diff --git a/include/wx/bitmap.h b/include/wx/bitmap.h
index ea2322597f..baf02d10ad 100644
--- a/include/wx/bitmap.h
+++ b/include/wx/bitmap.h
@@ -243,7 +243,11 @@ protected:
     #define wxBITMAP_DEFAULT_TYPE    wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
     #include "wx/x11/bitmap.h"
 #elif defined(__WXGTK20__)
-    #define wxBITMAP_DEFAULT_TYPE    wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
+    #ifdef __WINDOWS__
+        #define wxBITMAP_DEFAULT_TYPE    wxBITMAP_TYPE_BMP_RESOURCE
+    #else
+        #define wxBITMAP_DEFAULT_TYPE    wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
+    #endif
     #include "wx/gtk/bitmap.h"
 #elif defined(__WXGTK__)
     #define wxBITMAP_DEFAULT_TYPE    wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
diff --git a/include/wx/cursor.h b/include/wx/cursor.h
index 55b4043cf8..66d8899419 100644
--- a/include/wx/cursor.h
+++ b/include/wx/cursor.h
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ public:
     #define wxCURSOR_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_XBM
     #include "wx/motif/cursor.h"
 #elif defined(__WXGTK20__)
-    #define wxCURSOR_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
+    #ifdef __WINDOWS__
+        #define wxCURSOR_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_CUR_RESOURCE
+    #else
+        #define wxCURSOR_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
+    #endif
     #include "wx/gtk/cursor.h"
 #elif defined(__WXGTK__)
     #define wxCURSOR_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
diff --git a/include/wx/gdicmn.h b/include/wx/gdicmn.h
index 3ef7d6c98c..e6368d8ff2 100644
--- a/include/wx/gdicmn.h
+++ b/include/wx/gdicmn.h
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ enum wxStockCursor
     wxIcon *icon = new wxIcon(sample_xpm);    // On wxGTK/Linux
  */
 
-#ifdef __WXMSW__
+#ifdef __WINDOWS__
     // Load from a resource
     #define wxICON(X) wxIcon(wxT(#X))
 #elif defined(__WXPM__)
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ enum wxStockCursor
    under Unix bitmaps live in XPMs and under Windows they're in ressources.
  */
 
-#if defined(__WXMSW__) || defined(__WXPM__)
+#if defined(__WINDOWS__) || defined(__WXPM__)
     #define wxBITMAP(name) wxBitmap(wxT(#name), wxBITMAP_TYPE_BMP_RESOURCE)
 #elif defined(__WXGTK__)   || \
       defined(__WXMOTIF__) || \
diff --git a/include/wx/icon.h b/include/wx/icon.h
index 3b7b9b20a5..5eebb3f38e 100644
--- a/include/wx/icon.h
+++ b/include/wx/icon.h
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@
   #define wxICON_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
   #include "wx/motif/icon.h"
 #elif defined(__WXGTK20__)
-  #define wxICON_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
+  #ifdef __WINDOWS__
+    #define wxICON_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_ICO_RESOURCE
+  #else
+    #define wxICON_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
+  #endif
   #include "wx/generic/icon.h"
 #elif defined(__WXGTK__)
   #define wxICON_DEFAULT_TYPE   wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM
diff --git a/src/common/image.cpp b/src/common/image.cpp
index ef7fb58dd9..a3a5f0ada6 100644
--- a/src/common/image.cpp
+++ b/src/common/image.cpp
@@ -2235,10 +2235,102 @@ bool wxImage::HasOption(const wxString& name) const
 // image I/O
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-bool wxImage::LoadFile( const wxString& WXUNUSED_UNLESS_STREAMS(filename),
-                        wxBitmapType WXUNUSED_UNLESS_STREAMS(type),
+// Under Windows we can load wxImage not only from files but also from
+// resources.
+#if defined(__WINDOWS__) && wxUSE_WXDIB && wxUSE_IMAGE
+    #define HAS_LOAD_FROM_RESOURCE
+#endif
+
+#ifdef HAS_LOAD_FROM_RESOURCE
+
+#include "wx/msw/dib.h"
+#include "wx/msw/private.h"
+
+static wxImage LoadImageFromResource(const wxString &name, wxBitmapType type)
+{
+    AutoHBITMAP
+        hBitmap,
+        hMask;
+
+    if ( type == wxBITMAP_TYPE_BMP_RESOURCE )
+    {
+        hBitmap = ::LoadBitmap(wxGetInstance(), name.t_str());
+
+        if ( !hBitmap )
+        {
+            wxLogError(_("Failed to load bitmap \"%s\" from resources."), name);
+        }
+    }
+    else if ( type == wxBITMAP_TYPE_ICO_RESOURCE )
+    {
+        const HICON hIcon = ::LoadIcon(wxGetInstance(), name.t_str());
+
+        if ( !hIcon )
+        {
+            wxLogError(_("Failed to load icon \"%s\" from resources."), name);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            ICONINFO info;
+            if ( !::GetIconInfo(hIcon, &info) )
+            {
+                wxLogLastError(wxT("GetIconInfo"));
+                return wxImage();
+            }
+
+            hBitmap = info.hbmColor;
+            hMask   = info.hbmMask;
+        }
+    }
+    else if ( type == wxBITMAP_TYPE_CUR_RESOURCE )
+    {
+        wxLogDebug(wxS("Loading cursors from resources is not implemented."));
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        wxFAIL_MSG(wxS("Invalid bitmap resource type."));
+    }
+
+    if ( !hBitmap )
+        return wxImage();
+
+    wxImage image = wxDIB(hBitmap).ConvertToImage();
+    if ( hMask )
+    {
+        const wxImage mask = wxDIB(hMask).ConvertToImage();
+        image.SetMaskFromImage(mask, 255, 255, 255);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        // Light gray colour is a default mask
+        image.SetMaskColour(0xc0, 0xc0, 0xc0);
+    }
+
+    image.InitAlpha();
+
+    return image;
+}
+
+#endif // HAS_LOAD_FROM_RESOURCE
+
+bool wxImage::LoadFile( const wxString& filename,
+                        wxBitmapType type,
                         int WXUNUSED_UNLESS_STREAMS(index) )
 {
+#ifdef HAS_LOAD_FROM_RESOURCE
+    if (   type == wxBITMAP_TYPE_BMP_RESOURCE
+        || type == wxBITMAP_TYPE_ICO_RESOURCE
+        || type == wxBITMAP_TYPE_CUR_RESOURCE)
+    {
+        const wxImage image = ::LoadImageFromResource(filename, type);
+        if ( image.IsOk() )
+        {
+            *this = image;
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+#endif // HAS_LOAD_FROM_RESOURCE
+
 #if HAS_FILE_STREAMS
     wxImageFileInputStream stream(filename);
     if ( stream.IsOk() )