diff --git a/gtk/gtkmenuitem.c b/gtk/gtkmenuitem.c
index ced23c099a..1ab96b00a2 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkmenuitem.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkmenuitem.c
@@ -132,6 +132,11 @@ static void gtk_menu_item_buildable_add_child      (GtkBuildable        *buildab
 						    GtkBuilder          *builder,
 						    GObject             *child,
 						    const gchar         *type);
+static void gtk_menu_item_buildable_custom_finished(GtkBuildable        *buildable,
+						    GtkBuilder          *builder,
+						    GObject             *child,
+						    const gchar         *tagname,
+						    gpointer             user_data);
 
 static void gtk_menu_item_activatable_interface_init (GtkActivatableIface  *iface);
 static void gtk_menu_item_update                     (GtkActivatable       *activatable,
@@ -558,6 +563,7 @@ gtk_menu_item_buildable_interface_init (GtkBuildableIface *iface)
 {
   parent_buildable_iface = g_type_interface_peek_parent (iface);
   iface->add_child = gtk_menu_item_buildable_add_child;
+  iface->custom_finished = gtk_menu_item_buildable_custom_finished;
 }
 
 static void 
@@ -573,6 +579,46 @@ gtk_menu_item_buildable_add_child (GtkBuildable *buildable,
     parent_buildable_iface->add_child (buildable, builder, child, type);
 }
 
+
+static void 
+gtk_menu_item_buildable_custom_finished (GtkBuildable        *buildable,
+					 GtkBuilder          *builder,
+					 GObject             *child,
+					 const gchar         *tagname,
+					 gpointer             user_data)
+{
+  GtkWidget *toplevel;
+
+  if (strcmp (tagname, "accelerator") == 0)
+    {
+      GtkMenuShell *menu_shell = (GtkMenuShell *) GTK_WIDGET (buildable)->parent;
+      GtkWidget *attach;
+
+      if (menu_shell)
+	{
+	  while (GTK_IS_MENU (menu_shell) &&
+		 (attach = gtk_menu_get_attach_widget (GTK_MENU (menu_shell))) != NULL)
+	    menu_shell = (GtkMenuShell *)attach->parent;
+	  
+	  toplevel = gtk_widget_get_toplevel (GTK_WIDGET (menu_shell));
+	}
+      else
+	{
+	  /* Fall back to something ... */
+	  toplevel = gtk_widget_get_toplevel (GTK_WIDGET (buildable));
+
+	  g_warning ("found a GtkMenuItem '%s' without a parent GtkMenuShell, assigned accelerators wont work.",
+		     gtk_buildable_get_name (buildable));
+	}
+
+      /* Feed the correct toplevel to the GtkWidget accelerator parsing code */
+      _gtk_widget_buildable_finish_accelerator (GTK_WIDGET (buildable), toplevel, user_data);
+    }
+  else
+    parent_buildable_iface->custom_finished (buildable, builder, child, tagname, user_data);
+}
+
+
 static void
 gtk_menu_item_activatable_interface_init (GtkActivatableIface *iface)
 {
diff --git a/gtk/gtkwidget.c b/gtk/gtkwidget.c
index 8cf4f08b3d..9d1251bd21 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkwidget.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkwidget.c
@@ -9806,6 +9806,44 @@ gtk_widget_buildable_custom_tag_start (GtkBuildable     *buildable,
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+void
+_gtk_widget_buildable_finish_accelerator (GtkWidget *widget,
+					  GtkWidget *toplevel,
+					  gpointer   user_data)
+{
+  AccelGroupParserData *accel_data;
+  GSList *accel_groups;
+  GtkAccelGroup *accel_group;
+
+  g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget));
+  g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_WIDGET (toplevel));
+  g_return_if_fail (user_data != NULL);
+
+  accel_data = (AccelGroupParserData*)user_data;
+  accel_groups = gtk_accel_groups_from_object (G_OBJECT (toplevel));
+  if (g_slist_length (accel_groups) == 0)
+    {
+      accel_group = gtk_accel_group_new ();
+      gtk_window_add_accel_group (GTK_WINDOW (toplevel), accel_group);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      g_assert (g_slist_length (accel_groups) == 1);
+      accel_group = g_slist_nth_data (accel_groups, 0);
+    }
+
+  gtk_widget_add_accelerator (GTK_WIDGET (accel_data->object),
+			      accel_data->signal,
+			      accel_group,
+			      accel_data->key,
+			      accel_data->modifiers,
+			      GTK_ACCEL_VISIBLE);
+
+  g_object_unref (accel_data->object);
+  g_free (accel_data->signal);
+  g_slice_free (AccelGroupParserData, accel_data);
+}
+
 static void
 gtk_widget_buildable_custom_finished (GtkBuildable *buildable,
 				      GtkBuilder   *builder,
@@ -9816,8 +9854,6 @@ gtk_widget_buildable_custom_finished (GtkBuildable *buildable,
   AccelGroupParserData *accel_data;
   AccessibilitySubParserData *a11y_data;
   GtkWidget *toplevel;
-  GSList *accel_groups;
-  GtkAccelGroup *accel_group;
 
   if (strcmp (tagname, "accelerator") == 0)
     {
@@ -9825,26 +9861,8 @@ gtk_widget_buildable_custom_finished (GtkBuildable *buildable,
       g_assert (accel_data->object);
 
       toplevel = gtk_widget_get_toplevel (GTK_WIDGET (accel_data->object));
-      accel_groups = gtk_accel_groups_from_object (G_OBJECT (toplevel));
-      if (g_slist_length (accel_groups) == 0)
-	{
-	  accel_group = gtk_accel_group_new ();
-	  gtk_window_add_accel_group (GTK_WINDOW (toplevel), accel_group);
-	}
-      else
-	{
-	  g_assert (g_slist_length (accel_groups) == 1);
-	  accel_group = g_slist_nth_data (accel_groups, 0);
-	}
-      gtk_widget_add_accelerator (GTK_WIDGET (accel_data->object),
-				  accel_data->signal,
-				  accel_group,
-				  accel_data->key,
-				  accel_data->modifiers,
-				  GTK_ACCEL_VISIBLE);
-      g_object_unref (accel_data->object);
-      g_free (accel_data->signal);
-      g_slice_free (AccelGroupParserData, accel_data);
+
+      _gtk_widget_buildable_finish_accelerator (GTK_WIDGET (buildable), toplevel, user_data);
     }
   else if (strcmp (tagname, "accessibility") == 0)
     {
diff --git a/gtk/gtkwidget.h b/gtk/gtkwidget.h
index c73e52bba0..2d89fb0e29 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkwidget.h
+++ b/gtk/gtkwidget.h
@@ -841,6 +841,10 @@ void       _gtk_widget_synthesize_crossing (GtkWidget      *from,
 
 GdkColormap* _gtk_widget_peek_colormap (void);
 
+void         _gtk_widget_buildable_finish_accelerator (GtkWidget *widget,
+						       GtkWidget *toplevel,
+						       gpointer   user_data);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __GTK_WIDGET_H__ */