diff --git a/include/wx/gtk/dvrenderer.h b/include/wx/gtk/dvrenderer.h
index 9513104c1c..e019c00883 100644
--- a/include/wx/gtk/dvrenderer.h
+++ b/include/wx/gtk/dvrenderer.h
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ public:
     void GtkInitHandlers();
     void GtkUpdateAlignment();
 
+    // should be overridden to return true if the renderer supports properties
+    // corresponding to wxDataViewItemAttr field, see wxGtkTreeCellDataFunc()
+    // for details
+    virtual bool GtkSupportsAttrs() const { return false; }
+
+    // these functions are only called if GtkSupportsAttrs() returns true and
+    // are used to remember whether the renderer currently uses the default
+    // attributes or if we changed (and not reset them)
     bool GtkIsUsingDefaultAttrs() const { return m_usingDefaultAttrs; }
     void GtkSetUsingDefaultAttrs(bool def) { m_usingDefaultAttrs = def; }
 
diff --git a/include/wx/gtk/dvrenderers.h b/include/wx/gtk/dvrenderers.h
index 74c866ed40..845a938d34 100644
--- a/include/wx/gtk/dvrenderers.h
+++ b/include/wx/gtk/dvrenderers.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ public:
 
     virtual void SetAlignment( int align );
 
+    virtual bool GtkSupportsAttrs() const { return true; }
+
 protected:
     // implementation of Set/GetValue()
     bool SetTextValue(const wxString& str);
diff --git a/src/gtk/dataview.cpp b/src/gtk/dataview.cpp
index 26a3f53f28..5a5b89c2da 100644
--- a/src/gtk/dataview.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/dataview.cpp
@@ -2587,7 +2587,15 @@ static void wxGtkTreeCellDataFunc( GtkTreeViewColumn *WXUNUSED(column),
     cell->SetValue( value );
 
 
-    // deal with attributes
+    // deal with attributes if we can handle them here: currently this is only
+    // the case for wxDataViewTextRenderer (and derived) class(es) because
+    // GtkCellRendererText is the only GTK renderer that we use which supports
+    // the properties below (foreground_gdk, style, weight) -- if any other
+    // renderers added in the future support them too, they should simply
+    // override their GtkSupportsAttrs() to return true
+    if ( !cell->GtkSupportsAttrs() )
+        return;
+
     wxDataViewItemAttr attr;
     if ( !wx_model->GetAttr( item, cell->GetOwner()->GetModelColumn(), attr )
             && cell->GtkIsUsingDefaultAttrs() )