diff --git a/packages/core/src/dom/ui/menu/menu-viewport-transition.ts b/packages/core/src/dom/ui/menu/menu-viewport-transition.ts
index 4e82ea69..35ab952f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/dom/ui/menu/menu-viewport-transition.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/dom/ui/menu/menu-viewport-transition.ts
@@ -335,12 +335,24 @@ export function observeMenuViewContent(content: HTMLElement, onChange: () => voi
     });
   }
 
-  const observer = new MutationObserver(scheduleChange);
+  const observer = new MutationObserver((records) => {
+    const changed = records.some((record) => {
+      if (record.type !== 'attributes') return true;
+
+      const name = record.attributeName;
+      if (!name) return true;
+
+      return record.oldValue !== (record.target as Element).getAttribute(name);
+    });
+
+    if (changed) scheduleChange();
+  });
 
   observer.observe(content, {
     childList: true,
     subtree: true,
     attributes: true,
+    attributeOldValue: true,
     attributeFilter: MENU_VIEW_LAYOUT_ATTRS,
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/dom/ui/menu/tests/menu-viewport-transition.test.ts b/packages/core/src/dom/ui/menu/tests/menu-viewport-transition.test.ts
index 09a5ff2f..7136306f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/dom/ui/menu/tests/menu-viewport-transition.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/dom/ui/menu/tests/menu-viewport-transition.test.ts
@@ -172,11 +172,21 @@ describe('menu-viewport-transition', () => {
 
     expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
 
-    cleanup();
-    item.setAttribute('data-availability', 'unavailable');
+    item.setAttribute('data-availability', 'available');
     await waitForMutationFrame();
 
     expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+    item.setAttribute('data-availability', 'unavailable');
+    await waitForMutationFrame();
+
+    expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+
+    cleanup();
+    item.setAttribute('data-availability', 'available');
+    await waitForMutationFrame();
+
+    expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
   });
 
   it('toggles menu viewport data attributes for active and exiting phases', () => {
diff --git a/packages/html/src/ui/menu/menu-item-value-element.ts b/packages/html/src/ui/menu/menu-item-value-element.ts
index 0e92d588..877d8c99 100644
--- a/packages/html/src/ui/menu/menu-item-value-element.ts
+++ b/packages/html/src/ui/menu/menu-item-value-element.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ export class MenuItemValueElement extends MediaElement {
   protected override update(_changed: PropertyValues): void {
     super.update(_changed);
 
-    this.textContent = this.#ctx.value?.label ?? '';
+    const label = this.#ctx.value?.label ?? '';
+    if (this.textContent !== label) {
+      this.textContent = label;
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/html/src/ui/menu/tests/menu-item-value-element.test.ts b/packages/html/src/ui/menu/tests/menu-item-value-element.test.ts
index 78e9a601..d457cd49 100644
--- a/packages/html/src/ui/menu/tests/menu-item-value-element.test.ts
+++ b/packages/html/src/ui/menu/tests/menu-item-value-element.test.ts
@@ -172,6 +172,26 @@ describe('MenuItemValueElement', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('does not rewrite an unchanged label', async () => {
+    const { value } = setup(createPlaybackRateStore({ playbackRate: 1.5 }), 'playback-rate');
+
+    await value.updateComplete;
+    await waitForAssertion(() => {
+      expect(value.textContent).toBe('1.5×');
+    });
+
+    const mutations: MutationRecord[] = [];
+    const observer = new MutationObserver((records) => mutations.push(...records));
+    observer.observe(value, { childList: true, characterData: true, subtree: true });
+
+    value.requestUpdate();
+    await value.updateComplete;
+    await nextFrame();
+    observer.disconnect();
+
+    expect(mutations).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
   it('renders Off when captions are disabled', async () => {
     const { value } = setup(
       createTextTrackStore({