diff --git a/include/wx/osx/cocoa/private.h b/include/wx/osx/cocoa/private.h
index 057ddc8deb..73b93b4c86 100644
--- a/include/wx/osx/cocoa/private.h
+++ b/include/wx/osx/cocoa/private.h
@@ -505,6 +505,18 @@ extern NSLayoutManager* gNSLayoutManager;
 wxString wxStringWithNSString(NSString *nsstring);
 NSString* wxNSStringWithWxString(const wxString &wxstring);
 
+// helper class for setting the current appearance to the
+// effective appearance and restore when exiting scope
+
+class WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE wxOSXEffectiveAppearanceSetter
+{
+public:
+    wxOSXEffectiveAppearanceSetter();
+    ~wxOSXEffectiveAppearanceSetter();
+private:
+    void * formerAppearance;
+};
+
 #endif // wxUSE_GUI
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/osx/carbon/utilscocoa.mm b/src/osx/carbon/utilscocoa.mm
index 4bb4f8fc17..22305a4c91 100644
--- a/src/osx/carbon/utilscocoa.mm
+++ b/src/osx/carbon/utilscocoa.mm
@@ -584,5 +584,29 @@ NSString* wxNSStringWithWxString(const wxString &wxstring)
 #endif // wxUSE_UNICODE
 }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// helper class for getting the correct system colors according to the
+// appearance in effect
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+wxOSXEffectiveAppearanceSetter::wxOSXEffectiveAppearanceSetter()
+{
+#if MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MAX_ALLOWED >= MAC_OS_X_VERSION_10_14
+    if ( wxPlatformInfo::Get().CheckOSVersion(10, 14 ) )
+    {
+        formerAppearance = NSAppearance.currentAppearance;
+        NSAppearance.currentAppearance = NSApp.effectiveAppearance;
+    }
+#endif
+}
+
+wxOSXEffectiveAppearanceSetter::~wxOSXEffectiveAppearanceSetter()
+{
+#if MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MAX_ALLOWED >= MAC_OS_X_VERSION_10_14
+    if ( wxPlatformInfo::Get().CheckOSVersion(10, 14 ) )
+        NSAppearance.currentAppearance = (NSAppearance*) formerAppearance;
+#endif
+}
+
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/osx/cocoa/settings.mm b/src/osx/cocoa/settings.mm
index 060f24037f..f6270bbb90 100644
--- a/src/osx/cocoa/settings.mm
+++ b/src/osx/cocoa/settings.mm
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ static int wxOSXGetUserDefault(NSString* key, int defaultValue)
 
 wxColour wxSystemSettingsNative::GetColour(wxSystemColour index)
 {
+    wxOSXEffectiveAppearanceSetter helper;
+    
     NSColor* sysColor = nil;
     switch( index )
     {