diff --git a/include/wx/gtk/clrpicker.h b/include/wx/gtk/clrpicker.h
index 5a301ad9b6..3998ca027d 100644
--- a/include/wx/gtk/clrpicker.h
+++ b/include/wx/gtk/clrpicker.h
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ protected:
 
 public:     // used by the GTK callback only
 
-    GdkColor *GetGdkColor() const
-        { return m_colour.GetColor(); }
+    void SetGdkColor(const GdkColor& gdkColor)
+        { m_colour = wxColor(gdkColor); }
 
     wxWindow *m_topParent;
 
diff --git a/include/wx/gtk/colour.h b/include/wx/gtk/colour.h
index 7f0693dca0..81c00fad7d 100644
--- a/include/wx/gtk/colour.h
+++ b/include/wx/gtk/colour.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ public:
     // default
     wxColour() {}
     DEFINE_STD_WXCOLOUR_CONSTRUCTORS
+    wxColour(const GdkColor& gdkColor);
 
     ~wxColour();
 
@@ -55,13 +56,9 @@ public:
     // Implementation part
     void CalcPixel( GdkColormap *cmap );
     int GetPixel() const;
-    GdkColor *GetColor() const;
+    const GdkColor *GetColor() const;
 
 protected:
-    // ref counting code
-    virtual wxObjectRefData *CreateRefData() const;
-    virtual wxObjectRefData *CloneRefData(const wxObjectRefData *data) const;
-
     virtual bool FromString(const wxChar *str);
     virtual void InitWith( unsigned char red, unsigned char green, unsigned char blue );
 
diff --git a/src/gtk/clrpicker.cpp b/src/gtk/clrpicker.cpp
index 5ba0324488..672a8593cb 100644
--- a/src/gtk/clrpicker.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/clrpicker.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ static void gtk_clrbutton_setcolor_callback(GtkColorButton *widget,
 {
     // update the m_colour member of the wxColourButton
     wxASSERT(p);
-    gtk_color_button_get_color(widget, p->GetGdkColor());
+    GdkColor gdkColor;
+    gtk_color_button_get_color(widget, &gdkColor);
+    p->SetGdkColor(gdkColor);
 
     // fire the colour-changed event
     wxColourPickerEvent event(p, p->GetId(), p->GetColour());
diff --git a/src/gtk/colour.cpp b/src/gtk/colour.cpp
index bc76dbfe65..afb1cdc00e 100644
--- a/src/gtk/colour.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/colour.cpp
@@ -23,22 +23,13 @@
 class wxColourRefData: public wxObjectRefData
 {
 public:
-    wxColourRefData()
+    wxColourRefData(guint16 red, guint16 green, guint16 blue)
     {
-        m_color.red = 0;
-        m_color.green = 0;
-        m_color.blue = 0;
+        m_red = red;
+        m_green = green;
+        m_blue = blue;
         m_color.pixel = 0;
         m_colormap = NULL;
-        m_hasPixel = false;
-    }
-
-    wxColourRefData(const wxColourRefData& data)
-        : wxObjectRefData()
-    {
-        m_color = data.m_color;
-        m_colormap = data.m_colormap;
-        m_hasPixel = data.m_hasPixel;
     }
 
     ~wxColourRefData()
@@ -51,37 +42,54 @@ public:
 
     GdkColor     m_color;
     GdkColormap *m_colormap;
-    bool         m_hasPixel;
+    // gdk_colormap_alloc_color may change the RGB values in m_color, so we need separate copies
+    guint16 m_red;
+    guint16 m_green;
+    guint16 m_blue;
+
+    DECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxColourRefData)
 };
 
 void wxColourRefData::FreeColour()
 {
-    if (m_hasPixel)
+    if (m_colormap)
     {
         gdk_colormap_free_colors(m_colormap, &m_color, 1);
+        m_colormap = NULL;
+        m_color.pixel = 0;
     }
 }
 
 void wxColourRefData::AllocColour( GdkColormap *cmap )
 {
-    if (m_hasPixel && (m_colormap == cmap))
-        return;
+    if (m_colormap != cmap)
+    {
+        FreeColour();
 
-    FreeColour();
-
-    m_hasPixel = gdk_colormap_alloc_color(cmap, &m_color, FALSE, TRUE);
-    m_colormap = cmap;
+        m_color.red = m_red;
+        m_color.green = m_green;
+        m_color.blue = m_blue;
+        if (gdk_colormap_alloc_color(cmap, &m_color, FALSE, TRUE))
+        {
+            m_colormap = cmap;
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #define M_COLDATA wx_static_cast(wxColourRefData*, m_refData)
 
-// GDK's values are in 0..65535 range, our are in 0..255
+// GDK's values are in 0..65535 range, ours are in 0..255
 #define SHIFT  8
 
 IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxColour,wxGDIObject)
 
+wxColour::wxColour(const GdkColor& gdkColor)
+{
+    m_refData = new wxColourRefData(gdkColor.red, gdkColor.green, gdkColor.blue);
+}
+
 wxColour::~wxColour()
 {
 }
@@ -94,55 +102,42 @@ bool wxColour::operator == ( const wxColour& col ) const
     if (!m_refData || !col.m_refData)
         return false;
 
-    const GdkColor& own = M_COLDATA->m_color;
-    const GdkColor& other = wx_static_cast(wxColourRefData*, col.m_refData)->m_color;
-    return own.red == other.red &&
-           own.blue == other.blue &&
-           own.green == other.green;
-}
-
-wxObjectRefData *wxColour::CreateRefData() const
-{
-    return new wxColourRefData;
-}
-
-wxObjectRefData *wxColour::CloneRefData(const wxObjectRefData *data) const
-{
-    return new wxColourRefData(*(wxColourRefData *)data);
+    wxColourRefData* refData = M_COLDATA;
+    wxColourRefData* that_refData = wx_static_cast(wxColourRefData*, col.m_refData);
+    return refData->m_red == that_refData->m_red &&
+           refData->m_green == that_refData->m_green &&
+           refData->m_blue == that_refData->m_blue;
 }
 
 void wxColour::InitWith( unsigned char red, unsigned char green, unsigned char blue )
 {
-    AllocExclusive();
+    UnRef();
 
