diff --git a/src/menu/menu.cpp b/src/menu/menu.cpp
index 4ea76fe65..8893b5769 100644
--- a/src/menu/menu.cpp
+++ b/src/menu/menu.cpp
@@ -1121,7 +1121,7 @@ DEFINE_FIELD(FOptionMenuSettings, mLinespacing)
 
 struct IJoystickConfig;
 // These functions are used by dynamic menu creation.
-DMenuItemBase * CreateOptionMenuItemStaticText(const char *name, bool v)
+DMenuItemBase * CreateOptionMenuItemStaticText(const char *name, int v)
 {
 	auto c = PClass::FindClass("OptionMenuItemStaticText");
 	auto p = c->CreateNew();
diff --git a/src/menu/menu.h b/src/menu/menu.h
index d5dd0d5c4..d5211421f 100644
--- a/src/menu/menu.h
+++ b/src/menu/menu.h
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ extern FSavegameManager savegameManager;
 class DMenu;
 extern DMenu *CurrentMenu;
 extern int MenuTime;
+class DMenuItemBase;
 
 //=============================================================================
 //
@@ -125,18 +126,17 @@ public:
 	FString mNetgameMessage;
 	PClass *mClass = nullptr;
 	bool mProtected = false;
+	TArray<DMenuItemBase *> mItems;
 
 	virtual size_t PropagateMark() { return 0;  }
 };
 
-class DMenuItemBase;
 
 class DListMenuDescriptor : public DMenuDescriptor
 {
 	DECLARE_CLASS(DListMenuDescriptor, DMenuDescriptor)
 
 public:
-	TArray<DMenuItemBase *> mItems;
 	int mSelectedItem;
 	double mSelectOfsX;
 	double mSelectOfsY;
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ class DOptionMenuDescriptor : public DMenuDescriptor
 	DECLARE_CLASS(DOptionMenuDescriptor, DMenuDescriptor)
 
 public:
-	TArray<DMenuItemBase *> mItems;
 	FString mTitle;
 	int mSelectedItem;
 	int mDrawTop;
@@ -350,7 +349,7 @@ void M_MarkMenus();
 
 
 struct IJoystickConfig;
-DMenuItemBase * CreateOptionMenuItemStaticText(const char *name, bool v);
+DMenuItemBase * CreateOptionMenuItemStaticText(const char *name, int v = -1);
 DMenuItemBase * CreateOptionMenuItemSubmenu(const char *label, FName cmd, int center);
 DMenuItemBase * CreateOptionMenuItemControl(const char *label, FName cmd, FKeyBindings *bindings);
 DMenuItemBase * CreateOptionMenuItemJoyConfigMenu(const char *label, IJoystickConfig *joy);
diff --git a/src/menu/menudef.cpp b/src/menu/menudef.cpp
index 504fd9785..e3184d316 100644
--- a/src/menu/menudef.cpp
+++ b/src/menu/menudef.cpp
@@ -516,6 +516,52 @@ static bool CheckCompatible(DMenuDescriptor *newd, DMenuDescriptor *oldd)
 	return newd->mClass->IsDescendantOf(oldd->mClass);
 }
 
