diff --git a/xpra/server/menu_provider.py b/xpra/server/menu_provider.py
index d69b54b5dc..74ce0de5d8 100644
--- a/xpra/server/menu_provider.py
+++ b/xpra/server/menu_provider.py
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ def get_menu_data(self, force_reload=False, remove_icons=False, wait=True) -> Di
             try:
                 if menu_data is None or force_reload:
                     from xpra.platform.menu_helper import load_menu  #pylint: disable=import-outside-toplevel
-                    menu_data = self.menu_data = load_menu()
+                    menu_data = self.menu_data = load_menu() or {}
                     add_work_item(self.got_menu_data)
             finally:
                 self.load_lock.release()