diff --git a/include/wx/frame.h b/include/wx/frame.h
index 3a3c0354a3..6f5ca2de91 100644
--- a/include/wx/frame.h
+++ b/include/wx/frame.h
@@ -192,6 +192,10 @@ protected:
     // something changes
     virtual void PositionStatusBar() { }
 
+    // show the help string for this menu item in the given status bar: the
+    // status bar pointer can be NULL; return TRUE if help was shown
+    bool ShowMenuHelp(wxStatusBar *statbar, int id);
+
     wxStatusBar *m_frameStatusBar;
 #endif // wxUSE_STATUSBAR
 
diff --git a/include/wx/gtk/mdi.h b/include/wx/gtk/mdi.h
index e8f87df94d..62d5cae314 100644
--- a/include/wx/gtk/mdi.h
+++ b/include/wx/gtk/mdi.h
@@ -152,9 +152,10 @@ public:
     
     virtual bool IsTopLevel() const { return FALSE; }
     
-    void OnActivate( wxActivateEvent &event );
+    void OnActivate( wxActivateEvent& event );
+    void OnMenuHighlight( wxMenuEvent& event );
     
-  // implementation
+    // implementation
   
     wxMenuBar         *m_menuBar;
     GtkNotebookPage   *m_page;
diff --git a/include/wx/gtk1/mdi.h b/include/wx/gtk1/mdi.h
index e8f87df94d..62d5cae314 100644
--- a/include/wx/gtk1/mdi.h
+++ b/include/wx/gtk1/mdi.h
@@ -152,9 +152,10 @@ public:
     
     virtual bool IsTopLevel() const { return FALSE; }
     
-    void OnActivate( wxActivateEvent &event );
+    void OnActivate( wxActivateEvent& event );
+    void OnMenuHighlight( wxMenuEvent& event );
     
-  // implementation
+    // implementation
   
     wxMenuBar         *m_menuBar;
     GtkNotebookPage   *m_page;
diff --git a/src/common/framecmn.cpp b/src/common/framecmn.cpp
index ef3ab1defc..3d94d675e1 100644
--- a/src/common/framecmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/framecmn.cpp
@@ -284,29 +284,7 @@ void wxFrameBase::OnCloseWindow(wxCloseEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
 void wxFrameBase::OnMenuHighlight(wxMenuEvent& event)
 {
 #if wxUSE_STATUSBAR
-    if ( GetStatusBar() )
-    {
-        // if no help string found, we will clear the status bar text
-        wxString helpString;
-
-        int menuId = event.GetMenuId();
-        if ( menuId != wxID_SEPARATOR && menuId != -2 /* wxID_TITLE */ )
-        {
-            wxMenuBar *menuBar = GetMenuBar();
-            if ( menuBar )
-            {
-                // it's ok if we don't find the item because it might belong
-                // to the popup menu
-                wxMenuItem *item = menuBar->FindItem(menuId);
-                if ( item )
-                    helpString = item->GetHelp();
-            }
-        }
-
-        // set status text even if the string is empty - this will at least
-        // remove the string from the item which was previously selected
-        SetStatusText(helpString);
-    }
+    (void)ShowMenuHelp(GetStatusBar(), event.GetMenuId());
 #endif // wxUSE_STATUSBAR
 }
 
@@ -372,6 +350,34 @@ void wxFrameBase::SetStatusWidths(int n, const int widths_field[] )
     PositionStatusBar();
 }
 
+bool wxFrameBase::ShowMenuHelp(wxStatusBar *statbar, int menuId)
+{
+    if ( !statbar )
+        return FALSE;
+
+    // if no help string found, we will clear the status bar text
+    wxString helpString;
+
+    if ( menuId != wxID_SEPARATOR && menuId != -2 /* wxID_TITLE */ )
+    {
+        wxMenuBar *menuBar = GetMenuBar();
+        if ( menuBar )
+        {
+            // it's ok if we don't find the item because it might belong
+            // to the popup menu
+            wxMenuItem *item = menuBar->FindItem(menuId);
+            if ( item )
+                helpString = item->GetHelp();
+        }
+    }
+
+    // set status text even if the string is empty - this will at least
+    // remove the string from the item which was previously selected
+    statbar->SetStatusText(helpString);
+
+    return !helpString.IsEmpty();
+}
+
 #endif // wxUSE_STATUSBAR
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/gtk/mdi.cpp b/src/gtk/mdi.cpp
index c3556b7db2..47447fa95f 100644
--- a/src/gtk/mdi.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/mdi.cpp
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxMDIChildFrame,wxFrame)
 
 BEGIN_EVENT_TABLE(wxMDIChildFrame, wxFrame)
     EVT_ACTIVATE(wxMDIChildFrame::OnActivate)
+    EVT_MENU_HIGHLIGHT_ALL(wxMDIChildFrame::OnMenuHighlight)
 END_EVENT_TABLE()
 
 wxMDIChildFrame::wxMDIChildFrame()
@@ -388,10 +389,23 @@ void wxMDIChildFrame::Activate()
 #endif
 }
 
-void wxMDIChildFrame::OnActivate( wxActivateEvent &WXUNUSED(event) )
+void wxMDIChildFrame::OnActivate( wxActivateEvent& WXUNUSED(event) )
 {
 }
 
+void wxMDIChildFrame::OnMenuHighlight( wxMenuEvent& event )
+{
+#if wxUSE_STATUSBAR
+    wxMDIParentFrame *mdi_frame = (wxMDIParentFrame*)m_parent->GetParent();
+    if ( !ShowMenuHelp(mdi_frame->GetStatusBar(), event.GetMenuId()) )
+    {
+        // we don't have any help text for this item, but may be the MDI frame
+        // does?
+        mdi_frame->OnMenuHighlight(event);
+    }
+#endif // wxUSE_STATUSBAR
+}
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // "size_allocate"
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/gtk1/mdi.cpp b/src/gtk1/mdi.cpp
index c3556b7db2..47447fa95f 100644
--- a/src/gtk1/mdi.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk1/mdi.cpp
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxMDIChildFrame,wxFrame)
 
 BEGIN_EVENT_TABLE(wxMDIChildFrame, wxFrame)
     EVT_ACTIVATE(wxMDIChildFrame::OnActivate)
+    EVT_MENU_HIGHLIGHT_ALL(wxMDIChildFrame::OnMenuHighlight)
 END_EVENT_TABLE()
 
 wxMDIChildFrame::wxMDIChildFrame()
@@ -388,10 +389,23 @@ void wxMDIChildFrame::Activate()
 #endif
 }
 
-void wxMDIChildFrame::OnActivate( wxActivateEvent &WXUNUSED(event) )
+void wxMDIChildFrame::OnActivate( wxActivateEvent& WXUNUSED(event) )
 {
 }
 
+void wxMDIChildFrame::OnMenuHighlight( wxMenuEvent& event )
+{
+#if wxUSE_STATUSBAR
+    wxMDIParentFrame *mdi_frame = (wxMDIParentFrame*)m_parent->GetParent();
+    if ( !ShowMenuHelp(mdi_frame->GetStatusBar(), event.GetMenuId()) )
+    {
+        // we don't have any help text for this item, but may be the MDI frame
+        // does?
+        mdi_frame->OnMenuHighlight(event);
+    }
+#endif // wxUSE_STATUSBAR
+}
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // "size_allocate"
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------