diff --git a/src/common/ctrlcmn.cpp b/src/common/ctrlcmn.cpp
index a61beaa16c..2ebabc1f0d 100644
--- a/src/common/ctrlcmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/ctrlcmn.cpp
@@ -92,8 +92,14 @@ bool wxControlBase::CreateControl(wxWindowBase *parent,
 // inherit colour and font settings from the parent window
 void wxControlBase::InheritAttributes()
 {
+    // it definitely doesn't make sense to inherit the background colour as the
+    // controls typically have their own standard one and probably not the
+    // foreground neither?
+#if 0
     SetBackgroundColour(GetParent()->GetBackgroundColour());
     SetForegroundColour(GetParent()->GetForegroundColour());
+#endif // 0
+
     SetFont(GetParent()->GetFont());
 }
 
diff --git a/src/msw/statbox.cpp b/src/msw/statbox.cpp
index a713c99cb5..fb017bd219 100644
--- a/src/msw/statbox.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/statbox.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ bool wxStaticBox::Create(wxWindow *parent,
                            WS_EX_TRANSPARENT) )
         return FALSE;
 
+    // to be transparent we should have the same colour as the parent as well
+    SetBackgroundColour(GetParent()->GetBackgroundColour());
+
     return TRUE;
 }