diff --git a/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmenu.py b/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmenu.py
index 9e253e7b..98db3f96 100644
--- a/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmenu.py
+++ b/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmenu.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import contextlib
 from typing import (
     TYPE_CHECKING,
     Collection,
@@ -120,7 +121,10 @@ def _disconnect(self) -> None:
 
     def _on_registry_changed(self, changed_ids: Set[str]) -> None:
         if self._menu_id in changed_ids:
-            self.rebuild()
+            # if this (sub)menu has been removed from the registry,
+            # we may hit a RuntimeError when trying to rebuild it.
+            with contextlib.suppress(RuntimeError):
+                self.rebuild()
 
 
 class QModelSubmenu(QModelMenu):