diff --git a/include/wx/frame.h b/include/wx/frame.h
index a9134b0a26..6740046652 100644
--- a/include/wx/frame.h
+++ b/include/wx/frame.h
@@ -170,8 +170,9 @@ public:
 
 #if wxUSE_MENUS || wxUSE_TOOLBAR
     // show help text for the currently selected menu or toolbar item
-    // (typically in the status bar)
-    virtual void DoGiveHelp(const wxString& text);
+    // (typically in the status bar) or hide it and restore the status bar text
+    // originally shown before the menu was opened if show == false
+    virtual void DoGiveHelp(const wxString& text, bool show);
 #endif
 
 protected:
diff --git a/src/common/framecmn.cpp b/src/common/framecmn.cpp
index 218239b815..300c0798d2 100644
--- a/src/common/framecmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/framecmn.cpp
@@ -270,18 +270,7 @@ void wxFrameBase::OnMenuOpen(wxMenuEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
 
 void wxFrameBase::OnMenuClose(wxMenuEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
 {
-    // do we have real status text to restore?
-    if ( !m_oldStatusText.empty() )
-    {
-        if ( m_statusBarPane >= 0 )
-        {
-            wxStatusBar *statbar = GetStatusBar();
-            if ( statbar )
-                statbar->SetStatusText(m_oldStatusText, m_statusBarPane);
-        }
-
-        m_oldStatusText.clear();
-    }
+    DoGiveHelp(wxEmptyString, false);
 }
 
 #endif // wxUSE_MENUS && wxUSE_STATUSBAR
@@ -378,7 +367,7 @@ bool wxFrameBase::ShowMenuHelp(wxStatusBar *WXUNUSED(statbar), int menuId)
         }
     }
 
-    DoGiveHelp(helpString);
+    DoGiveHelp(helpString, true);
 
     return !helpString.empty();
 #else // !wxUSE_MENUS
@@ -402,7 +391,7 @@ void wxFrameBase::SetStatusBar(wxStatusBar *statBar)
 #endif // wxUSE_STATUSBAR
 
 #if wxUSE_MENUS || wxUSE_TOOLBAR
-void wxFrameBase::DoGiveHelp(const wxString& help)
+void wxFrameBase::DoGiveHelp(const wxString& help, bool show)
 {
 #if wxUSE_STATUSBAR
     if ( m_statusBarPane < 0 )
@@ -415,28 +404,39 @@ void wxFrameBase::DoGiveHelp(const wxString& help)
     if ( !statbar )
         return;
 
-    // remember the old status bar text if this is the first time we're
-    // called since the menu has been opened as we're going to overwrite it
-    // in our DoGiveHelp() and we want to restore it when the menu is
-    // closed
-    //
-    // note that it would be logical to do this in OnMenuOpen() but under
-    // MSW we get an EVT_MENU_HIGHLIGHT before EVT_MENU_OPEN, strangely
-    // enough, and so this doesn't work and instead we use the ugly trick
-    // with using special m_oldStatusText value as "menu opened" (but it is
-    // arguably better than adding yet another member variable to wxFrame
-    // on all platforms)
-    if ( m_oldStatusText.empty() )
+    wxString text;
+    if ( show )
     {
-        m_oldStatusText = statbar->GetStatusText(m_statusBarPane);
+        // remember the old status bar text if this is the first time we're
+        // called since the menu has been opened as we're going to overwrite it
+        // in our DoGiveHelp() and we want to restore it when the menu is
+        // closed
+        //
+        // note that it would be logical to do this in OnMenuOpen() but under
+        // MSW we get an EVT_MENU_HIGHLIGHT before EVT_MENU_OPEN, strangely
+        // enough, and so this doesn't work and instead we use the ugly trick
+        // with using special m_oldStatusText value as "menu opened" (but it is
+        // arguably better than adding yet another member variable to wxFrame
+        // on all platforms)
         if ( m_oldStatusText.empty() )
         {
-            // use special value to prevent us from doing this the next time
-            m_oldStatusText += _T('\0');
+            m_oldStatusText = statbar->GetStatusText(m_statusBarPane);
+            if ( m_oldStatusText.empty() )
+            {
+                // use special value to prevent us from doing this the next time
+                m_oldStatusText += _T('\0');
+            }
         }
+
+        text = help;
+    }
+    else // hide help, restore the original text
+    {
+        text = m_oldStatusText;
+        m_oldStatusText.clear();
     }
 
-    statbar->SetStatusText(help, m_statusBarPane);
+    statbar->SetStatusText(text, m_statusBarPane);
 #else
     wxUnusedVar(text);
     wxUnusedVar(show);
diff --git a/src/common/tbarbase.cpp b/src/common/tbarbase.cpp
index 8a63d697a0..1e427b825f 100644
--- a/src/common/tbarbase.cpp
+++ b/src/common/tbarbase.cpp
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ void wxToolBarBase::OnMouseEnter(int id)
     event.SetInt(id);
 
     wxFrame *frame = wxDynamicCast(GetParent(), wxFrame);
-    if( frame )
+    if ( frame )
     {
         wxString help;
         if ( id != wxID_ANY )
@@ -638,9 +638,9 @@ void wxToolBarBase::OnMouseEnter(int id)
                help = tool->GetLongHelp();
         }
 
-        // do it even if help string is empty to avoid showing the help for the
-        // previously selected tool when another one is selected
-        frame->DoGiveHelp(help);
+        // call DoGiveHelp() even if help string is empty to avoid showing the
+        // help for the previously selected tool when another one is selected
+        frame->DoGiveHelp(help, id != wxID_ANY);
     }
 
     (void)GetEventHandler()->ProcessEvent(event);
diff --git a/src/msw/frame.cpp b/src/msw/frame.cpp
index 300c0317ed..8f0ce449bc 100644
--- a/src/msw/frame.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/frame.cpp
@@ -1004,7 +1004,7 @@ bool wxFrame::HandleMenuSelect(WXWORD nItem, WXWORD flags, WXHMENU hMenu)
         // items opening popup menus (they don't have them anyhow) but do clear
         // the status line - otherwise, we would be left with the help message
         // for the previous item which doesn't apply any more
-        DoGiveHelp(wxEmptyString);
+        DoGiveHelp(wxEmptyString, true);
 
         return false;
     }