diff --git a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/canvas.rkt b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/canvas.rkt
index 51858bc6f9..cea95bd749 100644
--- a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/canvas.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/canvas.rkt
@@ -242,7 +242,8 @@
               is-auto-scroll? is-disabled-scroll?
               get-virtual-width get-virtual-height
               refresh-for-autoscroll refresh-all-children
-              get-eventspace)
+              get-eventspace
+	      register-extra-gtk)
 
      (define is-combo? (memq 'combo style))
      (define has-border? (or (memq 'border style)
@@ -359,6 +360,10 @@
                                          (list client-gtk combo-button-gtk)
                                          (list client-gtk)))))])
 
+     (define/private (check-combo)
+       (when is-combo?
+	 (set! combo-button-gtk (re-extract-combo-button gtk combo-button-gtk this))))
+
      (set-size x y w h)
 
      (define/override (set-size x y w h)
@@ -393,6 +398,7 @@
                  (is-panel?))
        (set-gtk-object-flags! client-gtk (bitwise-ior (get-gtk-object-flags client-gtk)
                                                       GTK_CAN_FOCUS)))
+     (check-combo)
      (when combo-button-gtk
        (connect-combo-key-and-mouse combo-button-gtk))
      (connect-unrealize client-gtk)
diff --git a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/choice.rkt b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/choice.rkt
index b5c9d9efdc..c36da47757 100644
--- a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/choice.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/choice.rkt
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
   (set-auto-size)
 
   (connect-changed gtk)
+  (set! button-gtk (re-extract-combo-button gtk button-gtk this))
   (connect-focus button-gtk)
   (connect-combo-key-and-mouse button-gtk)
 
diff --git a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/combo.rkt b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/combo.rkt
index e2da3b068e..988344b723 100644
--- a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/combo.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/combo.rkt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 (provide 
  (protect-out extract-combo-button
+	      re-extract-combo-button
               connect-combo-key-and-mouse))
 
 ;; ----------------------------------------
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@
 (define-gtk gtk_container_foreach (_fun _GtkWidget (_fun _GtkWidget -> _void) _pointer -> _void))
 (define-gtk gtk_container_forall (_fun _GtkWidget (_fun _GtkWidget -> _void) _pointer -> _void))
 
+(define-gtk gtk_widget_get_name (_fun _GtkWidget -> _string))
+
 (define-gobj g_signal_parse_name (_fun _string
                                        _GType
                                        (id : (_ptr o _uint))
@@ -80,17 +83,39 @@
     (gtk_container_forall gtk (lambda (c) (set! all (cons c all))) #f)
     (gtk_container_foreach gtk (lambda (c) (set! ext (cons c ext))) #f)
     (for-each (lambda (e)
-                (set! all (filter (lambda (a) (not (ptr-equal? a e)))
+                (set! all (filter (lambda (a)
+				    (not (ptr-equal? a e)))
                                   all)))
               ext)
-    (unless (= 1 (length all))
-      (error "expected Gtk combobox to have one private child"))
-    (define combo-gtk (car all))
-    (gobject-ref combo-gtk)
+    (define combo-gtk
+      (cond
+       [(= 1 (length all))
+	;; most common case:
+	(car all)]
+       [(and (= 2 (length all))
+	     (equal? '("GtkFrame" "GtkToggleButton")
+		     (map gtk_widget_get_name all)))
+	(define inner null)
+	(gtk_container_forall (car all) (lambda (c) (set! inner (cons c inner))) #f)
+	(and (= 1 (length inner))
+	     (car inner))]
+       [else #f]))
+    (unless combo-gtk
+      (error "unrecognized Gtk combobox implementation"))
     combo-gtk))
 
+(define (re-extract-combo-button gtk combo-button-gtk win)
+  (define c-gtk (extract-combo-button gtk))
+  (cond
+   [(ptr-equal? c-gtk combo-button-gtk)
+    ;; combo button hasn't changed:
+    combo-button-gtk]
+   [else
+    (send win register-extra-gtk gtk c-gtk)
+    c-gtk]))
+
 ;; More dependence on the implemenation of GtkComboBox:
-;; The memnu-popup action is implemented by seeting a button-press-event
+;; The menu-popup action is implemented by seeting a button-press-event
 ;; signal handler on `button-gtk'. Since Gtk calls signal handlers in the
 ;; order that they're registered, our button-press-event handler doesn't
 ;; get called first, so it can't cancel the button press due to modality
diff --git a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/widget.rkt b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/widget.rkt
index ed9e53273b..0b44df28d4 100644
--- a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/widget.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/widget.rkt
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@
     
     (super-new)
 
+    (define/public (register-extra-gtk gtk extra-gtk)
+      (define cell (g_object_get_data gtk "wx"))
+      (g_object_set_data extra-gtk "wx" cell))
+
     (atomically
      (let ([cell (malloc-immobile-cell (make-weak-box this))])
        (g_object_set_data gtk "wx" cell)