diff --git a/tests/unit/menu/menu.html b/tests/unit/menu/menu.html
index 56115c334..114382587 100644
--- a/tests/unit/menu/menu.html
+++ b/tests/unit/menu/menu.html
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 	<script src="../../../external/qunit/qunit.js"></script>
 	<script src="../../../external/jquery-simulate/jquery.simulate.js"></script>
 	<script src="../testsuite.js"></script>
+	<script src="../../../external/qunit-assert-classes/qunit-assert-classes.js"></script>
 	<script>
 	TestHelpers.loadResources({
 		css: [ "core", "menu" ],
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@
 <div id="qunit-fixture">
 
 <ul class="foo" id="menu1">
-	<li class="foo"><div>Aberdeen</div></li>
+	<li class="foo"><div>Aberdeen</div>
 	<li class="foo"><div>Ada</div></li>
 	<li class="foo"><div>Adamsville</div></li>
 	<li class="foo"><div id="testID1">Addyston</div></li>
@@ -332,6 +333,18 @@
 	<li class="foo"><div>-Saarland</div></li>
 </ul>
 
+<ul class="foo" id="menu9">
+	<li class="foo">
+		<div>Aberdeen</div>
+		<ul>
+			<li class="foo"><div>Ada</div></li>
+		</ul>
+	</li>
+	<li class="foo"><div>Ada</div></li>
+	<li class="foo"><div>Adamsville</div></li>
+	<li class="foo"><div>Addyston</div></li>
+	<li class="foo"><div>Adelphi</div></li>
+</ul>
 </div>
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/tests/unit/menu/menu_core.js b/tests/unit/menu/menu_core.js
index 5be717a66..955424477 100644
--- a/tests/unit/menu/menu_core.js
+++ b/tests/unit/menu/menu_core.js
@@ -2,13 +2,23 @@
 
 module( "menu: core" );
 
-test( "markup structure", function() {
-	expect( 6 );
-	var element = $( "#menu1" ).menu();
-	ok( element.hasClass( "ui-menu" ), "main element is .ui-menu" );
-	element.children().each(function( index ) {
-		ok( $( this ).hasClass( "ui-menu-item" ), "child " + index + " is .ui-menu-item" );
-	});
+test( "markup structure", function( assert ) {
+	expect( 11 );
+	var element = $( "#menu9" ).menu(),
+		items = element.children(),
+		firstItemChildren = items.eq( 0 ).children();
+
+	assert.hasClasses( element, "ui-menu ui-widget ui-widget-content" );
+	assert.hasClasses( items[ 0 ], "ui-menu-item" );
+	equal( items.eq( 0 ).children().length, 2, "Item has exactly 2 children when it has a sub menu" );
+	assert.hasClasses( firstItemChildren[ 0 ], "ui-menu-item-wrapper" );
+	assert.hasClasses( firstItemChildren[ 1 ], "ui-menu ui-widget ui-widget-content" );
+	assert.hasClasses( firstItemChildren.eq( 1 ).children()[ 0 ], "ui-menu-item" );
+	assert.hasClasses( firstItemChildren.eq( 1 ).children().eq( 0 ).children(), "ui-menu-item-wrapper" );
+	assert.hasClasses( items[ 1 ], "ui-menu-item" );
+	equal( items.eq( 1 ).children().length, 1, "Item has exactly 1 child when it does not have a sub menu" );
+	assert.hasClasses( items[ 2 ], "ui-menu-item" );
+	equal( items.eq( 2 ).children().length, 1, "Item has exactly 1 child when it does not have a sub menu" );
 });
 
 test( "accessibility", function () {
diff --git a/ui/menu.js b/ui/menu.js
index 353368cf9..6c09e336f 100644
--- a/ui/menu.js
+++ b/ui/menu.js
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 	defaultElement: "<ul>",
 	delay: 300,
 	options: {
+		classes: {},
 		icons: {
 			submenu: "ui-icon-caret-1-e"
 		},
@@ -63,20 +64,19 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 		this.mouseHandled = false;
 		this.element
 			.uniqueId()
-			.addClass( "ui-menu ui-widget ui-widget-content" )
-			.toggleClass( "ui-menu-icons", !!this.element.find( ".ui-icon" ).length )
 			.attr({
 				role: this.options.role,
 				tabIndex: 0
 			});
 
 		if ( this.options.disabled ) {
-			this.element
-				.addClass( "ui-state-disabled" )
-				.attr( "aria-disabled", "true" );
+			this._addClass( null, "ui-state-disabled" );
+			this.element.attr( "aria-disabled", "true" );
 		}
 
