diff --git a/unix/window.c b/unix/window.c
index e6874269..1fce3869 100644
--- a/unix/window.c
+++ b/unix/window.c
@@ -48,8 +48,9 @@ static void windowDestroy(uiControl *c)
 	// now destroy the bin
 	// the bin has no parent, so we can just call uiControlDestroy()
 	uiControlDestroy(uiControl(w->bin));
-	// now destroy the menus
-	freeMenubar(w->menubar);
+	// now destroy the menus, if any
+	if (w->menubar != NULL)
+		freeMenubar(w->menubar);
 	// now destroy ourselves
 	// this will also free the vbox
 	gtk_widget_destroy(w->widget);
diff --git a/windows/window.c b/windows/window.c
index 7b461318..0e8f9820 100644
--- a/windows/window.c
+++ b/windows/window.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 struct window {
 	uiWindow w;
 	HWND hwnd;
+	HMENU menubar;
 	uiContainer *bin;
 	int hidden;
 	BOOL shownOnce;
@@ -226,7 +227,6 @@ uiWindow *uiNewWindow(const char *title, int width, int height, int hasMenubar)
 	RECT adjust;
 	WCHAR *wtitle;
 	BOOL hasMenubarBOOL;
-	HMENU hmenu;
 
 	w = uiNew(struct window);
 
@@ -260,8 +260,8 @@ uiWindow *uiNewWindow(const char *title, int width, int height, int hasMenubar)
 	binSetParent(w->bin, (uintptr_t) (w->hwnd));
 
 	if (hasMenubar) {
-		hmenu = makeMenubar();
-		if (SetMenu(w->hwnd, hmenu) == 0)
+		w->menubar = makeMenubar();
+		if (SetMenu(w->hwnd, w->menubar) == 0)
 			logLastError("error giving menu to window in uiNewWindow()");
 	}