diff --git a/darwin/menu.m b/darwin/menu.m
index 52234751..b73055b8 100644
--- a/darwin/menu.m
+++ b/darwin/menu.m
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 // general TODO: release Objective-C objects in dealloc since we can't use ARC
 
-// TODO menu finalization
+static BOOL menusFinalized = NO;
 
 struct menu {
 	uiMenu m;
@@ -241,6 +241,9 @@ static uiMenuItem *newItem(struct menu *m, int type, const char *name)
 {
 	struct menuItem *item;
 
+	if (menusFinalized)
+		complain("attempt to create a new menu item after menus have been finalized");
+
 	item = uiNew(struct menuItem);
 
 	item->type = type;
@@ -317,6 +320,9 @@ uiMenu *uiNewMenu(const char *name)
 {
 	struct menu *m;
 
+	if (menusFinalized)
+		complain("attempt to create a new menu after menus have been finalized");
+
 	m = uiNew(struct menu);
 
 	m->menu = [[NSMenu alloc] initWithTitle:toNSString(name)];
@@ -336,3 +342,8 @@ uiMenu *uiNewMenu(const char *name)
 
 	return uiMenu(m);
 }
+
+void finalizeMenus(void)
+{
+	menusFinalized = YES;
+}
diff --git a/darwin/uipriv_darwin.h b/darwin/uipriv_darwin.h
index 69f47c9c..2d8fb897 100644
--- a/darwin/uipriv_darwin.h
+++ b/darwin/uipriv_darwin.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 - (BOOL)validateMenuItem:(NSMenuItem *)item;
 - (NSMenu *)makeMenubar;
 @end
+extern void finalizeMenus(void);
 
 // init.m
 @interface appDelegate : NSObject <NSApplicationDelegate>
diff --git a/darwin/window.m b/darwin/window.m
index c7d69327..0ae71bbb 100644
--- a/darwin/window.m
+++ b/darwin/window.m
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ uiWindow *uiNewWindow(const char *title, int width, int height, int hasMenubar)
 	struct window *w;
 	NSView *binView;
 
+	finalizeMenus();
+
 	w = uiNew(struct window);
 
 	w->window = [[NSWindow alloc] initWithContentRect:NSMakeRect(0, 0, (CGFloat) width, (CGFloat) height)