diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/actionmanager/actioncontainer.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/actionmanager/actioncontainer.cpp
index ed771668b33..83329ef46c4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/actionmanager/actioncontainer.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/actionmanager/actioncontainer.cpp
@@ -402,11 +402,27 @@ void MenuActionContainer::removeMenu(QMenu *menu)
     m_menu->removeAction(menu->menuAction());
 }
 
+static bool menuInMenuBar(const QMenu *menu)
+{
+    foreach (const QWidget *widget, menu->menuAction()->associatedWidgets()) {
+        if (qobject_cast<const QMenuBar *>(widget))
+            return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 bool MenuActionContainer::updateInternal()
 {
     if (onAllDisabledBehavior() == Show)
         return true;
 
+#ifdef Q_OS_MAC
+    // work around QTBUG-25544 which makes menus in the menu bar stay at their enabled state at startup
+    // (so menus that are disabled at startup would stay disabled)
+    if (menuInMenuBar(m_menu))
+        return true;
+#endif
+
     bool hasitems = false;
     QList<QAction *> actions = m_menu->actions();