+		this._addClass( "ui-menu", "ui-widget ui-widget-content" );
 		this._on({
+
 			// Prevent focus from sticking to links inside menu after clicking
 			// them (focus should always stay on UL during navigation).
 			"mousedown .ui-menu-item": function( event ) {
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 				var target = $( event.currentTarget );
 				// Remove ui-state-active class from siblings of the newly focused menu item
 				// to avoid a jump caused by adjacent elements both having a class with a border
-				target.siblings().children( ".ui-state-active" ).removeClass( "ui-state-active" );
-
+				this._removeClass( target.siblings().children( ".ui-state-active" ),
+					null, "ui-state-active" );
 				this.focus( event, target );
 			},
 			mouseleave: "collapseAll",
@@ -159,11 +159,19 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 	},
 
 	_destroy: function() {
+		var items = this.element.find( ".ui-menu-item" )
+				.removeAttr( "role" )
+				.removeAttr( "aria-disabled" ),
+			submenus = items.children( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" )
+				.removeUniqueId()
+				.removeAttr( "tabIndex" )
+				.removeAttr( "role" )
+				.removeAttr( "aria-haspopup" );
+
 		// Destroy (sub)menus
 		this.element
 			.removeAttr( "aria-activedescendant" )
 			.find( ".ui-menu" ).addBack()
-				.removeClass( "ui-menu ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-menu-icons ui-front" )
 				.removeAttr( "role" )
 				.removeAttr( "tabIndex" )
 				.removeAttr( "aria-labelledby" )
@@ -173,26 +181,12 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 				.removeUniqueId()
 				.show();
 
-		// Destroy menu items
-		this.element.find( ".ui-menu-item" )
-			.removeClass( "ui-menu-item" )
-			.removeAttr( "role" )
-			.removeAttr( "aria-disabled" )
-			.children( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" )
-				.removeUniqueId()
-				.removeClass( "ui-menu-item-wrapper ui-state-hover" )
-				.removeAttr( "tabIndex" )
-				.removeAttr( "role" )
-				.removeAttr( "aria-haspopup" )
-				.children().each(function() {
-					var elem = $( this );
-					if ( elem.data( "ui-menu-submenu-caret" ) ) {
-						elem.remove();
-					}
-				});
-
-		// Destroy menu dividers
-		this.element.find( ".ui-menu-divider" ).removeClass( "ui-menu-divider ui-widget-content" );
+		submenus.children().each(function() {
+			var elem = $( this );
+			if ( elem.data( "ui-menu-submenu-caret" ) ) {
+				elem.remove();
+			}
+		});
 	},
 
 	_keydown: function( event ) {
@@ -286,16 +280,15 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 	},
 
 	refresh: function() {
-		var menus, items,
+		var menus, items, newSubmenus, newItems, newWrappers,
 			that = this,
 			icon = this.options.icons.submenu,
 			submenus = this.element.find( this.options.menus );
 
-		this.element.toggleClass( "ui-menu-icons", !!this.element.find( ".ui-icon" ).length );
+		this._toggleClass( "ui-menu-icons", null, !!this.element.find( ".ui-icon" ).length );
 
 		// Initialize nested menus
-		submenus.filter( ":not(.ui-menu)" )
-			.addClass( "ui-menu ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-front" )
+		newSubmenus = submenus.filter( ":not(.ui-menu)" )
 			.hide()
 			.attr({
 				role: this.options.role,
@@ -305,16 +298,17 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 			.each(function() {
 				var menu = $( this ),
 					item = menu.prev(),
-					submenuCaret = $( "<span>" )
-						.addClass( "ui-menu-icon ui-icon " + icon )
-						.data( "ui-menu-submenu-caret", true );
+					submenuCaret = $( "<span>" ).data( "ui-menu-submenu-caret", true );
 
