diff --git a/include/wx/menu.h b/include/wx/menu.h
index eb262bc2da..af9f2e7364 100644
--- a/include/wx/menu.h
+++ b/include/wx/menu.h
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ protected:
     static bool      ms_locked;
 
 
-private:
+protected:
     // Common part of SendEvent() and ProcessMenuEvent(): sends the event to
     // its intended recipients, returns true if it was processed.
     static bool DoProcessEvent(wxMenuBase* menu, wxEvent& event, wxWindow* win);
diff --git a/src/osx/menu_osx.cpp b/src/osx/menu_osx.cpp
index e24ce81579..75251bc06a 100644
--- a/src/osx/menu_osx.cpp
+++ b/src/osx/menu_osx.cpp
@@ -326,23 +326,7 @@ bool wxMenu::HandleCommandUpdateStatus( wxMenuItem* item, wxWindow* senderWindow
     wxUpdateUIEvent event(menuid);
     event.SetEventObject( this );
 
-    bool processed = false;
-
-    // Try the menu's event handler
-    {
-        wxEvtHandler *handler = GetEventHandler();
-        if ( handler )
-            processed = handler->ProcessEvent(event);
-    }
-
-    // Try the window the menu was popped up from
-    // (and up through the hierarchy)
-    if ( !processed )
-    {
-        wxWindow *win = GetWindow();
-        if ( win )
-            processed = win->HandleWindowEvent(event);
-    }
+    bool processed = DoProcessEvent(this, event, GetWindow());
 
     if ( !processed && senderWindow != NULL)
     {