diff --git a/include/wx/generic/dataview.h b/include/wx/generic/dataview.h
index a96e53db6b..4c932cfd1c 100644
--- a/include/wx/generic/dataview.h
+++ b/include/wx/generic/dataview.h
@@ -166,6 +166,11 @@ private:
     void UpdateDisplay();
     void UpdateWidth();
 
+    // Return the effective value corresponding to the given width, handling
+    // its negative values such as wxCOL_WIDTH_DEFAULT.
+    int DoGetEffectiveWidth(int width) const;
+
+
     wxString m_title;
     int m_width,
         m_manuallySetWidth,
diff --git a/src/generic/datavgen.cpp b/src/generic/datavgen.cpp
index 9a290ab86c..bce892416b 100644
--- a/src/generic/datavgen.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/datavgen.cpp
@@ -188,9 +188,9 @@ void wxDataViewColumn::Init(int width, wxAlignment align, int flags)
     m_sortAscending = true;
 }
 
-int wxDataViewColumn::GetWidth() const
+int wxDataViewColumn::DoGetEffectiveWidth(int width) const
 {
-    switch ( m_width )
+    switch ( width )
     {
         case wxCOL_WIDTH_DEFAULT:
             return wxWindow::FromDIP(wxDVC_DEFAULT_WIDTH, m_owner);
@@ -200,10 +200,15 @@ int wxDataViewColumn::GetWidth() const
             return m_owner->GetBestColumnWidth(m_owner->GetColumnIndex(this));
 
         default:
-            return m_width;
+            return width;
     }
 }
 
+int wxDataViewColumn::GetWidth() const
+{
+    return DoGetEffectiveWidth(m_width);
+}
+
 void wxDataViewColumn::WXOnResize(int width)
 {
     m_width =