diff --git a/src/common/wincmn.cpp b/src/common/wincmn.cpp
index 25925b6133..d545072003 100644
--- a/src/common/wincmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/wincmn.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@ void wxWindowBase::InitBase()
     wxSystemSettings settings;
 
     m_backgroundColour = settings.GetSystemColour(wxSYS_COLOUR_BTNFACE);
-    m_foregroundColour = *wxBLACK;  // TODO take this from sys settings too?
+    // m_foregroundColour = *wxBLACK;  // TODO take this from sys settings too?
+    m_foregroundColour = wxSystemSettings::GetSystemColour(wxSYS_COLOUR_WINDOWTEXT);
+
 #if !defined(__WXMAC__) && !defined(__WXGTK__)
     m_font = *wxSWISS_FONT;         //      and this?
 #else
diff --git a/src/msw/textctrl.cpp b/src/msw/textctrl.cpp
index 162933d4c1..347fd91f7c 100644
--- a/src/msw/textctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/textctrl.cpp
@@ -353,10 +353,8 @@ void wxTextCtrl::AdoptAttributesFromHWND()
 
 void wxTextCtrl::SetupColours()
 {
-    // FIXME why is bg colour not inherited from parent?
-
     wxColour bkgndColour;
-    if (IsEditable())
+    if (IsEditable() || (m_windowStyle & wxTE_MULTILINE))
         bkgndColour = wxSystemSettings::GetSystemColour(wxSYS_COLOUR_WINDOW);
     else
         bkgndColour = wxSystemSettings::GetSystemColour(wxSYS_COLOUR_3DFACE);