diff --git a/collects/mred/private/mritem.rkt b/collects/mred/private/mritem.rkt
index 6d2a89f5..0302d72b 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/mritem.rkt
+++ b/collects/mred/private/mritem.rkt
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 									   ;; for keyword use
 									   [font no-val])
       (rename [super-set-label set-label])
-      (private-field [label lbl][callback cb])
+      (private-field [label lbl][callback cb] [is-bitmap? (lbl . is-a? . wx:bitmap%)])
       (override
 	[get-label (lambda () label)]
 	[get-plain-label (lambda () (and (string? label) (wx:label->plain-label label)))]
@@ -69,8 +69,12 @@
 		      (let ([l (if (string? l)
                                  (string->immutable-string l)
                                  l)])
-			(send wx set-label l)
-			(set! label l))))])
+                        (when (or (and is-bitmap?
+                                       (l . is-a? . wx:bitmap%))
+                                  (and (not is-bitmap?)
+                                       (string? l)))
+                          (send wx set-label l)
+                          (set! label l)))))])
       (public
 	[hidden-child? (lambda () #f)] ; module-local method
 	[label-checker  (lambda () check-label-string/false)] ; module-local method
diff --git a/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/message.rkt b/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/message.rkt
index 1a3896ef..bd9ef2a0 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/message.rkt
+++ b/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/message.rkt
@@ -94,7 +94,11 @@
              [no-show? (memq 'deleted style)])
 
   (define/override (set-label label)
-    (tellv (get-cocoa) setTitleWithMnemonic: #:type _NSString label))
+    (cond
+     [(string? label)
+      (tellv (get-cocoa) setTitleWithMnemonic: #:type _NSString label)]
+     [else
+      (tellv (get-cocoa) setImage: (bitmap->image label))]))
 
   (define/override (gets-focus?) #f)
 
diff --git a/collects/mred/private/wx/gtk/message.rkt b/collects/mred/private/wx/gtk/message.rkt
index fd47ac52..587f3291 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/wx/gtk/message.rkt
+++ b/collects/mred/private/wx/gtk/message.rkt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 (require racket/class
          ffi/unsafe
          "../../syntax.rkt"
+         "../../lock.rkt"
          "item.rkt"
          "utils.rkt"
          "types.rkt"
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
 (define-gtk gtk_label_set_text_with_mnemonic (_fun _GtkWidget _string -> _void))
 (define-gtk gtk_image_new_from_stock (_fun _string _int -> _GtkWidget))
 (define-gtk gtk_misc_set_alignment (_fun _GtkWidget _float _float -> _void))
+(define-gtk gtk_image_set_from_pixbuf (_fun _GtkWidget _GdkPixbuf -> _void))
 
 (define (mnemonic-string s)
   (if (regexp-match? #rx"&" s)
@@ -75,6 +77,13 @@
   (set-auto-size)
 
   (define/override (set-label s)
-    (gtk_label_set_text_with_mnemonic (get-gtk) (mnemonic-string s)))
+    (cond
+     [(string? s)
+      (gtk_label_set_text_with_mnemonic (get-gtk) (mnemonic-string s))]
+     [else
+      (let ([pixbuf (bitmap->pixbuf s)])
+        (atomically
+         (gtk_image_set_from_pixbuf (get-gtk) pixbuf)
+         (release-pixbuf pixbuf)))]))
 
   (def/public-unimplemented get-font))