diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/menus/juce_PopupMenu.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_basics/menus/juce_PopupMenu.cpp
index 3c47a09482..d15f93a7c1 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/menus/juce_PopupMenu.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/menus/juce_PopupMenu.cpp
@@ -1195,22 +1195,19 @@ struct MenuWindow final : public Component
     {
         activeSubMenu.reset();
 
-        if (childComp != nullptr
-             && hasActiveSubMenu (childComp->item))
-        {
-            activeSubMenu.reset (new HelperClasses::MenuWindow (*(childComp->item.subMenu), this,
-                                                                options.withTargetScreenArea (childComp->getScreenBounds())
-                                                                       .withMinimumWidth (0)
-                                                                       .withTargetComponent (nullptr),
-                                                                false, dismissOnMouseUp, managerOfChosenCommand, scaleFactor));
+        if (childComp == nullptr || ! hasActiveSubMenu (childComp->item))
+            return false;
 
-            activeSubMenu->setVisible (true); // (must be called before enterModalState on Windows to avoid DropShadower confusion)
-            activeSubMenu->enterModalState (false);
-            activeSubMenu->toFront (false);
-            return true;
-        }
+        activeSubMenu.reset (new HelperClasses::MenuWindow (*(childComp->item.subMenu), this,
+                                                            options.forSubmenu()
+                                                                   .withTargetScreenArea (childComp->getScreenBounds())
+                                                                   .withMinimumWidth (0),
+                                                            false, dismissOnMouseUp, managerOfChosenCommand, scaleFactor));
 
-        return false;
+        activeSubMenu->setVisible (true); // (must be called before enterModalState on Windows to avoid DropShadower confusion)
+        activeSubMenu->enterModalState (false);
+        activeSubMenu->toFront (false);
+        return true;
     }
 
     void triggerCurrentlyHighlightedItem()
@@ -1975,7 +1972,7 @@ static PopupMenu::Options with (PopupMenu::Options options, Member&& member, Ite
 
 PopupMenu::Options PopupMenu::Options::withTargetComponent (Component* comp) const
 {
-    auto o = with (*this, &Options::targetComponent, comp);
+    auto o = with (with (*this, &Options::targetComponent, comp), &Options::topLevelTarget, comp);
 
     if (comp != nullptr)
         o.targetArea = comp->getScreenBounds();
@@ -2045,6 +2042,11 @@ PopupMenu::Options PopupMenu::Options::withInitiallySelectedItem (int idOfItemTo
     return with (*this, &Options::initiallySelectedItemId, idOfItemToBeSelected);
 }
 
+PopupMenu::Options PopupMenu::Options::forSubmenu() const
+{
+    return with (*this, &Options::targetComponent, nullptr);
+}
+
 Component* PopupMenu::createWindow (const Options& options,
                                     ApplicationCommandManager** managerOfChosenCommand) const
 {
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/menus/juce_PopupMenu.h b/modules/juce_gui_basics/menus/juce_PopupMenu.h
index 6ca8c721d7..697ff1784b 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/menus/juce_PopupMenu.h
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/menus/juce_PopupMenu.h
@@ -562,6 +562,13 @@ public:
         */
         [[nodiscard]] Options withInitiallySelectedItem (int idOfItemToBeSelected) const;
 
+        /** Returns a copy of these options with the target component set to null. The value of the
+            top-level target component will not be changed.
+
+            @see getTargetComponent(), getTopLevelTargetComponent()
+        */
+        [[nodiscard]] Options forSubmenu() const;
+
         //==============================================================================
         /** Gets the parent component. This may be nullptr if the Component has been deleted.
 
@@ -575,6 +582,14 @@ public:
         */
         Component* getTargetComponent() const noexcept               { return targetComponent; }
 
+        /** Gets the target component that was set for the top-level menu.
+
+            When querying the options of a submenu, getTargetComponent() will always return
+            nullptr, while getTopLevelTargetComponent() will return the target passed to
+            withTargetComponent() when creating the top-level menu.
+        */
+        Component* getTopLevelTargetComponent() const noexcept       { return topLevelTarget; }
+
         /** Returns true if the menu was watching a component, and that component has been deleted, and false otherwise.
 
             @see withDeletionCheck
@@ -632,7 +647,7 @@ public:
     private:
         //==============================================================================
         Rectangle<int> targetArea;
-        WeakReference<Component> targetComponent, parentComponent, componentToWatchForDeletion;
+        WeakReference<Component> targetComponent, parentComponent, componentToWatchForDeletion, topLevelTarget;
         int visibleItemID = 0, minWidth = 0, minColumns = 1, maxColumns = 0, standardHeight = 0, initiallySelectedItemId = 0;
         bool isWatchingForDeletion = false;
         PopupDirection preferredPopupDirection = PopupDirection::downwards;