diff --git a/src/vs/platform/actions/browser/menuItemActionItem.ts b/src/vs/platform/actions/browser/menuItemActionItem.ts
index 5d3974e1f9c..7624f6187df 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/actions/browser/menuItemActionItem.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/actions/browser/menuItemActionItem.ts
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ import {localize} from 'vs/nls';
 import {IKeybindingService} from 'vs/platform/keybinding/common/keybindingService';
 import {IMenu, MenuItemAction} from 'vs/platform/actions/common/actions';
 import {IAction} from 'vs/base/common/actions';
+import {IDisposable, dispose} from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import {ActionItem, Separator} from 'vs/base/browser/ui/actionbar/actionbar';
 import {domEvent} from 'vs/base/browser/event';
+import {Emitter} from 'vs/base/common/event';
 
 
 export function fillInActions(menu: IMenu, target: IAction[] | { primary: IAction[]; secondary: IAction[];}): void {
@@ -44,6 +46,28 @@ export function createActionItem(action: IAction, keybindingService: IKeybinding
 	}
 }
 
+
+const _altKey = new class extends Emitter<boolean> {
+
+	private _subscriptions: IDisposable[] = [];
+
+	constructor() {
+		super({
+			onFirstListenerAdd: () => {
+				domEvent(document.body, 'keydown')(this._key, this, this._subscriptions);
+				domEvent(document.body, 'keyup')(this._key, this, this._subscriptions);
+			},
+			onLastListenerRemove: () => {
+				this._subscriptions = dispose(this._subscriptions);
+			}
+		});
+	}
+
+	private _key(e: KeyboardEvent) {
+		this.fire(e.type === 'keydown' && e.altKey);
+	}
+};
+
 class MenuItemActionItem extends ActionItem {
 
 	private _altKeyDown: boolean = false;
@@ -55,7 +79,7 @@ class MenuItemActionItem extends ActionItem {
 		super(undefined, action, { icon: !!action.command.iconClass, label: !action.command.iconClass });
 	}
 
-	private get command() {
+	private get _command() {
 		const {command, altCommand} = <MenuItemAction>this._action;
 		return this._altKeyDown && altCommand || command;
 	}
@@ -70,38 +94,45 @@ class MenuItemActionItem extends ActionItem {
 	render(container: HTMLElement): void {
 		super.render(container);
 
-		this._callOnDispose.push(domEvent(container, 'mousemove')(e => {
-			if (this._altKeyDown !== e.altKey) {
-				this._altKeyDown = e.altKey;
+		let altSubscription: IDisposable;
+		this._callOnDispose.push(domEvent(container, 'mouseleave')(_ => dispose(altSubscription)));
+		this._callOnDispose.push(domEvent(container, 'mouseenter')(e => {
+			altSubscription = _altKey.event(value => {
 
+				this._altKeyDown = value;
 				this._updateLabel();
 				this._updateTooltip();
 				this._updateClass();
-			}
+			});
 		}));
 	}
 
 	_updateLabel(): void {
 		if (this.options.label) {
-			this.$e.text(this.command.title);
+			this.$e.text(this._command.title);
 		}
 	}
 
 	_updateTooltip(): void {
 		const element = this.$e.getHTMLElement();
-		const keybinding = this._keybindingService.lookupKeybindings(this.command.id)[0];
+		const keybinding = this._keybindingService.lookupKeybindings(this._command.id)[0];
 		const keybindingLabel = keybinding && this._keybindingService.getLabelFor(keybinding);
 
 		element.title = keybindingLabel
-			? localize('titleAndKb', "{0} ({1})", this.command.title, keybindingLabel)
-			: this.command.title;
+			? localize('titleAndKb', "{0} ({1})", this._command.title, keybindingLabel)
+			: this._command.title;
 	}
 
 	_updateClass(): void {
 		if (this.options.icon) {
 			const element = this.$e.getHTMLElement();
-			const {iconClass} = this.command;
-			element.classList.add('icon', iconClass);
+			const {command, altCommand} = (<MenuItemAction>this._action);
+			if (this._command !== command) {
+				element.classList.remove(command.iconClass);
+			} else if (altCommand) {
+				element.classList.remove(altCommand.iconClass);
+			}
+			element.classList.add('icon', this._command.iconClass);
 		}
 	}
 }