diff --git a/include/wx/systhemectrl.h b/include/wx/systhemectrl.h
index 269c361855..5881b6cbd1 100644
--- a/include/wx/systhemectrl.h
+++ b/include/wx/systhemectrl.h
@@ -21,7 +21,21 @@ class WXDLLIMPEXP_FWD_CORE wxWindow;
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE wxSystemThemedControlBase
 {
 public:
-    wxSystemThemedControlBase() { }
+    wxSystemThemedControlBase()
+    {
+#ifdef wxHAS_SYSTEM_THEMED_CONTROL
+        m_systemThemeDisabled = false;
+#endif // wxHAS_SYSTEM_THEMED_CONTROL
+    }
+
+    bool IsSystemThemeDisabled() const
+    {
+#ifdef wxHAS_SYSTEM_THEMED_CONTROL
+        return m_systemThemeDisabled;
+#else // !wxHAS_SYSTEM_THEMED_CONTROL
+        return false;
+#endif // wxHAS_SYSTEM_THEMED_CONTROL/!wxHAS_SYSTEM_THEMED_CONTROL
+    }
 
     virtual ~wxSystemThemedControlBase() { }
 
@@ -36,6 +50,11 @@ protected:
     (bool WXUNUSED(enable), wxWindow* WXUNUSED(window)) { }
 #endif // wxHAS_SYSTEM_THEMED_CONTROL
 
+private:
+#ifdef wxHAS_SYSTEM_THEMED_CONTROL
+    bool m_systemThemeDisabled;
+#endif // wxHAS_SYSTEM_THEMED_CONTROL
+
     wxDECLARE_NO_COPY_CLASS(wxSystemThemedControlBase);
 };
 
@@ -54,6 +73,14 @@ public:
     }
 
 protected:
+    void EnableSystemThemeByDefault()
+    {
+        // Check if the system theme hadn't been explicitly disabled before
+        // enabling it by default.
+        if ( !this->IsSystemThemeDisabled() )
+            DoEnableSystemTheme(true, this);
+    }
+
     wxDECLARE_NO_COPY_TEMPLATE_CLASS(wxSystemThemedControl, C);
 };
 
diff --git a/interface/wx/systhemectrl.h b/interface/wx/systhemectrl.h
index 60a4405027..8d9a871e15 100644
--- a/interface/wx/systhemectrl.h
+++ b/interface/wx/systhemectrl.h
@@ -45,6 +45,27 @@
         };
    @endcode
 
+   Please also note that if you want to disable the system theme use in the
+   control that use it by default, it's best to do it before actually creating
+   the control as enabling the system theme can't always be completely undone
+   later. I.e. instead of
+   @code
+        // THIS CODE IS WRONG, DO NOT DO IT LIKE THIS
+        wxTreeCtrl* tree = new wxTreeCtrl(parent, wxID_ANY);
+        tree->EnableSystemTheme(false);
+   @endcode
+   prefer the following version:
+   @code
+        // Use default ctor to create the object, avoiding creating the window.
+        wxTreeCtrl* tree = new wxTreeCtrl();
+
+        // Then disable the system theme used by default.
+        tree->EnableSystemTheme(false);
+
+        // And only then actually create the window.
+        tree->Create(parent, wxID_ANY);
+   @endcode
+
    On non-MSW platforms this class currently does nothing but is still
    available, so that it can be used in portable code without any conditional
    compilation directives.
diff --git a/src/generic/datavgen.cpp b/src/generic/datavgen.cpp
index 704e0ac4b3..12cc27d81c 100644
--- a/src/generic/datavgen.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/datavgen.cpp
@@ -5177,7 +5177,7 @@ bool wxDataViewCtrl::Create(wxWindow *parent,
     sizer->Add( m_clientArea, 1, wxGROW );
     SetSizer( sizer );
 
-    EnableSystemTheme();
+    EnableSystemThemeByDefault();
 
 #if wxUSE_ACCESSIBILITY
     wxAccessible::NotifyEvent(wxACC_EVENT_OBJECT_CREATE, this, wxOBJID_CLIENT, wxACC_SELF);
diff --git a/src/msw/listctrl.cpp b/src/msw/listctrl.cpp
index 7b85bf262d..fc27322efc 100644
--- a/src/msw/listctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/listctrl.cpp
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ bool wxListCtrl::Create(wxWindow *parent,
     if ( !MSWCreateControl(WC_LISTVIEW, wxEmptyString, pos, size) )
         return false;
 
-    EnableSystemTheme();
+    EnableSystemThemeByDefault();
 
     // explicitly say that we want to use Unicode because otherwise we get ANSI
     // versions of _some_ messages (notably LVN_GETDISPINFOA)
@@ -2835,8 +2835,9 @@ bool HandleSubItemPrepaint(LPNMLVCUSTOMDRAW pLVCD, HFONT hfont, int colCount)
     const int col = pLVCD->iSubItem;
     const DWORD item = nmcd.dwItemSpec;
 
-    // the font must be valid, otherwise we wouldn't be painting the item at all
-    SelectInHDC selFont(hdc, hfont);
+    SelectInHDC selFont;
+    if ( hfont )
+        selFont.Init(hdc, hfont);
 
     // get the rectangle to paint
     RECT rc;
@@ -3053,6 +3054,22 @@ static WXLPARAM HandleItemPrepaint(wxListCtrl *listctrl,
         return CDRF_NEWFONT;
     }
 
+    // For some unknown reason, native control incorrectly uses the active
+    // selection colour for the background of the items using COLOR_BTNFACE as
+    // their custom background even when the control doesn't have focus (see
+    // #17988). To work around this, draw the item ourselves in this case.
+    //
+    // Note that the problem doesn't arise when using system theme, which is
+    // lucky as HandleItemPaint() doesn't result in the same appearance as with
+    // the system theme, so we should avoid using it in this case to ensure
+    // that all items appear consistently.
+    if ( listctrl->IsSystemThemeDisabled() &&
+            pLVCD->clrTextBk == ::GetSysColor(COLOR_BTNFACE) )
+    {
+        HandleItemPaint(pLVCD, NULL);
+        return CDRF_SKIPDEFAULT;
+    }
+
     return CDRF_DODEFAULT;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/msw/systhemectrl.cpp b/src/msw/systhemectrl.cpp
index 8634368514..03c13271fb 100644
--- a/src/msw/systhemectrl.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/systhemectrl.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,15 @@ void wxSystemThemedControlBase::DoEnableSystemTheme(bool enable, wxWindow* windo
 {
     if ( wxGetWinVersion() >= wxWinVersion_Vista && wxUxThemeIsActive() )
     {
-         const wchar_t* const sysThemeId = enable ? L"EXPLORER" : NULL;
-         ::SetWindowTheme(GetHwndOf(window), sysThemeId, NULL);
+        // It's possible to call EnableSystemTheme(false) before creating the
+        // window, just don't do anything in this case.
+        if ( window->GetHandle() )
+        {
+            const wchar_t* const sysThemeId = enable ? L"EXPLORER" : NULL;
+            ::SetWindowTheme(GetHwndOf(window), sysThemeId, NULL);
+        }
+
+        m_systemThemeDisabled = !enable;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/msw/treectrl.cpp b/src/msw/treectrl.cpp
index e9f9defff4..8e1025ab24 100644
--- a/src/msw/treectrl.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/treectrl.cpp
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ bool wxTreeCtrl::Create(wxWindow *parent,
     {
         // The Vista+ system theme uses rotating ("twist") buttons, so we map
         // this style to it.
-        EnableSystemTheme();
+        EnableSystemThemeByDefault();
     }
 
     return true;