diff --git a/include/wx/msw/textctrl.h b/include/wx/msw/textctrl.h
index 7c67cb23e3..76e578e49f 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/textctrl.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/textctrl.h
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ public:
     virtual void SetSelection(long from, long to);
     virtual void SetEditable(bool editable);
 
+    // Caret handling (Windows only)
+
+    bool ShowNativeCaret(bool show = true);
+    bool HideNativeCaret() { return ShowNativeCaret(false); }
+
     // Implementation from now on
     // --------------------------
 
@@ -184,6 +189,10 @@ public:
     // EDIT control has one already)
     void OnRightClick(wxMouseEvent& event);
 
+    // be sure the caret remains invisible if the user
+    // called HideNativeCaret() before
+    void OnSetFocus(wxFocusEvent& event);
+
 protected:
     // common part of all ctors
     void Init();
@@ -245,6 +254,8 @@ private:
     DECLARE_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxTextCtrl)
 
     wxMenu* m_privateContextMenu;
+
+    bool m_isNativeCaretShown;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/msw/textctrl.cpp b/src/msw/textctrl.cpp
index 81fce2b330..276df78633 100644
--- a/src/msw/textctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/textctrl.cpp
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ BEGIN_EVENT_TABLE(wxTextCtrl, wxControl)
 #ifdef __WIN16__
     EVT_ERASE_BACKGROUND(wxTextCtrl::OnEraseBackground)
 #endif
+
+    EVT_SET_FOCUS(wxTextCtrl::OnSetFocus)
 END_EVENT_TABLE()
 
 // ============================================================================
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ void wxTextCtrl::Init()
 
     m_privateContextMenu = NULL;
     m_suppressNextUpdate = FALSE;
+    m_isNativeCaretShown = true;
 }
 
 wxTextCtrl::~wxTextCtrl()
@@ -1240,6 +1243,27 @@ bool wxTextCtrl::CanRedo() const
     return ::SendMessage(GetHwnd(), EM_CANUNDO, 0, 0) != 0;
 }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// caret handling (Windows only)
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+bool wxTextCtrl::ShowNativeCaret(bool show)
+{
+    if ( show != m_isNativeCaretShown )
+    {
+        if ( !(show ? ::ShowCaret(GetHwnd()) : ::HideCaret(GetHwnd())) )
+        {
+            // not an error, may simply indicate that it's not shown/hidden
+            // yet (i.e. it had been hidden/showh 2 times before)
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        m_isNativeCaretShown = show;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // implemenation details
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1711,6 +1735,15 @@ void wxTextCtrl::OnRightClick(wxMouseEvent& event)
     event.Skip();
 }
 
+void wxTextCtrl::OnSetFocus(wxFocusEvent& event)
+{
+    // be sure the caret remains invisible if the user had hidden it
+    if ( !m_isNativeCaretShown )
+    {
+        ::HideCaret(GetHwnd());
+    }
+}
+
 // the rest of the file only deals with the rich edit controls
 #if wxUSE_RICHEDIT