diff --git a/include/wx/vlbox.h b/include/wx/vlbox.h
index f3ce27a421..307d807e21 100644
--- a/include/wx/vlbox.h
+++ b/include/wx/vlbox.h
@@ -193,6 +193,14 @@ public:
         { /* do nothing */ }
 
     
+    virtual wxVisualAttributes GetDefaultAttributes() const
+    {
+        return GetClassDefaultAttributes(GetWindowVariant());
+    }
+
+    static wxVisualAttributes
+    GetClassDefaultAttributes(wxWindowVariant variant = wxWINDOW_VARIANT_NORMAL);
+    
 protected:
     // the derived class must implement this function to actually draw the item
     // with the given index on the provided DC
diff --git a/src/generic/vlbox.cpp b/src/generic/vlbox.cpp
index bb58622e9b..0a08835aa4 100644
--- a/src/generic/vlbox.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/vlbox.cpp
@@ -75,13 +75,9 @@ bool wxVListBox::Create(wxWindow *parent,
     if ( style & wxLB_MULTIPLE )
         m_selStore = new wxSelectionStore;
 
-    SetBackgroundColour(wxSystemSettings::GetColour(wxSYS_COLOUR_LISTBOX));
-    SetForegroundColour(parent->GetForegroundColour());
-
-    // ensure that the font actually changes and is set.
-    SetFont(wxNullFont);
-    SetFont(parent->GetFont());
-
+    // make sure the native widget has the right colour since we do
+    // transparent drawing by default
+    SetBackgroundColour(GetBackgroundColour());
     m_colBgSel = wxSystemSettings::GetColour(wxSYS_COLOUR_HIGHLIGHT);
 
     return true;
@@ -612,3 +608,16 @@ void wxVListBox::OnLeftDClick(wxMouseEvent& event)
     }
 }
 
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// use the same default attributes as wxListBox
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#include "wx/listbox.h"
+
+//static
+wxVisualAttributes
+wxVListBox::GetClassDefaultAttributes(wxWindowVariant variant)
+{
+    return wxListBox::GetClassDefaultAttributes(variant);
+}