diff --git a/applets/appmenu/lib/appmenuapplet.cpp b/applets/appmenu/lib/appmenuapplet.cpp
index 3ba9c95ab..734387f86 100644
--- a/applets/appmenu/lib/appmenuapplet.cpp
+++ b/applets/appmenu/lib/appmenuapplet.cpp
@@ -125,14 +125,10 @@ QMenu *AppMenuApplet::createMenu(int idx) const
     QAction *action = nullptr;
 
     if (view() == CompactView) {
-        menu = new QMenu();
-        for (int i = 0; i < m_model->rowCount(); i++) {
-            const QModelIndex index = m_model->index(i, 0);
-            const QVariant data = m_model->data(index, AppMenuModel::ActionRole);
-            action = (QAction *)data.value<void *>();
-            menu->addAction(action);
+        auto menuAction = static_cast<QAction*>(m_model->data(QModelIndex(), AppMenuModel::ActionRole).value<void *>());
+        if (menuAction) {
+            menu = menuAction->menu();
         }
-        menu->setAttribute(Qt::WA_DeleteOnClose);
     } else if (view() == FullView) {
         const QModelIndex index = m_model->index(idx, 0);
         const QVariant data = m_model->data(index, AppMenuModel::ActionRole);
diff --git a/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.cpp b/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.cpp
index fa9748e76..857c81e40 100644
--- a/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.cpp
+++ b/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.cpp
@@ -234,12 +234,20 @@ QList<QAction *> AppMenuModel::flatActionList()
 
 QVariant AppMenuModel::data(const QModelIndex &index, int role) const
 {
-    const int row = index.row();
-    if (row < 0 || !m_menuAvailable || !m_menu) {
+    if (!m_menuAvailable || !m_menu) {
         return QVariant();
     }
 
+    if (!index.isValid()) {
+        if (role == MenuRole) {
+            return QString();
+        } else if (role == ActionRole) {
+            return QVariant::fromValue((void *)(m_menu->menuAction()));
+        }
+    }
+
     const auto actions = m_menu->actions();
+    const int row = index.row();
     if (row == actions.count() && KWindowSystem::isPlatformWayland()) {
         if (role == MenuRole) {
             return m_searchAction->text();