diff --git a/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.e2e.spec.ts b/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.e2e.spec.ts
index 4a79dddc37f3..5f7b99138052 100644
--- a/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.e2e.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.e2e.spec.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ describe('menu', () => {
 
   it('should run not run click handlers on disabled menu items', async () => {
     await page.trigger().click();
-    await page.items(2).click();
+    await browser.actions().mouseMove(page.items(2)).click();
     expect(await page.getResultText()).toEqual('');
   });
 
diff --git a/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.scss b/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.scss
index f7f23179a3de..1c88c28c4d2a 100644
--- a/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.scss
+++ b/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.scss
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@
   text-decoration: none;
 
   &[disabled] {
+    // Usually every click inside the menu closes it, however some browsers will stop events
+    // when the user clicks on a disabled item, **except** when the user clicks on a non-disabled
+    // child node of the disabled button. This is inconsistent because some regions of a disabled
+    // button will still cause the menu to close and some won't (see #16694). We make the behavior
+    // more consistent by disabling pointer events and allowing the user to click through.
+    pointer-events: none;
     cursor: default;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/material/menu/menu.e2e.spec.ts b/src/material/menu/menu.e2e.spec.ts
index 96914679dda0..92386e02764b 100644
--- a/src/material/menu/menu.e2e.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/menu/menu.e2e.spec.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ describe('menu', () => {
 
   it('should run not run click handlers on disabled menu items', async () => {
     await page.trigger().click();
-    await page.items(2).click();
+    await browser.actions().mouseMove(page.items(2)).click();
     expect(await page.getResultText()).toEqual('');
   });
 
diff --git a/src/material/menu/menu.scss b/src/material/menu/menu.scss
index 3e5251b3c515..cf477589ad7c 100644
--- a/src/material/menu/menu.scss
+++ b/src/material/menu/menu.scss
@@ -44,6 +44,15 @@ $mat-menu-submenu-indicator-size: 10px !default;
   @include mat-menu-item-base();
   position: relative;
 
+  &[disabled] {
+    // Usually every click inside the menu closes it, however some browsers will stop events
+    // when the user clicks on a disabled item, **except** when the user clicks on a non-disabled
+    // child node of the disabled button. This is inconsistent because some regions of a disabled
+    // button will still cause the menu to close and some won't (see #16694). We make the behavior
+    // more consistent by disabling pointer events and allowing the user to click through.
+    pointer-events: none;
+  }
+
   @include cdk-high-contrast {
     &.cdk-program-focused,
     &.cdk-keyboard-focused,