diff --git a/autotests/kxmlgui_unittest.h b/autotests/kxmlgui_unittest.h
--- a/autotests/kxmlgui_unittest.h
+++ b/autotests/kxmlgui_unittest.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
     void testClientDestruction();
     void testMenusNoXmlFile();
     void testShortcuts();
+    void testPopupMenuParent();
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/autotests/kxmlgui_unittest.cpp b/autotests/kxmlgui_unittest.cpp
--- a/autotests/kxmlgui_unittest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/kxmlgui_unittest.cpp
@@ -1059,3 +1059,20 @@
 
     factory.removeClient(&client);
 }
+
+void KXmlGui_UnitTest::testPopupMenuParent()
+{
+    const QByteArray xml =
+        "<?xml version = '1.0'?>\n"
+        "<!DOCTYPE gui SYSTEM \"kpartgui.dtd\">\n"
+        "<gui version=\"1\" name=\"foo\" >\n"
+        "<Menu name=\"foo\"><text>Foo</text></Menu>\n"
+        "</gui>";
+
+    TestXmlGuiWindow mainWindow(xml);
+    mainWindow.createGUI();
+
+    auto popupMenu = mainWindow.menuByName(QStringLiteral("foo"));
+    QVERIFY(popupMenu);
+    QCOMPARE(popupMenu->parent(), &mainWindow);
+}
diff --git a/src/kxmlguibuilder.cpp b/src/kxmlguibuilder.cpp
--- a/src/kxmlguibuilder.cpp
+++ b/src/kxmlguibuilder.cpp
@@ -152,12 +152,14 @@
         // use it as parent widget (to get kaction to plug itself into the
         // mainwindow). Don't use a popupmenu as parent widget, otherwise
         // the popup won't be hidden if it is used as a standalone menu as well.
-        // And we don't want to set the parent for a standalone popupmenu,
-        // otherwise its shortcuts appear.
-        //
         // Note: menus with a parent of 0, coming from child clients, can be
         // leaked if the child client is deleted without a proper removeClient call, though.
         QWidget *p = parent;
+
+        if (!p && qobject_cast<QMainWindow *>(d->m_widget)) {
+            p = d->m_widget;
+        }
+
         while (p && !qobject_cast<QMainWindow *>(p)) {
             p = p->parentWidget();
         }