-    M_COLDATA->m_color.red = ((unsigned short)red) << SHIFT;
-    M_COLDATA->m_color.green = ((unsigned short)green) << SHIFT;
-    M_COLDATA->m_color.blue = ((unsigned short)blue) << SHIFT;
-    M_COLDATA->m_color.pixel = 0;
-
-    M_COLDATA->m_colormap = NULL;
-    M_COLDATA->m_hasPixel = false;
+    m_refData = new wxColourRefData(
+        (guint16(red) << SHIFT) + red,
+        (guint16(green) << SHIFT) + green,
+        (guint16(blue) << SHIFT) + blue);
 }
 
 unsigned char wxColour::Red() const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( Ok(), 0, wxT("invalid colour") );
 
-    return (unsigned char)(M_COLDATA->m_color.red >> SHIFT);
+    return wxByte(M_COLDATA->m_red >> SHIFT);
 }
 
 unsigned char wxColour::Green() const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( Ok(), 0, wxT("invalid colour") );
 
-    return (unsigned char)(M_COLDATA->m_color.green >> SHIFT);
+    return wxByte(M_COLDATA->m_green >> SHIFT);
 }
 
 unsigned char wxColour::Blue() const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( Ok(), 0, wxT("invalid colour") );
 
-    return (unsigned char)(M_COLDATA->m_color.blue >> SHIFT);
+    return wxByte(M_COLDATA->m_blue >> SHIFT);
 }
 
 void wxColour::CalcPixel( GdkColormap *cmap )
@@ -159,7 +154,7 @@ int wxColour::GetPixel() const
     return M_COLDATA->m_color.pixel;
 }
 
-GdkColor *wxColour::GetColor() const
+const GdkColor *wxColour::GetColor() const
 {
     wxCHECK_MSG( Ok(), NULL, wxT("invalid colour") );
 
@@ -171,10 +166,7 @@ bool wxColour::FromString(const wxChar *str)
     GdkColor colGDK;
     if ( gdk_color_parse( wxGTK_CONV_SYS( str ), &colGDK ) )
     {
-        UnRef();
-
-        m_refData = new wxColourRefData;
-        M_COLDATA->m_color = colGDK;
+        *this = wxColour(colGDK);
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/gtk/dcclient.cpp b/src/gtk/dcclient.cpp
index bf1c437b76..e2593a9cb7 100644
--- a/src/gtk/dcclient.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/dcclient.cpp
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ void wxWindowDC::SetUpDC()
     /* background colour */
     m_backgroundBrush = *wxWHITE_BRUSH;
     m_backgroundBrush.GetColour().CalcPixel( m_cmap );
-    GdkColor *bg_col = m_backgroundBrush.GetColour().GetColor();
+    const GdkColor *bg_col = m_backgroundBrush.GetColour().GetColor();
 
     /* m_textGC */
     m_textForegroundColour.CalcPixel( m_cmap );
diff --git a/src/gtk/textctrl.cpp b/src/gtk/textctrl.cpp
index 173ae70dde..5acaf96daf 100644
--- a/src/gtk/textctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/textctrl.cpp
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ static void wxGtkTextApplyTagsFromAttr(GtkTextBuffer *text_buffer,
 
     if (attr.HasTextColour())
     {
-        GdkColor *colFg = attr.GetTextColour().GetColor();
+        const GdkColor *colFg = attr.GetTextColour().GetColor();
         g_snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "WXFORECOLOR %d %d %d",
                    colFg->red, colFg->green, colFg->blue);
         tag = gtk_text_tag_table_lookup( gtk_text_buffer_get_tag_table( text_buffer ),
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ static void wxGtkTextApplyTagsFromAttr(GtkTextBuffer *text_buffer,
 
     if (attr.HasBackgroundColour())
     {
-        GdkColor *colBg = attr.GetBackgroundColour().GetColor();
+        const GdkColor *colBg = attr.GetBackgroundColour().GetColor();
         g_snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "WXBACKCOLOR %d %d %d",
                    colBg->red, colBg->green, colBg->blue);
         tag = gtk_text_tag_table_lookup( gtk_text_buffer_get_tag_table( text_buffer ),
diff --git a/src/gtk/window.cpp b/src/gtk/window.cpp
index cefe1bbd95..e9ba04cdfe 100644
--- a/src/gtk/window.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/window.cpp
@@ -3897,7 +3897,7 @@ GtkRcStyle *wxWindowGTK::CreateWidgetStyle(bool forceStyle)
 
     if ( m_foregroundColour.Ok() )
     {
-        GdkColor *fg = m_foregroundColour.GetColor();
+        const GdkColor *fg = m_foregroundColour.GetColor();
 
         style->fg[GTK_STATE_NORMAL] = *fg;
         style->color_flags[GTK_STATE_NORMAL] = GTK_RC_FG;
@@ -3911,7 +3911,7 @@ GtkRcStyle *wxWindowGTK::CreateWidgetStyle(bool forceStyle)
 
     if ( m_backgroundColour.Ok() )
     {
-        GdkColor *bg = m_backgroundColour.GetColor();
+        const GdkColor *bg = m_backgroundColour.GetColor();
 
         style->bg[GTK_STATE_NORMAL] = *bg;
         style->base[GTK_STATE_NORMAL] = *bg;