diff --git a/cosmic-applet-status-area/src/components/app.rs b/cosmic-applet-status-area/src/components/app.rs
index eeeba7ec..03e56e9d 100644
--- a/cosmic-applet-status-area/src/components/app.rs
+++ b/cosmic-applet-status-area/src/components/app.rs
@@ -543,6 +543,9 @@ fn activate(
     item: &StatusNotifierItem,
     activation_token: Option<String>,
 ) -> Task<cosmic::Action<Msg>> {
+    if item.is_menu() {
+        return Task::done(cosmic::action::app(Msg::TogglePopup(id)));
+    }
     let item_proxy = item.item_proxy().clone();
     Task::future(async move {
         if let Some(t) = activation_token {
diff --git a/cosmic-applet-status-area/src/subscriptions/status_notifier_item.rs b/cosmic-applet-status-area/src/subscriptions/status_notifier_item.rs
index ee12cbe0..5a67f07b 100644
--- a/cosmic-applet-status-area/src/subscriptions/status_notifier_item.rs
+++ b/cosmic-applet-status-area/src/subscriptions/status_notifier_item.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use zbus::zvariant::{self, OwnedValue};
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct StatusNotifierItem {
     name: String,
+    is_menu: bool,
     item_proxy: StatusNotifierItemProxy<'static>,
     menu_proxy: Option<DBusMenuProxy<'static>>,
 }
@@ -44,32 +45,25 @@ impl StatusNotifierItem {
             .build()
             .await?;
 
-        // XX: some items will not implement this but have a menu anyway
-        let is_menu = item_proxy.item_is_menu().await;
+        let is_menu = item_proxy.item_is_menu().await.unwrap_or(false);
 
-        let menu_path = item_proxy.menu().await;
-
-        // Why would an item say it has no menu but provide a menu path? Slack does this.
-        let is_menu = menu_path.is_ok() || is_menu.unwrap_or(false);
-
-        if !is_menu {
-            return Ok(Self {
-                name,
-                item_proxy,
-                menu_proxy: None,
-            });
-        }
-        let menu_path = menu_path?;
-        let menu_proxy = DBusMenuProxy::builder(connection)
-            .destination(dest.to_string())?
-            .path(menu_path)?
-            .build()
-            .await?;
+        let menu_proxy = if let Ok(menu_path) = item_proxy.menu().await {
+            Some(
+                DBusMenuProxy::builder(connection)
+                    .destination(dest.to_string())?
+                    .path(menu_path)?
+                    .build()
+                    .await?,
+            )
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
 
         Ok(Self {
             name,
+            is_menu,
             item_proxy,
-            menu_proxy: Some(menu_proxy),
+            menu_proxy,
         })
     }
 
@@ -126,6 +120,11 @@ impl StatusNotifierItem {
         )
     }
 
+    /// Item is only a menu, with no `Activate` action
+    pub fn is_menu(&self) -> bool {
+        self.is_menu
+    }
+
     pub fn menu_proxy(&self) -> Option<&DBusMenuProxy<'static>> {
         self.menu_proxy.as_ref()
     }