diff --git a/src/lib/menu/menu-trigger.ts b/src/lib/menu/menu-trigger.ts
index cb2e4fc85b2b..303bf557329d 100644
--- a/src/lib/menu/menu-trigger.ts
+++ b/src/lib/menu/menu-trigger.ts
@@ -273,9 +273,10 @@ export class MatMenuTrigger implements AfterContentInit, OnDestroy {
   private _resetMenu(): void {
     this._setIsMenuOpen(false);
 
-    // Focus only needs to be reset to the host element if the menu was opened
-    // by the keyboard and manually shifted to the first menu item.
-    if (!this._openedByMouse) {
+    // We should reset focus if the user is navigating using a keyboard or
+    // if we have a top-level trigger which might cause focus to be lost
+    // when clicking on the backdrop.
+    if (!this._openedByMouse || !this.triggersSubmenu()) {
       this.focus();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/menu/menu.spec.ts b/src/lib/menu/menu.spec.ts
index 082257508200..26ed9299419d 100644
--- a/src/lib/menu/menu.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/menu/menu.spec.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,43 @@ describe('MatMenu', () => {
     expect(overlayContainerElement.textContent).toBe('');
   }));
 
+  it('should restore focus to the trigger when the menu was opened by keyboard', fakeAsync(() => {
+    const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(SimpleMenu);
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    const triggerEl = fixture.componentInstance.triggerEl.nativeElement;
+
+    // A click without a mousedown before it is considered a keyboard open.
+    triggerEl.click();
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    expect(overlayContainerElement.querySelector('.mat-menu-panel')).toBeTruthy();
+
+    fixture.componentInstance.trigger.closeMenu();
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    tick(500);
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(triggerEl);
+  }));
+
+  it('should restore focus to the root trigger when the menu was opened by mouse', fakeAsync(() => {
+    const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(SimpleMenu);
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    const triggerEl = fixture.componentInstance.triggerEl.nativeElement;
+    dispatchFakeEvent(triggerEl, 'mousedown');
+    triggerEl.click();
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    expect(overlayContainerElement.querySelector('.mat-menu-panel')).toBeTruthy();
+
+    fixture.componentInstance.trigger.closeMenu();
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    tick(500);
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(triggerEl);
+  }));
+
   it('should close the menu when pressing ESCAPE', fakeAsync(() => {
     const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(SimpleMenu);
     fixture.detectChanges();
@@ -1082,6 +1119,28 @@ describe('MatMenu', () => {
       expect(overlay.querySelectorAll('.mat-menu-panel').length).toBe(2, 'Expected two open menus');
     }));
 
+    it('should not re-focus a child menu trigger when hovering another trigger', fakeAsync(() => {
+      compileTestComponent();
+
+      dispatchFakeEvent(instance.rootTriggerEl.nativeElement, 'mousedown');
+      instance.rootTriggerEl.nativeElement.click();
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      const items = Array.from(overlay.querySelectorAll('.mat-menu-panel [mat-menu-item]'));
+      const levelOneTrigger = overlay.querySelector('#level-one-trigger')!;
+
+      dispatchMouseEvent(levelOneTrigger, 'mouseenter');
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      expect(overlay.querySelectorAll('.mat-menu-panel').length).toBe(2, 'Expected two open menus');
+
+      dispatchMouseEvent(items[items.indexOf(levelOneTrigger) + 1], 'mouseenter');
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      tick(500);
+
+      expect(document.activeElement)
+          .not.toBe(levelOneTrigger, 'Expected focus not to be returned to the initial trigger.');
+    }));
+
   });
 
 });