diff --git a/include/wx/html/htmlcell.h b/include/wx/html/htmlcell.h
index 328aefce8a..c0d03c8a26 100644
--- a/include/wx/html/htmlcell.h
+++ b/include/wx/html/htmlcell.h
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ public:
     // sets minimal height of this container.
     void SetMinHeight(int h, int align = wxHTML_ALIGN_TOP) {m_MinHeight = h; m_MinHeightAlign = align; m_LastLayout = -1;}
 
-    void SetBackgroundColour(const wxColour& clr) {m_UseBkColour = true; m_BkColour = clr;}
+    void SetBackgroundColour(const wxColour& clr) {m_BkColour = clr;}
     // returns background colour (of wxNullColour if none set), so that widgets can
     // adapt to it:
     wxColour GetBackgroundColour();
@@ -537,7 +537,6 @@ protected:
             // alignment horizontal and vertical (left, center, right)
     int m_WidthFloat, m_WidthFloatUnits;
             // width float is used in adjustWidth
-    bool m_UseBkColour;
     wxColour m_BkColour;
             // background color of this container
     int m_Border;
diff --git a/src/html/htmlcell.cpp b/src/html/htmlcell.cpp
index 53699fc856..3d243b762f 100644
--- a/src/html/htmlcell.cpp
+++ b/src/html/htmlcell.cpp
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ wxHtmlContainerCell::wxHtmlContainerCell(wxHtmlContainerCell *parent) : wxHtmlCe
     m_AlignVer = wxHTML_ALIGN_BOTTOM;
     m_IndentLeft = m_IndentRight = m_IndentTop = m_IndentBottom = 0;
     m_WidthFloat = 100; m_WidthFloatUnits = wxHTML_UNITS_PERCENT;
-    m_UseBkColour = false;
+    m_BkColour = wxNullColour;
     m_Border = 0;
     m_MinHeight = 0;
     m_MinHeightAlign = wxHTML_ALIGN_TOP;
@@ -1096,7 +1096,7 @@ void wxHtmlContainerCell::Draw(wxDC& dc, int x, int y, int view_y1, int view_y2,
     int xlocal = x + m_PosX;
     int ylocal = y + m_PosY;
 
-    if (m_UseBkColour)
+    if (m_BkColour.IsOk())
     {
         wxBrush myb = wxBrush(m_BkColour, wxBRUSHSTYLE_SOLID);
 
@@ -1217,10 +1217,7 @@ void wxHtmlContainerCell::DrawInvisible(wxDC& dc, int x, int y,
 
 wxColour wxHtmlContainerCell::GetBackgroundColour()
 {
-    if (m_UseBkColour)
-        return m_BkColour;
-    else
-        return wxNullColour;
+    return m_BkColour;
 }