+static int GetGroup(DMenuItemBase *desc)
+{
+	if (desc->IsKindOf(NAME_OptionMenuItemCommand)) return 2;
+	if (desc->IsKindOf(NAME_OptionMenuItemSubmenu)) return 1;
+	if (desc->IsKindOf(NAME_OptionMenuItemControlBase)) return 3;
+	if (desc->IsKindOf(NAME_OptionMenuItemOptionBase)) return 4;
+	if (desc->IsKindOf(NAME_OptionMenuSliderBase)) return 4;
+	if (desc->IsKindOf(NAME_OptionMenuFieldBase)) return 4;
+	if (desc->IsKindOf(NAME_OptionMenuItemColorPicker)) return 4;
+	if (desc->IsKindOf(NAME_OptionMenuItemStaticText)) return 5;
+	if (desc->IsKindOf(NAME_OptionMenuItemStaticTextSwitchable)) return 5;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static bool FindMatchingItem(DMenuItemBase *desc)
+{
+	int grp = GetGroup(desc);
+	if (grp == 0) return false;	// no idea what this is.
+	if (grp == 5) return true;	// static texts always match
+
+	FName name = desc->mAction;
+	if (grp == 1)
+	{
+		// Check for presence of menu
+		auto menu = MenuDescriptors.CheckKey(name);
+		if (menu == nullptr) return true;
+	}
+	else if (grp == 4)
+	{
+		// Check for presence of CVAR and blacklist
+		auto cv = GetCVar(nullptr, name.GetChars());
+		if (cv == nullptr) return true;
+	}
+
+	MenuDescriptorList::Iterator it(MenuDescriptors);
+	MenuDescriptorList::Pair *pair;
+	while (it.NextPair(pair))
+	{
+		for (auto it : pair->Value->mItems)
+		{
+			if (it->mAction == name && GetGroup(it) == grp) return true;
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
 static bool ReplaceMenu(FScanner &sc, DMenuDescriptor *desc)
 {
 	DMenuDescriptor **pOld = MenuDescriptors.CheckKey(desc->mMenuName);
@@ -523,7 +569,32 @@ static bool ReplaceMenu(FScanner &sc, DMenuDescriptor *desc)
 	{
 		if ((*pOld)->mProtected)
 		{
-			sc.ScriptMessage("Cannot replace protected menu %s!", desc->mMenuName.GetChars());
+			// If this tries to replace an option menu with an option menu, let's append all new entries to the old menu.
+			// Otherwise bail out because for list menus it's not that simple.
+			if (desc->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(DListMenuDescriptor)) || (*pOld)->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(DListMenuDescriptor)))
+			{
+				sc.ScriptMessage("Cannot replace protected menu %s.", desc->mMenuName.GetChars());
+				return true;
+			}
+			for (int i = desc->mItems.Size()-1; i >= 0; i--)
+			{
+				if (FindMatchingItem(desc->mItems[i]))
+				{
+					desc->mItems.Delete(i);
+				}
+			}
+			if (desc->mItems.Size() > 0)
+			{
+				auto sep = CreateOptionMenuItemStaticText("---------------", CR_YELLOW);
+				(*pOld)->mItems.Push(sep);
+				for (auto it : desc->mItems)
+				{
+					(*pOld)->mItems.Push(it);
+				}
+				desc->mItems.Clear();
+
+				sc.ScriptMessage("Merged %d items into %s", desc->mItems.Size(), desc->mMenuName.GetChars());
+			}
 			return true;
 		}
 
@@ -1400,9 +1471,9 @@ static void InitKeySections()
 			for (unsigned i = 0; i < KeySections.Size(); i++)
 			{
 				FKeySection *sect = &KeySections[i];
-				DMenuItemBase *item = CreateOptionMenuItemStaticText(" ", false);
+				DMenuItemBase *item = CreateOptionMenuItemStaticText(" ");
 				menu->mItems.Push(item);
-				item = CreateOptionMenuItemStaticText(sect->mTitle, true);
+				item = CreateOptionMenuItemStaticText(sect->mTitle, 1);
 				menu->mItems.Push(item);
 				for (unsigned j = 0; j < sect->mActions.Size(); j++)
 				{
diff --git a/src/namedef.h b/src/namedef.h
index cc3e65088..3d8fd684f 100644
--- a/src/namedef.h
+++ b/src/namedef.h
@@ -927,3 +927,14 @@ xx(MessageBoxMenu)
 xx(Both)
 xx(Physical)
 xx(Visual)
+
+xx(OptionMenuItemSubmenu)
+xx(OptionMenuItemCommand)
+xx(OptionMenuItemControlBase)
+xx(OptionMenuItemOptionBase)
+xx(OptionMenuSliderBase)
+xx(OptionMenuFieldBase)
+xx(OptionMenuItemColorPicker)
+xx(OptionMenuItemStaticText)
+xx(OptionMenuItemStaticTextSwitchable)
+xx(mAction)