be with themed menu bg)
-    //  2. Worse, Windows inverts the bitmap for the selected
-    //     item and this looks downright ugly
-    //
-    // So we prefer to instead draw it ourselves in MSWOnDrawItem().by using
-    // HBMMENU_CALLBACK when inserting it
-    //
-    // However under Vista using HBMMENU_CALLBACK causes the entire menu to be
-    // drawn using the classic theme instead of the current one and it does
-    // handle transparency just fine so do use the real bitmap there
-#if wxUSE_IMAGE
-    if ( wxGetWinVersion() >= wxWinVersion_Vista )
-    {
-        wxBitmap bmp = GetBitmap(checked);
-        if ( bmp.IsOk() )
-        {
-            // we must use PARGB DIB for the menu bitmaps so ensure that we do
-            wxImage img(bmp.ConvertToImage());
-            if ( !img.HasAlpha() )
-            {
-                img.InitAlpha();
-                SetBitmap(img, checked);
-            }
+    return ::DoGetHBitmapForMenu(this, checked, false /*for checkable item?*/);
+}
 
-            return GetHbitmapOf(GetBitmap(checked));
-        }
-        //else: bitmap is not set
-        return NULL;
-    }
-#endif // wxUSE_IMAGE
-
-    return HBMMENU_CALLBACK;
+// returns the HBITMAP to use in MENUITEMINFO for hbmpChecked and
+// hbmpUnchecked member
+HBITMAP wxMenuItem::GetHBitmapForMenuCheckable(bool checked)
+{
+    return ::DoGetHBitmapForMenu(this, checked, true /*for checkable item?*/);
 }
 
 int wxMenuItem::MSGetMenuItemPos() const