diff --git a/docs/doxygen/overviews/xrc_format.h b/docs/doxygen/overviews/xrc_format.h
index c01cae2896..bf9d0d7417 100644
--- a/docs/doxygen/overviews/xrc_format.h
+++ b/docs/doxygen/overviews/xrc_format.h
@@ -1379,7 +1379,7 @@ following properties (all of them optional):
 @row3col{text, @ref overview_xrcformat_type_text,
     The title of the column. }
 @row3col{width, integer,
-    The column width. }
+    The column width. @c wxLIST_DEFAULT_COL_WIDTH is used by default. }
 @row3col{image, integer,
     The zero-based index of the image associated with the item in the 'small' image list. }
 @endTable
diff --git a/src/generic/listctrl.cpp b/src/generic/listctrl.cpp
index cb28fba2a4..81fe66ca8a 100644
--- a/src/generic/listctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/listctrl.cpp
@@ -313,8 +313,9 @@ void wxListHeaderData::SetItem( const wxListItem &item )
     if ( m_mask & wxLIST_MASK_FORMAT )
         m_format = item.m_format;
 
-    if ( m_mask & wxLIST_MASK_WIDTH )
-        SetWidth(item.m_width);
+    // Always give some initial width to the new columns (it's still possible
+    // to set the width to 0 explicitly, however).
+    SetWidth(m_mask & wxLIST_MASK_WIDTH ? item.m_width : wxLIST_DEFAULT_COL_WIDTH);
 
     if ( m_mask & wxLIST_MASK_STATE )
         SetState(item.m_state);