diff --git a/include/wx/module.h b/include/wx/module.h
index 49e747043b..da8299d864 100644
--- a/include/wx/module.h
+++ b/include/wx/module.h
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ public:
 
     static void UnregisterModule(wxModule *module);
 
+    // Initialize the module with the given type information if it's not
+    // already initialized. This is for internal use only currently.
+    static void AddModuleIfNecessary(const wxClassInfo *classInfo);
+
 protected:
     static wxModuleList ms_modules;
 
diff --git a/src/common/module.cpp b/src/common/module.cpp
index 22ca1e143a..dc4da410a9 100644
--- a/src/common/module.cpp
+++ b/src/common/module.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
     #include "wx/log.h"
 #endif
 
+#include <memory>
+
 #define TRACE_MODULE wxT("module")
 
 wxIMPLEMENT_ABSTRACT_CLASS(wxModule, wxObject);
@@ -148,6 +150,43 @@ bool wxModule::DoInitializeModule(wxModule *module,
     return true;
 }
 
+void wxModule::AddModuleIfNecessary(const wxClassInfo *classInfo)
+{
+    wxCHECK_RET( classInfo, wxS("Valid class info must be provided") );
+    wxCHECK_RET( classInfo->IsKindOf(wxCLASSINFO(wxModule)),
+                  wxS("Class info must be for wxModule-derived class") );
+
+    const wxString className(classInfo->GetClassName());
+    for ( wxModuleList::const_iterator it = ms_modules.begin();
+          it != ms_modules.end();
+          ++it )
+    {
+        if ( (*it)->GetClassInfo()->GetClassName() == className )
+        {
+            // Already initialized or at least registered and will be
+            // initialized later.
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
+    std::unique_ptr<wxModule>
+        module{static_cast<wxModule*>(classInfo->CreateObject())};
+
+    // Do not call RegisterModule() here as it would add it to ms_modules which
+    // would result in it being added twice as DoInitializeModule() would do it
+    // too on success.
+    module->m_state = State_Registered;
+
+    if ( !DoInitializeModule(module.get(), ms_modules) )
+    {
+        // Error is already given by DoInitializeModule().
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Module is now owned by ms_modules.
+    module.release();
+}
+
 // Initialize user-defined modules
 bool wxModule::InitializeModules()
 {
diff --git a/src/xrc/xmlres.cpp b/src/xrc/xmlres.cpp
index 222bd0e94f..4d967d065b 100644
--- a/src/xrc/xmlres.cpp
+++ b/src/xrc/xmlres.cpp
@@ -3255,9 +3255,17 @@ wxIMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxXmlResourceModule, wxModule);
 // then the built-in module system won't pick this one up.  Add it manually.
 void wxXmlInitResourceModule()
 {
-    wxModule* module = new wxXmlResourceModule;
-    wxModule::RegisterModule(module);
-    wxModule::InitializeModules();
+    // Only add the module if the module system is already initialized,
+    // otherwise it will be added automatically when it is done as it will be
+    // known to the module system at that time (this happens as soon as the
+    // code containing this function is loaded from a shared library and if
+    // this function is running, it must have been already loaded!).
+    if ( wxModule::AreInitialized() )
+    {
+        // Still check that this module is not already registered, as could
+        // happen if this function is called multiple times, for example.
+        wxModule::AddModuleIfNecessary(wxCLASSINFO(wxXmlResourceModule));
+    }
 }
 
 #endif // wxUSE_XRC