diff --git a/redo/common_windows.c b/redo/common_windows.c
index 13997c7..327e707 100644
--- a/redo/common_windows.c
+++ b/redo/common_windows.c
@@ -110,9 +110,14 @@ void paintControlBackground(HWND hwnd, HDC dc)
 		parent = GetParent(parent);
 		if (parent == NULL)
 			xpanic("error getting parent container of control in paintControlBackground()", GetLastError());
+		// wine sends these messages early, yay...
+		if (parent == msgwin)
+			return;
 		parent = GetParent(parent);
 		if (parent == NULL)
 			xpanic("error getting parent control of control in paintControlBackground()", GetLastError());
+		if (parent == msgwin)
+			return;
 		if (GetClassNameW(parent, classname, 128) == 0)
 			xpanic("error getting name of focused window class in paintControlBackground()", GetLastError());
 	} while (_wcsicmp(classname, L"button") == 0);		// skip groupboxes
diff --git a/redo/future b/redo/future
index 6b189ec..fd40ac3 100644
--- a/redo/future
+++ b/redo/future
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ windows
 	- groupbox line behind groupbox text
 	- scrolling edit controls in Areas back into view don't cause redraw
 	- need to figure out the WM_MOUSELEAVE tango (see mergeback/table_mouseleave_windows.c)
+	- tell wine that WM_CTLCOLOR*** doesn't get sent early ?????
 gtk+
 	- Area: figure out how Enter is processed in Entry
 		https://git.gnome.org/browse/gtk+/tree/gtk/gtkwindow.c#n1229