Index: xpra/platform/xposix/xdg_helper.py
===================================================================
--- xpra/platform/xposix/xdg_helper.py	(revision 21875)
+++ xpra/platform/xposix/xdg_helper.py	(working copy)
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 import os
 
 from xpra.util import envbool
-from xpra.os_util import load_binary_file, BytesIOClass, PYTHON3
+from xpra.os_util import load_binary_file, BytesIOClass, OSEnvContext, PYTHON3
 from xpra.log import Logger
 
 log = Logger("exec", "menu")
@@ -207,29 +207,43 @@
 def load_xdg_menu_data():
     global xdg_menu_data
     if not xdg_menu_data:
+        xdg_menu_data = do_load_xdg_menu_data()
+    return xdg_menu_data
+
+def do_load_xdg_menu_data():
+    try:
+        from xdg.Menu import parse, Menu, ParsingError
+    except ImportError:
+        log("load_xdg_menu_data()", exc_info=True)
+        log.warn("Warning: no xdg module, cannot use application menu data")
+        return None
+    menu = None
+    if "XDG_MENU_PREFIX" in os.environ:
+        #try without the menu prefix first:
+        with OSEnvContext():
+            del os.environ["XDG_MENU_PREFIX"]
+            try:
+                menu = parse()
+            except ParsingError:
+                menu = None
+    if menu is None:
         try:
-            from xdg.Menu import parse, Menu
-        except ImportError:
+            menu = parse()
+        except Exception as e:
             log("load_xdg_menu_data()", exc_info=True)
-            log.warn("Warning: no xdg module, cannot use application menu data")
-        else:
-            xdg_menu_data = {}
+            log.error("Error parsing xdg menu data:")
+            log.error(" %s", e)
+            log.error(" this is either a bug in python-xdg,")
+            log.error(" or an invalid system menu configuration")
+            return None
+    menu_data = {}
+    for submenu in menu.getEntries():
+        if isinstance(submenu, Menu) and submenu.Visible:
+            name = submenu.getName()
             try:
-                menu = parse()
+                menu_data[name] = load_xdg_menu(submenu)
             except Exception as e:
                 log("load_xdg_menu_data()", exc_info=True)
-                log.error("Error parsing xdg menu data:")
+                log.error("Error loading submenu '%s':", name)
                 log.error(" %s", e)
-                log.error(" this is either a bug in python-xdg,")
-                log.error(" or an invalid system menu configuration")
-            else:
-                for submenu in menu.getEntries():
-                    if isinstance(submenu, Menu) and submenu.Visible:
-                        name = submenu.getName()
-                        try:
-                            xdg_menu_data[name] = load_xdg_menu(submenu)
-                        except Exception as e:
-                            log("load_xdg_menu_data()", exc_info=True)
-                            log.error("Error loading submenu '%s':", name)
-                            log.error(" %s", e)
-    return xdg_menu_data
+    return menu_data