diff --git a/include/wx/richtext/richtextbuffer.h b/include/wx/richtext/richtextbuffer.h
index 557e5b46ca..ed0da6c2c1 100644
--- a/include/wx/richtext/richtextbuffer.h
+++ b/include/wx/richtext/richtextbuffer.h
@@ -2015,6 +2015,9 @@ void wxSetFontPreservingStyles(wxTextAttr& attr, const wxFont& font);
 /// Convert a decimal to Roman numerals
 wxString wxRichTextDecimalToRoman(long n);
 
+
+WXDLLIMPEXP_RICHTEXT void wxRichTextModuleInit();
+
 #endif
     // wxUSE_RICHTEXT
 
diff --git a/src/richtext/richtextbuffer.cpp b/src/richtext/richtextbuffer.cpp
index 0921ba0ff1..263152bc9b 100644
--- a/src/richtext/richtextbuffer.cpp
+++ b/src/richtext/richtextbuffer.cpp
@@ -4934,6 +4934,17 @@ public:
 IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxRichTextModule, wxModule)
 
 
+// If the richtext lib is dynamically loaded after the app has already started
+// (such as from wxPython) then the built-in module system will not init this
+// module.  Provide this function to do it manually.
+void wxRichTextModuleInit()
+{
+    wxModule* module = new wxRichTextModule;
+    module->Init();
+    wxModule::RegisterModule(module);
+}
+
+
 /*!
  * Commands for undo/redo
  *