diff --git a/dev/benchmarks/complex_layout/lib/main.dart b/dev/benchmarks/complex_layout/lib/main.dart
index e7e8cec0ca0..6c985b6fe64 100644
--- a/dev/benchmarks/complex_layout/lib/main.dart
+++ b/dev/benchmarks/complex_layout/lib/main.dart
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class TopBarMenu extends StatelessWidget {
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
     return new PopupMenuButton<String>(
       onSelected: (String value) { print("Selected: $value"); },
-      items: <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
+      itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
         new PopupMenuItem<String>(
           value: "Friends",
           child: new MenuItemWithIcon(Icons.people, "Friends", "5 new")
diff --git a/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/flexible_space_demo.dart b/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/flexible_space_demo.dart
index 3fcd018e168..496d06100ae 100644
--- a/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/flexible_space_demo.dart
+++ b/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/flexible_space_demo.dart
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class FlexibleSpaceDemoState extends State<FlexibleSpaceDemo> {
                   _appBarBehavior = value;
                 });
               },
-              items: <PopupMenuItem<AppBarBehavior>>[
+              itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuItem<AppBarBehavior>>[
                 new PopupMenuItem<AppBarBehavior>(
                   value: AppBarBehavior.scroll,
                   child: new Text('AppBar scrolls away')
diff --git a/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/leave_behind_demo.dart b/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/leave_behind_demo.dart
index e5a406ce00f..26708ea6c06 100644
--- a/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/leave_behind_demo.dart
+++ b/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/leave_behind_demo.dart
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class LeaveBehindDemoState extends State<LeaveBehindDemo> {
         actions: <Widget>[
           new PopupMenuButton<LeaveBehindDemoAction>(
             onSelected: handleDemoAction,
-            items: <PopupMenuEntry<LeaveBehindDemoAction>>[
+            itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuEntry<LeaveBehindDemoAction>>[
               new PopupMenuItem<LeaveBehindDemoAction>(
                 value: LeaveBehindDemoAction.reset,
                 child: new Text('Reset the list')
diff --git a/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/menu_demo.dart b/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/menu_demo.dart
index c357e36527f..caff060e0f6 100644
--- a/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/menu_demo.dart
+++ b/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/menu_demo.dart
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class MenuDemoState extends State<MenuDemo> {
         actions: <Widget>[
           new PopupMenuButton<String>(
             onSelected: showMenuSelection,
-            items: <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
+            itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
               new PopupMenuItem<String>(
                 value: 'AppBar Menu',
                 child: new Text('AppBar Menu')
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class MenuDemoState extends State<MenuDemo> {
             title: new Text('An item with a context menu button'),
             trailing: new PopupMenuButton<String>(
               onSelected: showMenuSelection,
-              items: <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
+              itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
                 new PopupMenuItem<String>(
                   value: _simpleValue1,
                   child: new Text('Context menu item one')
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class MenuDemoState extends State<MenuDemo> {
             title: new Text('An item with a sectioned menu'),
             trailing: new PopupMenuButton<String>(
               onSelected: showMenuSelection,
-              items: <PopupMenuEntry<String>>[
+              itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuEntry<String>>[
                 new PopupMenuItem<String>(
                   value: 'Preview',
                   child: new ListItem(
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class MenuDemoState extends State<MenuDemo> {
               title: new Text('An item with a simple menu'),
               subtitle: new Text(_simpleValue)
             ),
-            items: <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
+            itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
               new PopupMenuItem<String>(
                 value: _simpleValue1,
                 child: new Text(_simpleValue1)
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ class MenuDemoState extends State<MenuDemo> {
             title: new Text('An item with a checklist menu'),
             trailing: new PopupMenuButton<String>(
               onSelected: showCheckedMenuSelections,
-              items: <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
+              itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuItem<String>>[
                 new CheckedPopupMenuItem<String>(
                   value: _checkedValue1,
                   checked: isChecked(_checkedValue1),
diff --git a/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/scrollable_tabs_demo.dart b/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/scrollable_tabs_demo.dart
index fbcfde70ceb..21cd8aff7c1 100644
--- a/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/scrollable_tabs_demo.dart
+++ b/examples/material_gallery/lib/demo/scrollable_tabs_demo.dart
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class ScrollableTabsDemoState extends State<ScrollableTabsDemo> {
           actions: <Widget>[
             new PopupMenuButton<TabsDemoStyle>(
               onSelected: changeDemoStyle,
-              items: <PopupMenuItem<TabsDemoStyle>>[
+              itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuItem<TabsDemoStyle>>[
                 new PopupMenuItem<TabsDemoStyle>(
                   value: TabsDemoStyle.iconsAndText,
                   child: new Text('Icons and Text')
diff --git a/examples/stocks/lib/stock_home.dart b/examples/stocks/lib/stock_home.dart
index e40cb4a4eb2..8992b0535f0 100644
--- a/examples/stocks/lib/stock_home.dart
+++ b/examples/stocks/lib/stock_home.dart
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ class StockHomeState extends State<StockHome> {
         ),
         new PopupMenuButton<_StockMenuItem>(
           onSelected: (_StockMenuItem value) { _handleStockMenu(context, value); },
-          items: <PopupMenuItem<_StockMenuItem>>[
+          itemBuilder: (BuildContext context) => <PopupMenuItem<_StockMenuItem>>[
             new CheckedPopupMenuItem<_StockMenuItem>(
               value: _StockMenuItem.autorefresh,
               checked: _autorefresh,
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart
index 756082b16c5..c21d4bbee42 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart
@@ -380,6 +380,9 @@ Future<dynamic/*=T*/> showMenu/*<T>*/({
 /// its menu to be dismissed.
 typedef void PopupMenuItemSelected<T>(T value);
 
+/// Signature used by [PopupMenuButton] to lazily construct the items shown when the button is pressed.
+typedef List<PopupMenuEntry<T>> PopupMenuItemBuilder<T>(BuildContext context);
+
 /// Displays a menu when pressed and calls [onSelected] when the menu is dismissed
 /// because an item was selected. The value passed to [onSelected] is the value of
 /// the selected menu item. If child is null then a standard 'navigation/more_vert'
@@ -387,15 +390,18 @@ typedef void PopupMenuItemSelected<T>(T value);
 class PopupMenuButton<T> extends StatefulWidget {
   PopupMenuButton({
     Key key,
-    this.items,
+    this.itemBuilder,
     this.initialValue,
     this.onSelected,
     this.tooltip: 'Show menu',
     this.elevation: 8,
     this.child
-  }) : super(key: key);
+  }) : super(key: key) {
+    assert(itemBuilder != null);
+  }
 
-  final List<PopupMenuEntry<T>> items;
+  /// Called when the button is pressed to create the items to show in the menu.
+  final PopupMenuItemBuilder<T> itemBuilder;
 
   final T initialValue;
 
@@ -420,7 +426,7 @@ class _PopupMenuButtonState<T> extends State<PopupMenuButton<T>> {
     showMenu/*<T>*/(
       context: context,
       elevation: config.elevation,
-      items: config.items,
+      items: config.itemBuilder(context),
       initialValue: config.initialValue,
       position: new ModalPosition(
         left: topLeft.x,