diff --git a/demos/gtk-demo/menus.c b/demos/gtk-demo/menus.c
index 7fd95538e9..44b352f4c9 100644
--- a/demos/gtk-demo/menus.c
+++ b/demos/gtk-demo/menus.c
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ static GtkWidget *
 create_menu (gint     depth)
 {
   GtkWidget *menu;
-  GtkWidget *menuitem;
-  GSList *group;
+  GtkRadioMenuItem *last_item;
   char buf[32];
   int i, j;
 
@@ -42,20 +41,24 @@ create_menu (gint     depth)
     return NULL;
 
   menu = gtk_menu_new ();
-  group = NULL;
+  last_item = NULL;
 
   for (i = 0, j = 1; i < 5; i++, j++)
     {
+      GtkWidget *menu_item;
+
       sprintf (buf, "item %2d - %d", depth, j);
-      menuitem = gtk_radio_menu_item_new_with_label (group, buf);
-      group = gtk_radio_menu_item_get_group (GTK_RADIO_MENU_ITEM (menuitem));
 
-      gtk_menu_shell_append (GTK_MENU_SHELL (menu), menuitem);
-      gtk_widget_show (menuitem);
+      menu_item = gtk_radio_menu_item_new_with_label_from_widget (NULL, buf);
+      gtk_radio_menu_item_join_group (GTK_RADIO_MENU_ITEM (menu_item), last_item);
+      last_item = GTK_RADIO_MENU_ITEM (menu_item);
+
+      gtk_menu_shell_append (GTK_MENU_SHELL (menu), menu_item);
+      gtk_widget_show (menu_item);
       if (i == 3)
-        gtk_widget_set_sensitive (menuitem, FALSE);
+        gtk_widget_set_sensitive (menu_item, FALSE);
 
-      gtk_menu_item_set_submenu (GTK_MENU_ITEM (menuitem), create_menu (depth - 1));
+      gtk_menu_item_set_submenu (GTK_MENU_ITEM (menu_item), create_menu (depth - 1));
     }
 
   return menu;
diff --git a/docs/reference/gtk/gtk3-sections.txt b/docs/reference/gtk/gtk3-sections.txt
index e2d04358af..fb6ffd7d81 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gtk/gtk3-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/reference/gtk/gtk3-sections.txt
@@ -2771,6 +2771,7 @@ gtk_radio_menu_item_new_with_label_from_widget
 gtk_radio_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic_from_widget
 gtk_radio_menu_item_set_group
 gtk_radio_menu_item_get_group
+gtk_radio_menu_item_join_group
 <SUBSECTION Standard>
 GTK_RADIO_MENU_ITEM
 GTK_IS_RADIO_MENU_ITEM
diff --git a/gtk/gtkradiomenuitem.c b/gtk/gtkradiomenuitem.c
index da37120431..27320f0078 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkradiomenuitem.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkradiomenuitem.c
@@ -558,3 +558,59 @@ gtk_radio_menu_item_activate (GtkMenuItem *menu_item)
 
   gtk_widget_queue_draw (GTK_WIDGET (radio_menu_item));
 }
+
+/**
+ * gtk_radio_menu_item_join_group:
+ * @radio_menu_item: a #GtkRadioMenuItem
+ * @group_source: (allow-none): a #GtkRadioMenuItem whose group we are
+ *   joining, or %NULL to remove the @radio_menu_item from its current
+ *   group
+ *
+ * Joins a #GtkRadioMenuItem object to the group of another #GtkRadioMenuItem
+ * object.
+ *
+ * This function should be used by language bindings to avoid the memory
+ * manangement of the opaque #GSList of gtk_radio_menu_item_get_group()
+ * and gtk_radio_menu_item_set_group().
+ *
+ * A common way to set up a group of #GtkRadioMenuItem instances is:
+ *
+ * |[
+ *   GtkRadioMenuItem *last_item = NULL;
+ *
+ *   while ( ...more items to add... )
+ *     {
+ *       GtkRadioMenuItem *radio_item;
+ *
+ *       radio_item = gtk_radio_menu_item_new (...);
+ *
+ *       gtk_radio_menu_item_join_group (radio_item, last_item);
+ *       last_item = radio_item;
+ *     }
+ * ]|
+ *
+ * Since: 3.18
+ */
+void
+gtk_radio_menu_item_join_group (GtkRadioMenuItem *radio_menu_item,
+                                GtkRadioMenuItem *group_source)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_RADIO_MENU_ITEM (radio_menu_item));
+  g_return_if_fail (group_source == NULL || GTK_IS_RADIO_MENU_ITEM (group_source));
+
+  if (group_source != NULL)
+    {
+      GSList *group = gtk_radio_menu_item_get_group (group_source);
+
+      if (group == NULL)
+        {
+          /* if the group source does not have a group, we force one */
+          gtk_radio_menu_item_set_group (group_source, NULL);
+          group = gtk_radio_menu_item_get_group (group_source);
+        }
+
+      gtk_radio_menu_item_set_group (radio_menu_item, group);
+    }
+  else
+    gtk_radio_menu_item_set_group (radio_menu_item, NULL);
+}
diff --git a/gtk/gtkradiomenuitem.h b/gtk/gtkradiomenuitem.h
index fc29be8501..b3fe9908e1 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkradiomenuitem.h
+++ b/gtk/gtkradiomenuitem.h
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ GDK_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 void       gtk_radio_menu_item_set_group                     (GtkRadioMenuItem *radio_menu_item,
 							      GSList           *group);
 
+GDK_AVAILABLE_IN_3_18
+void       gtk_radio_menu_item_join_group                    (GtkRadioMenuItem *radio_menu_item,
+                                                              GtkRadioMenuItem *group_source);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __GTK_RADIO_MENU_ITEM_H__ */