diff --git a/include/wx/xrc/xmlres.h b/include/wx/xrc/xmlres.h
index 984536230f..9b74828fc2 100644
--- a/include/wx/xrc/xmlres.h
+++ b/include/wx/xrc/xmlres.h
@@ -591,8 +591,10 @@ public:
     wxImageList *GetImageList(const wxString& param = wxT("imagelist")) wxOVERRIDE;
 
 #if wxUSE_ANIMATIONCTRL
-    // Gets an animation.
-    wxAnimation* GetAnimation(const wxString& param = wxT("animation")) wxOVERRIDE;
+    // Gets an animation creating it using the provided control (so that it
+    // will be compatible with it) if any.
+    wxAnimation* GetAnimation(const wxString& param = wxT("animation"),
+                              wxAnimationCtrlBase* ctrl = NULL) wxOVERRIDE;
 #endif
 
     // Gets a font.
diff --git a/include/wx/xrc/xmlreshandler.h b/include/wx/xrc/xmlreshandler.h
index c4630915ac..b478356d6d 100644
--- a/include/wx/xrc/xmlreshandler.h
+++ b/include/wx/xrc/xmlreshandler.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "wx/window.h"
 
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_FWD_CORE wxAnimation;
+class WXDLLIMPEXP_FWD_CORE wxAnimationCtrlBase;
 
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_FWD_XML wxXmlNode;
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_FWD_XML wxXmlResource;
@@ -100,7 +101,8 @@ public:
     virtual wxImageList *GetImageList(const wxString& param = wxT("imagelist")) = 0;
 
 #if wxUSE_ANIMATIONCTRL
-    virtual wxAnimation* GetAnimation(const wxString& param = wxT("animation")) = 0;
+    virtual wxAnimation* GetAnimation(const wxString& param = wxT("animation"),
+                                      wxAnimationCtrlBase* ctrl = NULL) = 0;
 #endif
 
     virtual wxFont GetFont(const wxString& param = wxT("font"), wxWindow* parent = NULL) = 0;
@@ -353,9 +355,10 @@ protected:
     }
 
 #if wxUSE_ANIMATIONCTRL
-    wxAnimation* GetAnimation(const wxString& param = wxT("animation"))
+    wxAnimation* GetAnimation(const wxString& param = wxT("animation"),
+                              wxAnimationCtrlBase* ctrl = NULL)
     {
-        return GetImpl()->GetAnimation(param);
+        return GetImpl()->GetAnimation(param, ctrl);
     }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/interface/wx/xrc/xmlres.h b/interface/wx/xrc/xmlres.h
index 0c625ce724..9feca5980f 100644
--- a/interface/wx/xrc/xmlres.h
+++ b/interface/wx/xrc/xmlres.h
@@ -542,8 +542,15 @@ protected:
 
     /**
         Creates an animation (see wxAnimation) from the filename specified in @a param.
+
+        It is recommended to provide @a ctrl argument to this function (which
+        is only available in wxWidgets 3.1.4 or later) to make sure that the
+        created animation is compatible with the specified control, otherwise a
+        wxAnimation object compatible with the default wxAnimationCtrl
+        implementation is created.
     */
-    wxAnimation* GetAnimation(const wxString& param = "animation");
+    wxAnimation* GetAnimation(const wxString& param = "animation",
+                              wxAnimationCtrlBase* ctrl = NULL);
 
     /**
         Gets a bitmap.
diff --git a/src/xrc/xh_animatctrl.cpp b/src/xrc/xh_animatctrl.cpp
index fb98705bf7..d75502b1ce 100644
--- a/src/xrc/xh_animatctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/xrc/xh_animatctrl.cpp
@@ -60,37 +60,9 @@ wxObject *wxAnimationCtrlXmlHandler::DoCreateResource()
     if ( GetBool("hidden", 0) == 1 )
         ctrl->Hide();
 
-    const wxString aniParam = "animation";
-    wxString path = GetFilePath(GetParamNode(aniParam));
-    // load the animation from file
-    if ( !path.empty() )
-    {
-        wxAnimation ani = ctrl->CreateAnimation();
-#if wxUSE_FILESYSTEM
-        wxScopedPtr<wxFSFile> fsfile(
-            GetCurFileSystem().OpenFile(path, wxFS_READ | wxFS_SEEKABLE)
-        );
-        if (fsfile)
-        {
-            ani.Load(*fsfile->GetStream());
-        }
-#else
-        ani.LoadFile(name);
-#endif
-
-        if ( ani.IsOk() )
-        {
-            ctrl->SetAnimation(ani);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            ReportParamError
-            (
-                aniParam,
-                wxString::Format("cannot create animation from \"%s\"", path)
-            );
-        }
-    }
+    wxScopedPtr<wxAnimation> animation(GetAnimation("animation", ctrl));
+    if ( animation )
+        ctrl->SetAnimation(*animation);
 
     // if no inactive-bitmap has been provided, GetBitmap() will return wxNullBitmap
     // which just tells wxAnimationCtrl to use the default for inactive status
@@ -107,14 +79,16 @@ bool wxAnimationCtrlXmlHandler::CanHandle(wxXmlNode *node)
            IsOfClass(node, wxT("wxGenericAnimationCtrl"));
 }
 
-wxAnimation* wxXmlResourceHandlerImpl::GetAnimation(const wxString& param)
+wxAnimation* wxXmlResourceHandlerImpl::GetAnimation(const wxString& param,
+                                                    wxAnimationCtrlBase* ctrl)
 {
     wxString name = GetFilePath(GetParamNode(param));
     if ( name.empty() )
         return NULL;
 
     // load the animation from file
-    wxScopedPtr<wxAnimation> ani(new wxAnimation);
+    wxScopedPtr<wxAnimation> ani(ctrl ? new wxAnimation(ctrl->CreateAnimation())
+                                      : new wxAnimation);
 #if wxUSE_FILESYSTEM
     wxFSFile * const
         fsfile = GetCurFileSystem().OpenFile(name, wxFS_READ | wxFS_SEEKABLE);