diff --git a/include/wx/utils.h b/include/wx/utils.h
index 38c59e5f6a..61520916af 100644
--- a/include/wx/utils.h
+++ b/include/wx/utils.h
@@ -676,10 +676,31 @@ public:
 void WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE wxGetMousePosition( int* x, int* y );
 
 // MSW only: get user-defined resource from the .res file.
-// Returns NULL or newly-allocated memory, so use delete[] to clean up.
 #ifdef __WXMSW__
-    extern WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE const wxChar* wxUserResourceStr;
-    WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE char* wxLoadUserResource(const wxString& resourceName, const wxString& resourceType = wxUserResourceStr, int* pLen = NULL);
+    // default resource type for wxLoadUserResource()
+    extern WXDLLIMPEXP_DATA_BASE(const wxChar*) wxUserResourceStr;
+
+    // Return the pointer to the resource data. This pointer is read-only, use
+    // the overload below if you need to modify the data.
+    //
+    // Returns true on success, false on failure. Doesn't log an error message
+    // if the resource is not found (because this could be expected) but does
+    // log one if any other error occurs.
+    WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE bool
+    wxLoadUserResource(const void **outData,
+                       size_t *outLen,
+                       const wxString& resourceName,
+                       const wxString& resourceType = wxUserResourceStr);
+
+    // This function allocates a new buffer and makes a copy of the resource
+    // data, remember to delete[] the buffer. And avoid using it entirely if
+    // the overload above can be used.
+    //
+    // Returns NULL on failure.
+    WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE char*
+    wxLoadUserResource(const wxString& resourceName,
+                       const wxString& resourceType = wxUserResourceStr,
+                       int* pLen = NULL);
 #endif // MSW
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/common/datacmn.cpp b/src/common/datacmn.cpp
index 10baf57320..bb6a533fbe 100644
--- a/src/common/datacmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/datacmn.cpp
@@ -78,6 +78,3 @@ extern WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(const char) wxDirDialogNameStr[] = "wxDirCtrl";
 extern WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(const char) wxDirDialogDefaultFolderStr[] = "/";
 
 extern WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(const char) wxFileDialogNameStr[] = "filedlg";
-#if defined(__WXMSW__) || defined(__OS2__)
-WXDLLEXPORT_DATA(const wxChar *) wxUserResourceStr = wxT("TEXT");
-#endif
diff --git a/src/msw/utils.cpp b/src/msw/utils.cpp
index fd36d634b1..2958f75788 100644
--- a/src/msw/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/utils.cpp
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ static const wxChar WX_SECTION[] = wxT("wxWindows");
 static const wxChar eUSERNAME[]  = wxT("UserName");
 #endif
 
+WXDLLIMPEXP_DATA_BASE(const wxChar *) wxUserResourceStr = wxT("TEXT");
+
 // ============================================================================
 // implementation
 // ============================================================================
@@ -1075,6 +1077,67 @@ bool wxIsDebuggerRunning()
 #endif
 }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// working with MSW resources
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+bool
+wxLoadUserResource(const void **outData,
+                   size_t *outLen,
+                   const wxString& resourceName,
+                   const wxString& resourceType)
+{
+    wxCHECK_MSG( outData && outLen, false, "output pointers can't be NULL" );
+
+    HRSRC hResource = ::FindResource(wxGetInstance(),
+                                     resourceName.wx_str(),
+                                     resourceType.wx_str());
+    if ( !hResource )
+        return false;
+
+    HGLOBAL hData = ::LoadResource(wxGetInstance(), hResource);
+    if ( !hData )
+    {
+        wxLogSysError(_("Failed to load resource \"%s\"."), resourceName);
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    *outData = ::LockResource(hData);
+    if ( !*outData )
+    {
+        wxLogSysError(_("Failed to lock resource \"%s\"."), resourceName);
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    *outLen = ::SizeofResource(wxGetInstance(), hResource);
+
+    // Notice that we do not need to call neither UnlockResource() (which is
+    // obsolete in Win32) nor GlobalFree() (resources are freed on process
+    // termination only)
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+char *
+wxLoadUserResource(const wxString& resourceName,
+                   const wxString& resourceType,
+                   int* pLen)
+{
+    const void *data;
+    size_t len;
+    if ( !wxLoadUserResource(&data, &len, resourceName, resourceType) )
+        return NULL;
+
+    char *s = new char[len + 1];
+    memcpy(s, data, len);
+    s[len] = '\0'; // NUL-terminate in case the resource itself wasn't
+
+    if (pLen)
+      *pLen = len;
+
+    return s;
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // OS version
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/msw/utilsgui.cpp b/src/msw/utilsgui.cpp
index 68ca45db20..f85d206b05 100644
--- a/src/msw/utilsgui.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/utilsgui.cpp
@@ -104,48 +104,6 @@ bool wxCheckForInterrupt(wxWindow *wnd)
     return true;
 }
 
-// MSW only: get user-defined resource from the .res file.
-// Returns NULL or newly-allocated memory, so use delete[] to clean up.
-
-#ifndef __WXMICROWIN__
-char *wxLoadUserResource(const wxString& resourceName, const wxString& resourceType, int* pLen /* = NULL */)
-{
-    HRSRC hResource = ::FindResource(wxGetInstance(),
-                                     resourceName.wx_str(),
-                                     resourceType.wx_str());
-    if ( hResource == 0 )
-        return NULL;
-
-    HGLOBAL hData = ::LoadResource(wxGetInstance(), hResource);
-    if ( hData == 0 )
-        return NULL;
-
-    void *theText = ::LockResource(hData);
-    if ( !theText )
-        return NULL;
-
-    // Not all compilers put a zero at the end of the resource (e.g. BC++ doesn't).
-    // so we need to find the length of the resource.
-    int len = ::SizeofResource(wxGetInstance(), hResource);
-    char *s = new char[len + 1];
-    memcpy(s, theText, len);
-    s[len] = '\0'; // NUL-terminate in case the resource itself wasn't
-
-    // Obsolete in WIN32
-#ifndef __WIN32__
-    UnlockResource(hData);
-#endif
-
-    // No need??
-    //  GlobalFree(hData);
-
-    if (pLen)
-      *pLen = len;
-
-    return s;
-}
-#endif // __WXMICROWIN__
-
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // get display info
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------