diff --git a/direct/src/gui/DirectDialog.py b/direct/src/gui/DirectDialog.py
index 44cb182ab0..17ace40dca 100644
--- a/direct/src/gui/DirectDialog.py
+++ b/direct/src/gui/DirectDialog.py
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ class DirectDialog(DirectFrame):
             ('text',              '',            None),
             ('text_align',        TextNode.ALeft,   None),
             ('text_scale',        0.06,          None),
-            ('image',             None,          None),
-            ('relief',            DGG.RAISED,     None),
+            ('image',             DGG.getDefaultDialogGeom(), None),
+            ('relief',            DGG.getDefaultDialogRelief(), None),
             ('borderWidth',       (0.01, 0.01),  None),
             ('buttonTextList',    [],            DGG.INITOPT),
             ('buttonGeomList',    [],            DGG.INITOPT),
@@ -316,7 +316,8 @@ class DirectDialog(DirectFrame):
         # reduce bottom by pad, button height and 2*button pad
         b = min(b - self['midPad'] - bpad[1] - bHeight - bpad[1], b) - pad[1]
         t = t + self['topPad'] + pad[1]
-        self['frameSize'] = (l, r, b, t)
+        if self['frameSize'] is None:
+            self['frameSize'] = (l, r, b, t)
         self['image_scale'] = (r - l, 1, t - b)
         # Center frame about text and buttons
         self['image_pos'] = ((l+r)*0.5, 0.0, (b+t)*0.5)
diff --git a/direct/src/gui/DirectGuiGlobals.py b/direct/src/gui/DirectGuiGlobals.py
index 167d2a99b4..7f42fd0a78 100644
--- a/direct/src/gui/DirectGuiGlobals.py
+++ b/direct/src/gui/DirectGuiGlobals.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ defaultFontFunc = TextNode.getDefaultFont
 defaultClickSound = None
 defaultRolloverSound = None
 defaultDialogGeom = None
+defaultDialogRelief = PGFrameStyle.TBevelOut
 drawOrder = 100
 panel = None
 
@@ -132,13 +133,16 @@ def setDefaultFontFunc(newFontFunc):
 
 def getDefaultDialogGeom():
     global defaultDialogGeom
-    if defaultDialogGeom == None:
-        defaultDialogGeom = loader.loadModel('models/gui/dialog_box_gui', okMissing = True)
     return defaultDialogGeom
 
-def setDefaultDialogGeom(newDialogGeom):
-    global defaultDialogGeom
+def getDefaultDialogRelief():
+    global defaultDialogRelief
+    return defaultDialogRelief
+
+def setDefaultDialogGeom(newDialogGeom, relief=None):
+    global defaultDialogGeom, defaultDialogRelief
     defaultDialogGeom = newDialogGeom
+    defaultDialogRelief = relief
 
 def getDefaultDrawOrder():
     return drawOrder
diff --git a/doc/ReleaseNotes b/doc/ReleaseNotes
index d1616722a7..da1575fcdd 100644
--- a/doc/ReleaseNotes
+++ b/doc/ReleaseNotes
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ Fixes for the Python API:
 * MouseWatcherGroup was erroneously not exposed in 1.9.0
 * ShowBase no longer unmounts VFS when shutting down
 * No longer requires setting PATH to import panda3d.*
+* DirectDialog default geom is once again respected
+* DirectDialog no longer overrides custom frameSize
 * Fix WebcamVideo/MicrophoneAudio.getOptions() methods
 
 Changes relating to the OpenGL renderer: