diff --git a/extras/Introjucer/Source/Application/jucer_Application.h b/extras/Introjucer/Source/Application/jucer_Application.h
index cf0a5ae979..4eb64d06f8 100644
--- a/extras/Introjucer/Source/Application/jucer_Application.h
+++ b/extras/Introjucer/Source/Application/jucer_Application.h
@@ -89,8 +89,10 @@ public:
 
         mainWindowList.createWindowIfNoneAreOpen();
 
-       #if JUCE_MAC
-        MenuBarModel::setMacMainMenu (menuModel, nullptr, "Open Recent");
+       #if JUCE_MAC 
+        // NB: the native recent menus doesn't work at the moment - must reenable this when fixed
+        //MenuBarModel::setMacMainMenu (menuModel, nullptr, "Open Recent");
+        MenuBarModel::setMacMainMenu (menuModel, nullptr);
        #endif
 
         struct ModuleFolderChecker  : public CallbackMessage
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/application/juce_Application.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_basics/application/juce_Application.cpp
index d8566ffbe6..f92afde2cf 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/application/juce_Application.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/application/juce_Application.cpp
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ int JUCEApplication::main()
  extern void initialiseNSApplication();
 #endif
 
-extern const char** juce_argv;  // declared in juce_core
+extern const char* const* juce_argv;  // declared in juce_core
 extern int juce_argc;
 
 StringArray JUCEApplication::getCommandLineParameterArray()
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_mac_MainMenu.mm b/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_mac_MainMenu.mm
index b04ba819eb..b9022c6d41 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_mac_MainMenu.mm
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_mac_MainMenu.mm
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ public:
         if (currentModel != nullptr)
             menuNames = currentModel->getMenuBarNames();
 
-        NSMenu* menuBar = [NSApp mainMenu];
+        NSMenu* menuBar = [[NSApp mainMenu] retain];
+
         while ([menuBar numberOfItems] > 1 + menuNames.size())
             [menuBar removeItemAtIndex: [menuBar numberOfItems] - 1];
 
@@ -149,6 +150,8 @@ public:
             else
                 updateTopLevelMenu ([menuBar itemAtIndex: 1 + i], menu, menuNames[i], menuId, i);
         }
+
+        [menuBar release];
     }
 
     void menuCommandInvoked (MenuBarModel*, const ApplicationCommandTarget::InvocationInfo& info)
@@ -544,6 +547,9 @@ public:
         if (const PopupMenu* appleMenu = MenuBarModel::getMacExtraAppleItemsMenu())
             oldAppleMenu = new PopupMenu (*appleMenu);
 
+        if (JuceMainMenuHandler::instance != nullptr)
+            oldRecentItems = JuceMainMenuHandler::instance->recentItemsMenuName;
+
         MenuBarModel::setMacMainMenu (nullptr);
 
         NSMenu* menu = [[NSMenu alloc] initWithTitle: nsStringLiteral ("Edit")];
@@ -575,12 +581,13 @@ public:
 
     ~TemporaryMainMenuWithStandardCommands()
     {
-        MenuBarModel::setMacMainMenu (oldMenu, oldAppleMenu);
+        MenuBarModel::setMacMainMenu (oldMenu, oldAppleMenu, oldRecentItems);
     }
 
 private:
     MenuBarModel* oldMenu;
     ScopedPointer<PopupMenu> oldAppleMenu;
+    String oldRecentItems;
 
     // The OS view already plays an alert when clicking outside
     // the modal comp, so this override avoids adding extra
@@ -737,8 +744,4 @@ void juce_initialiseMacMainMenu()
 
     if (JuceMainMenuHandler::instance == nullptr)
         MainMenuHelpers::rebuildMainMenu (nullptr);
-
-    // Forcing a rebuild of the menus like this seems necessary to kick the native
-    // recent-files list into action.. (not sure precisely why though)
-    TemporaryMainMenuWithStandardCommands dummy; (void) dummy;
 }