+				that._addClass( submenuCaret, "ui-menu-icon", "ui-icon " + icon );
 				item
 					.attr( "aria-haspopup", "true" )
 					.prepend( submenuCaret );
 				menu.attr( "aria-labelledby", item.attr( "id" ) );
 			});
 
+		this._addClass( newSubmenus, "ui-menu", "ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-front" );
+
 		menus = submenus.add( this.element );
 		items = menus.find( this.options.items );
 
@@ -322,21 +316,21 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 		items.not( ".ui-menu-item" ).each(function() {
 			var item = $( this );
 			if ( that._isDivider( item ) ) {
-				item.addClass( "ui-widget-content ui-menu-divider" );
+				that._addClass( item, "ui-menu-divider", "ui-widget-content" );
 			}
 		});
 
 		// Don't refresh list items that are already adapted
-		items.not( ".ui-menu-item, .ui-menu-divider" )
-			.addClass( "ui-menu-item" )
-			.children()
-				.not( ".ui-menu" )
-					.addClass( "ui-menu-item-wrapper" )
-					.uniqueId()
-					.attr({
-						tabIndex: -1,
-						role: this._itemRole()
-					});
+		newItems = items.not( ".ui-menu-item, .ui-menu-divider" );
+		newWrappers = newItems.children()
+			.not( ".ui-menu" )
+				.uniqueId()
+				.attr({
+					tabIndex: -1,
+					role: this._itemRole()
+				});
+		this._addClass( newItems, "ui-menu-item" )
+			._addClass( newWrappers, "ui-menu-item-wrapper" );
 
 		// Add aria-disabled attribute to any disabled menu item
 		items.filter( ".ui-state-disabled" ).attr( "aria-disabled", "true" );
@@ -356,26 +350,27 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 
 	_setOption: function( key, value ) {
 		if ( key === "icons" ) {
-			this.element.find( ".ui-menu-icon" )
-				.removeClass( this.options.icons.submenu )
-				.addClass( value.submenu );
+			var icons = this.element.find( ".ui-menu-icon" );
+			this._removeClass( icons, null, this.options.icons.submenu )
+				._addClass( icons, null, value.submenu );
 		}
 		if ( key === "disabled" ) {
-			this.element
-				.toggleClass( "ui-state-disabled", !!value )
-				.attr( "aria-disabled", value );
+			this.element.attr( "aria-disabled", value );
+			this._toggleClass( null, "ui-state-disabled", !!value );
 		}
 		this._super( key, value );
 	},
 
 	focus: function( event, item ) {
-		var nested, focused;
+		var nested, focused, activeParent;
 		this.blur( event, event && event.type === "focus" );
 
 		this._scrollIntoView( item );
 
 		this.active = item.first();
-		focused = this.active.children( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" ).addClass( "ui-state-active" );
+
+		focused = this.active.children( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" );
+		this._addClass( focused, null, "ui-state-active" );
 
 		// Only update aria-activedescendant if there's a role
 		// otherwise we assume focus is managed elsewhere
@@ -384,11 +379,11 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 		}
 
 		// Highlight active parent menu item, if any
-		this.active
+		activeParent = this.active
 			.parent()
 				.closest( ".ui-menu-item" )
-					.children( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" )
-						.addClass( "ui-state-active" );
+					.children( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" );
+		this._addClass( activeParent, null, "ui-state-active" );
 
 		if ( event && event.type === "keydown" ) {
 			this._close();
@@ -434,7 +429,8 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		this.active.children( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" ).removeClass( "ui-state-active" );
+		this._removeClass( this.active.children( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" ),
+			null, "ui-state-active" );
 		this.active = null;
 
 		this._trigger( "blur", event, { item: this.active } );
@@ -498,14 +494,14 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 			startMenu = this.active ? this.active.parent() : this.element;
 		}
 
-		startMenu
+		var active = startMenu
 			.find( ".ui-menu" )
 				.hide()
 				.attr( "aria-hidden", "true" )
 				.attr( "aria-expanded", "false" )
 			.end()
-			.find( ".ui-state-active" ).not( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" )
-				.removeClass( "ui-state-active" );
+			.find( ".ui-state-active" ).not( ".ui-menu-item-wrapper" );
+		this._removeClass( active, null, "ui-state-active" );
 	},
 
 	_closeOnDocumentClick: function( event ) {