diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/actionbar/actionbar.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/actionbar/actionbar.ts
index 452b2ece1e5..5ec92db83be 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/actionbar/actionbar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/actionbar/actionbar.ts
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ export interface IActionItemOptions extends IBaseActionItemOptions {
 	icon?: boolean;
 	label?: boolean;
 	keybinding?: string;
+	isMenu?: boolean;
 }
 
 export class ActionItem extends BaseActionItem {
@@ -239,7 +240,11 @@ export class ActionItem extends BaseActionItem {
 		super.render(container);
 
 		this.$e = $('a.action-label').appendTo(this.builder);
-		this.$e.attr({ role: 'button' });
+		if (this.options.isMenu) {
+			this.$e.attr({ role: 'menuitem' });
+		} else {
+			this.$e.attr({ role: 'button' });
+		}
 
 		if (this.options.label && this.options.keybinding) {
 			$('span.keybinding').text(this.options.keybinding).appendTo(this.builder);
@@ -343,6 +348,7 @@ export interface IActionBarOptions {
 	actionRunner?: IActionRunner;
 	ariaLabel?: string;
 	animated?: boolean;
+	isMenu?: boolean;
 }
 
 let defaultOptions: IActionBarOptions = {
@@ -458,7 +464,11 @@ export class ActionBar extends EventEmitter implements IActionRunner {
 
 		this.actionsList = document.createElement('ul');
 		this.actionsList.className = 'actions-container';
-		this.actionsList.setAttribute('role', 'toolbar');
+		if (this.options.isMenu) {
+			this.actionsList.setAttribute('role', 'menubar');
+		} else {
+			this.actionsList.setAttribute('role', 'toolbar');
+		}
 		if (this.options.ariaLabel) {
 			this.actionsList.setAttribute('aria-label', this.options.ariaLabel);
 		}
diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/menu/menu.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/menu/menu.ts
index 15a21485536..2130e8803b7 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/menu/menu.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/menu/menu.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ export class Menu extends EventEmitter {
 			orientation: ActionsOrientation.VERTICAL,
 			actionItemProvider: options.actionItemProvider,
 			context: options.context,
-			actionRunner: options.actionRunner
+			actionRunner: options.actionRunner,
+			isMenu: true
 		});
 
 		this.listener = this.addEmitter(this.actionBar);
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/contextmenu/browser/contextmenu.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/contextmenu/browser/contextmenu.ts
index a5dbd5818bc..b389061785a 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/contextmenu/browser/contextmenu.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/contextmenu/browser/contextmenu.ts
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ export class ContextMenuController implements IEditorContribution {
 			getActionItem: (action) => {
 				var keybinding = this._keybindingFor(action);
 				if (keybinding) {
-					return new ActionItem(action, action, { label: true, keybinding: keybinding.getLabel() });
+					return new ActionItem(action, action, { label: true, keybinding: keybinding.getLabel(), isMenu: true });
 				}
 
 				var customActionItem = <any>action;