diff --git a/include/wx/animate.h b/include/wx/animate.h
index 18f2dbdd71..2a0454a0e8 100644
--- a/include/wx/animate.h
+++ b/include/wx/animate.h
@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ enum wxAnimationImplType
     wxANIMATION_IMPL_TYPE_GENERIC
 };
 
-class WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE wxAnimationImpl : public wxObject, public wxRefCounter
+class WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE wxAnimationImpl : public wxRefCounter
 {
 public:
     wxAnimationImpl() {}
+    virtual ~wxAnimationImpl() {}
 
     virtual wxAnimationImplType GetImplType() = 0;
 
diff --git a/include/wx/generic/private/animate.h b/include/wx/generic/private/animate.h
index d5b89e2ca2..49300d61b4 100644
--- a/include/wx/generic/private/animate.h
+++ b/include/wx/generic/private/animate.h
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
 #ifndef _WX_GENERIC_PRIVATE_ANIMATEH__
 #define _WX_GENERIC_PRIVATE_ANIMATEH__
 
-#include "wx/bitmap.h"
-
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // wxAnimationGenericImpl
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -20,13 +18,14 @@
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_ADV wxAnimationGenericImpl : public wxAnimationImpl
 {
 public:
-    wxAnimationGenericImpl() {}
+    wxAnimationGenericImpl() : m_decoder(NULL) {}
+    virtual ~wxAnimationGenericImpl() { UnRef(); }
 
     virtual wxAnimationImplType GetImplType() wxOVERRIDE
         { return wxANIMATION_IMPL_TYPE_GENERIC; }
 
     virtual bool IsOk() const wxOVERRIDE
-        { return m_refData != NULL; }
+        { return m_decoder != NULL; }
 
     virtual unsigned int GetFrameCount() const wxOVERRIDE;
     virtual int GetDelay(unsigned int i) const wxOVERRIDE;
@@ -45,9 +44,12 @@ public:
     virtual wxColour GetTransparentColour(unsigned int frame) const;
     virtual wxColour GetBackgroundColour() const;
 
-protected:
+private:
+    void UnRef();
+
+    wxAnimationDecoder* m_decoder;
+
     wxDECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxAnimationGenericImpl);
-    wxDECLARE_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxAnimationGenericImpl);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/include/wx/gtk/private/animate.h b/include/wx/gtk/private/animate.h
index 6337547ce7..a923984679 100644
--- a/include/wx/gtk/private/animate.h
+++ b/include/wx/gtk/private/animate.h
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ private:
 
     typedef wxAnimationImpl base_type;
     wxDECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxAnimationGTKImpl);
-    wxDECLARE_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxAnimationGTKImpl);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/generic/animateg.cpp b/src/generic/animateg.cpp
index 97513ad71d..176080b4cc 100644
--- a/src/generic/animateg.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/animateg.cpp
@@ -32,22 +32,18 @@
 // wxAnimation
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-wxIMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxAnimationGenericImpl, wxAnimationImpl);
-
-#define M_ANIMDATA      static_cast<wxAnimationDecoder*>(m_refData)
-
 wxSize wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetSize() const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), wxDefaultSize, wxT("invalid animation") );
 
-    return M_ANIMDATA->GetAnimationSize();
+    return m_decoder->GetAnimationSize();
 }
 
 unsigned int wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetFrameCount() const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), 0, wxT("invalid animation") );
 
-    return M_ANIMDATA->GetFrameCount();
+    return m_decoder->GetFrameCount();
 }
 
 wxImage wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetFrame(unsigned int i) const
@@ -55,7 +51,7 @@ wxImage wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetFrame(unsigned int i) const
     wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), wxNullImage, wxT("invalid animation") );
 
     wxImage ret;
-    if (!M_ANIMDATA->ConvertToImage(i, &ret))
+    if (!m_decoder->ConvertToImage(i, &ret))
         return wxNullImage;
     return ret;
 }
@@ -64,42 +60,42 @@ int wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetDelay(unsigned int i) const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), 0, wxT("invalid animation") );
 
-    return M_ANIMDATA->GetDelay(i);
+    return m_decoder->GetDelay(i);
 }
 
 wxPoint wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetFramePosition(unsigned int frame) const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), wxDefaultPosition, wxT("invalid animation") );
 
-    return M_ANIMDATA->GetFramePosition(frame);
+    return m_decoder->GetFramePosition(frame);
 }
 
 wxSize wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetFrameSize(unsigned int frame) const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), wxDefaultSize, wxT("invalid animation") );
 
-    return M_ANIMDATA->GetFrameSize(frame);
+    return m_decoder->GetFrameSize(frame);
 }
 
 wxAnimationDisposal wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetDisposalMethod(unsigned int frame) const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), wxANIM_UNSPECIFIED, wxT("invalid animation") );
 
-    return M_ANIMDATA->GetDisposalMethod(frame);
+    return m_decoder->GetDisposalMethod(frame);
 }
 
 wxColour wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetTransparentColour(unsigned int frame) const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), wxNullColour, wxT("invalid animation") );
 
-    return M_ANIMDATA->GetTransparentColour(frame);
+    return m_decoder->GetTransparentColour(frame);
 }
 
 wxColour wxAnimationGenericImpl::GetBackgroundColour() const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), wxNullColour, wxT("invalid animation") );
 
-    return M_ANIMDATA->GetBackgroundColour();
+    return m_decoder->GetBackgroundColour();
 }
 
 bool wxAnimationGenericImpl::LoadFile(const wxString& filename, wxAnimationType type)
@@ -127,8 +123,8 @@ bool wxAnimationGenericImpl::Load(wxInputStream &stream, wxAnimationType type)
             {
                 // do a copy of the handler from the static list which we will own
                 // as our reference data
-                m_refData = handler->Clone();
-                return M_ANIMDATA->Load(stream);
+                m_decoder = handler->Clone();
+                return m_decoder->Load(stream);
             }
         }
 
@@ -148,17 +144,25 @@ bool wxAnimationGenericImpl::Load(wxInputStream &stream, wxAnimationType type)
 
     // do a copy of the handler from the static list which we will own
     // as our reference data
-    m_refData = handler->Clone();
+    m_decoder = handler->Clone();
 
-    if (stream.IsSeekable() && !M_ANIMDATA->CanRead(stream))
+    if (stream.IsSeekable() && !m_decoder->CanRead(stream))
     {
         wxLogError(_("Animation file is not of type %ld."), type);
         return false;
     }
     else
-        return M_ANIMDATA->Load(stream);
+        return m_decoder->Load(stream);
 }
 
+void wxAnimationGenericImpl::UnRef()
+{
+    if ( m_decoder )
+    {
+        m_decoder->DecRef();
+        m_decoder = NULL;
+    }
+}
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // wxAnimationCtrl
diff --git a/src/gtk/animate.cpp b/src/gtk/animate.cpp
index 6ec9a18e1a..c62a390800 100644
--- a/src/gtk/animate.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/animate.cpp
@@ -53,8 +53,6 @@ void gdk_pixbuf_area_updated(GdkPixbufLoader    *loader,
 // wxAnimationGTKImpl
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-wxIMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxAnimationGTKImpl, wxAnimationImpl);
-
 bool wxAnimationGTKImpl::LoadFile(const wxString &name, wxAnimationType WXUNUSED(type))
 {
     UnRef();
@@ -162,7 +160,6 @@ wxSize wxAnimationGTKImpl::GetSize() const
 
 void wxAnimationGTKImpl::UnRef()
 {
-    base_type::UnRef();
     if (m_pixbuf)
         g_object_unref(m_pixbuf);
     m_pixbuf = NULL;