diff --git a/Modules/Bar/Extras/TrayMenu.qml b/Modules/Bar/Extras/TrayMenu.qml
index f8d5840b..53c5cd37 100644
--- a/Modules/Bar/Extras/TrayMenu.qml
+++ b/Modules/Bar/Extras/TrayMenu.qml
@@ -19,136 +19,8 @@ PopupWindow {
   property string widgetSection: ""
   property int widgetIndex: -1
 
-  // Menu can be set directly (for submenus) or derived from trayItem
-  property var menu: null
-  property var stableMenu: null // Debounced menu for opener binding
-  property var menuItems: []
-  property int loadRetryCount: 0
-  property bool isLoadingMenu: false // Mutex to prevent concurrent access
-
-  // Debounce timer to prevent rapid menu rebinding
-  Timer {
-    id: menuDebounceTimer
-    interval: 50
-    repeat: false
-    onTriggered: {
-      // Update stable menu only after debounce period
-      if (root.visible && root.menu) {
-        root.stableMenu = root.menu
-      } else {
-        root.stableMenu = null
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Timer to defer menu loading to avoid freezing on opener.children access
-  // Uses retry mechanism with exponential backoff for reliability
-  Timer {
-    id: menuLoadTimer
-    interval: 50
-    repeat: false
-    onTriggered: {
-      // Early exit if not visible, no stable menu, or already loading
-      if (!root.visible || !root.stableMenu || root.isLoadingMenu) {
-        root.menuItems = []
-        root.loadRetryCount = 0
-        root.isLoadingMenu = false
-        return
-      }
-
-      // Set loading flag to prevent concurrent access
-      root.isLoadingMenu = true
-
-      try {
-        if (opener && opener.children && 'values' in opener.children) {
-          const values = opener.children.values
-          if (values && values.length > 0) {
-            root.menuItems = [...values]
-            root.loadRetryCount = 0 // Success, reset retry count
-            root.isLoadingMenu = false
-          } else {
-            // Empty menu - retry if we haven't exceeded max attempts
-            if (root.loadRetryCount < 3) {
-              root.loadRetryCount++
-              menuLoadTimer.interval = 150 * Math.pow(2, root.loadRetryCount - 1) // Exponential backoff: 150, 300, 600
-              root.isLoadingMenu = false // Release lock before retry
-              menuLoadTimer.running = true
-            } else {
-              // Max retries exceeded, give up gracefully
-              root.menuItems = []
-              root.loadRetryCount = 0
-              root.isLoadingMenu = false
-            }
-          }
-        } else {
-          // opener.children not ready - retry if we haven't exceeded max attempts
-          if (root.loadRetryCount < 3) {
-            root.loadRetryCount++
-            menuLoadTimer.interval = 150 * Math.pow(2, root.loadRetryCount - 1) // Exponential backoff
-            root.isLoadingMenu = false // Release lock before retry
-            menuLoadTimer.running = true
-          } else {
-            // Max retries exceeded, give up gracefully
-            root.menuItems = []
-            root.loadRetryCount = 0
-            root.isLoadingMenu = false
-          }
-        }
-      } catch (e) {
-        Logger.w("TrayMenu", "Error accessing menu items:", e)
-        root.menuItems = []
-        root.loadRetryCount = 0
-        root.isLoadingMenu = false
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  onVisibleChanged: {
-    if (visible && menu) {
-      // Cancel all pending operations
-      menuDebounceTimer.running = false
-      menuLoadTimer.running = false
-      root.isLoadingMenu = false
-      root.loadRetryCount = 0
-
-      // Start debounce for stable menu
-      menuDebounceTimer.running = true
-    } else if (!visible) {
-      // Clean up when hiding
-      menuDebounceTimer.running = false
-      menuLoadTimer.running = false
-      root.isLoadingMenu = false
-      root.loadRetryCount = 0
-      root.stableMenu = null
-      root.menuItems = []
-    }
-  }
-
-  onMenuChanged: {
-    // Cancel pending load whenever menu changes
-    menuLoadTimer.running = false
-    root.isLoadingMenu = false
-    root.loadRetryCount = 0
-    root.menuItems = []
-
-    if (visible && menu) {
-      // Restart debounce timer
-      menuDebounceTimer.running = false
-      menuDebounceTimer.running = true
-    } else {
-      menuDebounceTimer.running = false
-      root.stableMenu = null
-    }
-  }
-
-  onStableMenuChanged: {
-    if (visible && stableMenu) {
-      // Stable menu is ready, start loading
-      menuLoadTimer.interval = 150 // Reset to initial interval
-      menuLoadTimer.running = false
-      menuLoadTimer.running = true
-    }
-  }
+  // Derive menu from trayItem (only used for non-submenus)
+  readonly property QsMenuHandle menu: isSubMenu ? null : (trayItem ? trayItem.menu : null)
 
   // Compute if current tray item is pinned
   readonly property bool isPinned: {
@@ -193,8 +65,10 @@ PopupWindow {
       return
     }
 
-    if (!isSubMenu && trayItem && trayItem.menu) {
-      menu = trayItem.menu
+    if (!opener.children || opener.children.values.length === 0) {
+      //Logger.w("TrayMenu", "Menu not ready, delaying show")
+      Qt.callLater(() => showAt(item, x, y))
+      return
     }
 
     anchorItem = item
@@ -210,7 +84,7 @@ PopupWindow {
                  })
   }
 
-  function hideMenu(closeWindow = true) {
+  function hideMenu() {
     visible = false
 
     // Clean up all submenus recursively
@@ -222,20 +96,23 @@ PopupWindow {
         child.subMenu = null
       }
     }
+  }
 
-    // Close the parent TrayMenuWindow if this is not a submenu
-    // closeWindow parameter prevents infinite recursion
-    if (closeWindow && !isSubMenu && screen) {
-      const trayMenuWindow = PanelService.getTrayMenuWindow(screen)
-      if (trayMenuWindow) {
-        trayMenuWindow.close()
-      }
-    }
+  // Full-sized, transparent MouseArea to track the mouse.
+  MouseArea {
+    id: rootMouseArea
+    anchors.fill: parent
+    hoverEnabled: true
+  }
+
+  Item {
+    anchors.fill: parent
+    Keys.onEscapePressed: root.hideMenu()
   }
 
   QsMenuOpener {
     id: opener
-    menu: root.stableMenu // Bind to debounced stable menu instead of raw menu
+    menu: root.menu
   }
 
   Rectangle {
@@ -280,7 +157,7 @@ PopupWindow {
       spacing: 0
 
       Repeater {
-        model: root.menuItems
+        model: opener.children ? [...opener.children.values] : []
 
         delegate: Rectangle {
           id: entry
@@ -399,7 +276,6 @@ PopupWindow {
                                    entry.subMenu.anchorItem = entry
                                    entry.subMenu.anchorX = openLeft ? -overlap : overlap
                                    entry.subMenu.anchorY = 0
-                                   entry.subMenu.menuLoadTrigger++
                                    entry.subMenu.visible = true
                                    // Force anchor update with new position
                                    Qt.callLater(() => {
diff --git a/Modules/MainScreen/TrayMenuWindow.qml b/Modules/MainScreen/TrayMenuWindow.qml
index 32c33013..4625ff7c 100644
--- a/Modules/MainScreen/TrayMenuWindow.qml
+++ b/Modules/MainScreen/TrayMenuWindow.qml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ PanelWindow {
   function close() {
     visible = false
     if (trayMenu.item) {
-      trayMenu.item.hideMenu(false) // Don't close window again (prevents recursion)
+      trayMenu.item.hideMenu()
     }
   }