diff --git a/include/wx/osx/icon.h b/include/wx/osx/icon.h
index bc6b721db6..fc6f426084 100644
--- a/include/wx/osx/icon.h
+++ b/include/wx/osx/icon.h
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@ public:
     wxSize GetSize() const { return wxSize(GetWidth(), GetHeight()); }
 
     WXHICON GetHICON() const;
-
+    
+#if wxOSX_USE_COCOA
+    WX_NSImage GetNSImage() const ;
+#endif
+    
 protected:
     virtual wxGDIRefData *CreateGDIRefData() const;
     virtual wxGDIRefData *CloneGDIRefData(const wxGDIRefData *data) const;
diff --git a/src/osx/carbon/icon.cpp b/src/osx/carbon/icon.cpp
index 51b3e34f40..0dd456a44c 100644
--- a/src/osx/carbon/icon.cpp
+++ b/src/osx/carbon/icon.cpp
@@ -42,11 +42,17 @@ public:
     int GetHeight() const { return m_height; }
 
     WXHICON GetHICON() const { return (WXHICON) m_iconRef; }
+#if wxOSX_USE_COCOA
+    WX_NSImage GetNSImage() const;
+#endif
 
 private:
     void Init();
 
     IconRef m_iconRef;
+#if wxOSX_USE_COCOA
+    mutable NSImage* m_nsImage;
+#endif
     int m_width;
     int m_height;
 
@@ -57,6 +63,7 @@ private:
 
 wxIconRefData::wxIconRefData( WXHICON icon, int desiredWidth, int desiredHeight )
 {
+    Init();
     m_iconRef = (IconRef)( icon ) ;
 
     // Standard sizes
@@ -67,6 +74,9 @@ wxIconRefData::wxIconRefData( WXHICON icon, int desiredWidth, int desiredHeight
 void wxIconRefData::Init()
 {
     m_iconRef = NULL ;
+#if wxOSX_USE_COCOA
+    m_nsImage = NULL;
+#endif
     m_width =
     m_height = 0;
 }
@@ -78,8 +88,30 @@ void wxIconRefData::Free()
         ReleaseIconRef( m_iconRef ) ;
         m_iconRef = NULL ;
     }
+    
+#if wxOSX_USE_COCOA
+    if ( m_nsImage )
+    {
+        CFRelease(m_nsImage);
+    }
+#endif
 }
 
+#if wxOSX_USE_COCOA
+WX_NSImage wxIconRefData::GetNSImage() const
+{
+    wxASSERT( IsOk() );
+    
+    if ( m_nsImage == 0 )
+    {
+        m_nsImage = wxOSXGetNSImageFromIconRef(m_iconRef);
+        CFRetain(m_nsImage);
+    }
+    
+    return m_nsImage;
+}
+#endif
+
 //
 //
 //
@@ -160,6 +192,15 @@ int wxIcon::GetDepth() const
     return 32;
 }
 
+#if wxOSX_USE_COCOA
+WX_NSImage wxIcon::GetNSImage() const
+{
+    wxCHECK_MSG( IsOk(), NULL, wxT("invalid icon") );
+    
+    return M_ICONDATA->GetNSImage() ;
+}
+#endif
+
 void wxIcon::SetDepth( int WXUNUSED(depth) )
 {
 }