diff --git a/docs/latex/wx/xmlresh.tex b/docs/latex/wx/xmlresh.tex
index 3c57936906..08671ff6a5 100644
--- a/docs/latex/wx/xmlresh.tex
+++ b/docs/latex/wx/xmlresh.tex
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ Gets a bool flag (1, t, yes, on, true are true, everything else is false).
 
 \membersection{wxXmlResourceHandler::GetColour}\label{wxxmlresourcehandlergetcolour}
 
-\func{wxColour}{GetColour}{\param{const wxString\& }{param}}
+\func{wxColour}{GetColour}{\param{const wxString\& }{param}, \param{const wxColour\& }{default = wxNullColour}}
 
 Gets colour in HTML syntax (\#RRGGBB).
 
diff --git a/include/wx/xrc/xmlres.h b/include/wx/xrc/xmlres.h
index a7ac1bdcd8..e6ea2bee4d 100644
--- a/include/wx/xrc/xmlres.h
+++ b/include/wx/xrc/xmlres.h
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ protected:
     float GetFloat(const wxString& param, float defaultv = 0);
 
     // Gets colour in HTML syntax (#RRGGBB).
-    wxColour GetColour(const wxString& param);
+    wxColour GetColour(const wxString& param, const wxColour& defaultv = wxNullColour);
 
     // Gets the size (may be in dialog units).
     wxSize GetSize(const wxString& param = wxT("size"),
diff --git a/src/xrc/xmlres.cpp b/src/xrc/xmlres.cpp
index 8743a5c135..96a7cd6b5a 100644
--- a/src/xrc/xmlres.cpp
+++ b/src/xrc/xmlres.cpp
@@ -1042,9 +1042,13 @@ static wxColour GetSystemColour(const wxString& name)
     return wxNullColour;
 }
 
-wxColour wxXmlResourceHandler::GetColour(const wxString& param)
+wxColour wxXmlResourceHandler::GetColour(const wxString& param, const wxColour& defaultv)
 {
     wxString v = GetParamValue(param);
+
+    if ( v.empty() )
+        return defaultv;
+
     wxColour clr;
 
     // wxString -> wxColour conversion