diff --git a/gtk/gtkmodelmenu.c b/gtk/gtkmodelmenu.c
index dccf72a..4574e64 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkmodelmenu.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkmodelmenu.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "gtkseparatormenuitem.h"
 #include "gtkmodelmenuitem.h"
 #include "gtkapplicationprivate.h"
+#include "gtkwidgetprivate.h"
 
 #define MODEL_MENU_WIDGET_DATA "gtk-model-menu-widget-data"
 
@@ -73,6 +74,80 @@ gtk_model_menu_binding_free (gpointer data)
   g_slice_free (GtkModelMenuBinding, binding);
 }
 
+static GtkMenuItem *
+gtk_model_menu_create_custom_item (GMenuModel  *menu,
+                                   gint         item_index,
+                                   const gchar *action_namespace)
+{
+  GtkMenuItem *item = NULL;
+  gchar *typename = NULL;
+  GType type;
+  GObjectClass *class = NULL;
+  GParamSpec *pspec;
+  GMenuItem *menuitem = NULL;
+
+  if (!g_menu_model_get_item_attribute (menu, item_index, "x-canonical-type", "s", &typename))
+      return NULL;
+
+  type = g_type_from_name (typename);
+  if (type == 0)
+    {
+      g_warning ("gtk_menu_new_from_model: cannot find type '%s'", typename);
+      goto out;
+    }
+  if (!g_type_is_a (type, GTK_TYPE_MENU_ITEM))
+    {
+      g_warning ("gtk_menu_new_from_model: '%s' is not derived from GtkMenuItem", typename);
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  class = g_type_class_ref (type);
+
+  pspec = g_object_class_find_property (class, "menu-item");
+  if (pspec == NULL || G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (pspec) != G_TYPE_MENU_ITEM)
+    {
+      g_warning ("gtk_menu_new_from_model: '%s' does not have a 'menu-item' property", typename);
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  pspec = g_object_class_find_property (class, "action-group");
+  if (pspec == NULL || G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (pspec) != G_TYPE_ACTION_GROUP)
+    {
+      g_warning ("gtk_menu_new_from_model: '%s' does not have an 'action-group' property", typename);
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  menuitem = g_menu_item_new_from_model (menu, item_index);
+  if (action_namespace)
+    {
+      gchar *action;
+      gchar *fullname;
+
+      g_menu_item_get_attribute (menuitem, G_MENU_ATTRIBUTE_ACTION, "s", &action);
+      fullname = g_strconcat (action_namespace, ".", action, NULL);
+      g_menu_item_set_attribute (menuitem, G_MENU_ATTRIBUTE_ACTION, "s", fullname);
+
+      g_free (action);
+      g_free (fullname);
+    }
+
+  item = g_object_new (type,
+                       "menu-item", menuitem,
+                       NULL);
+
+  g_object_set (item,
+                "action-group", _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GTK_WIDGET (item)),
+                NULL);
+
+out:
+  if (menuitem)
+    g_object_unref (menuitem);
+  if (class)
+    g_type_class_unref (class);
+  g_free (typename);
+  return item;
+}
+
 static void
 gtk_model_menu_binding_append_item (GtkModelMenuBinding  *binding,
                                     GMenuModel           *model,
@@ -84,7 +159,7 @@ gtk_model_menu_binding_append_item (GtkModelMenuBinding  *binding,
 
   if ((section = g_menu_model_get_item_link (model, item_index, "section")))
     {
-      const gchar *section_namespace = NULL;
+      gchar *section_namespace = NULL;
 
       g_menu_model_get_item_attribute (model, item_index, "label", "s", heading);
       g_menu_model_get_item_attribute (model, item_index, "action-namespace", "s", &section_namespace);
@@ -107,7 +182,10 @@ gtk_model_menu_binding_append_item (GtkModelMenuBinding  *binding,
     {
       GtkMenuItem *item;
 
-      item = gtk_model_menu_item_new (model, item_index, action_namespace, binding->accels);
+      item = gtk_model_menu_create_custom_item (model, item_index, action_namespace);
+      if (item == NULL)
+        item = gtk_model_menu_item_new (model, item_index, action_namespace, binding->accels);
+
       gtk_menu_shell_append (binding->shell, GTK_WIDGET (item));
       gtk_widget_show (GTK_WIDGET (item));
       binding->n_items++;