diff --git a/components/exctrls/source/excombo.pas b/components/exctrls/source/excombo.pas
index 5971c7b88..a3c1db6f7 100644
--- a/components/exctrls/source/excombo.pas
+++ b/components/exctrls/source/excombo.pas
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ type
     procedure SetOffsets;
     procedure SetShowColSeparators(aValue: Boolean);
   protected
+    procedure CreateHandle; override;
     procedure DoAutoAdjustLayout(const AMode: TLayoutAdjustmentPolicy;
       const AXProportion, AYProportion: Double); override;
     class function GetControlClassDefaultSize: TSize; override;
@@ -178,6 +179,12 @@ begin
   Result := FColumnMargin <> Scale96ToFont(DEFAULT_COLUMN_MARGIN);
 end;
 
+procedure TColumnComboBoxEx.CreateHandle;
+begin
+  inherited;
+  SetOffsets;
+end;
+
 procedure TColumnComboBoxEx.DoAutoAdjustLayout(
   const AMode: TLayoutAdjustmentPolicy; const AXProportion, AYProportion: Double
   );
@@ -212,14 +219,19 @@ begin
   FParser.Delimiter := FDelimiter;
   FParser.DelimitedText := txt;
 
-  if (odSelected in State) then
+  if not(odBackgroundPainted in State) then
+    Canvas.FillRect(ARect);
+
+{  if (odSelected in State) then
     Canvas.Brush.Color := clHighlight
   else if (Canvas.Brush.Color <> Color) then
     Canvas.Brush.Color := Color;
-  Canvas.FillRect(ARect);
+  Canvas.FillRect(ARect);}
 
   y := ARect.Top + (ARect.Height - FTextHeight) shr 1;
 
+  Canvas.Brush.Style := bsClear;  // transparent text background
+
   if Assigned(FOffsets) then
   begin
     for i := 0 to FParser.Count-1 do
@@ -375,6 +387,7 @@ var
 begin
   if not Assigned(Parent) or (Items.Count = 0) then
     Exit;
+
   FColumnCount := GetColumnCount;
 
   SetLength({%H-}widths, FColumnCount);