diff --git a/src/menu-helpers.coffee b/src/menu-helpers.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..156c83752
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/menu-helpers.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+merge = (menu, item) ->
+  matchingItem = findMatchingItem(menu, item)
+
+  if matchingItem?
+    if item.submenu?
+      merge(matchingItem.submenu, submenuItem) for submenuItem in item.submenu
+  else
+    menu.push(item)
+
+unmerge = (menu, item) ->
+  if matchingItem = findMatchingItem(menu, item)
+    if item.submenu?
+      unmerge(matchingItem.submenu, submenuItem) for submenuItem in item.submenu
+
+    unless matchingItem.submenu?.length > 0
+      menu.splice(menu.indexOf(matchingItem), 1)
+
+findMatchingItem = (menu, {label, submenu}) ->
+  for item in menu
+    if normalizeLabel(item.label) is normalizeLabel(label) and item.submenu? is submenu?
+      return item
+  null
+
+normalizeLabel = (label) ->
+  return undefined unless label?
+
+  if process.platform is 'darwin'
+    label
+  else
+    label.replace(/\&/g, '')
+
+module.exports = {merge, unmerge, findMatchingItem, normalizeLabel}
diff --git a/src/menu-manager.coffee b/src/menu-manager.coffee
index 94d6fe5d3..d7190e80c 100644
--- a/src/menu-manager.coffee
+++ b/src/menu-manager.coffee
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ CSON = require 'season'
 fs = require 'fs-plus'
 {Disposable} = require 'event-kit'
 
+MenuHelpers = require './menu-helpers'
+
 # Extended: Provides a registry for menu items that you'd like to appear in the
 # application menu.
 #
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ class MenuManager
   # Returns a {Disposable} on which `.dispose()` can be called to remove the
   # added menu items.
   add: (items) ->
+    items = _.deepClone(items)
     @merge(@template, item) for item in items
     @update()
     new Disposable => @remove(items)
@@ -103,30 +106,10 @@ class MenuManager
   # Merges an item in a submenu aware way such that new items are always
   # appended to the bottom of existing menus where possible.
   merge: (menu, item) ->
-    item = _.deepClone(item)
-    matchingItem = @findMatchingItem(menu, item)
-
-    if matchingItem?
-      if item.submenu?
-        @merge(matchingItem.submenu, submenuItem) for submenuItem in item.submenu
-    else
-      menu.push(item)
+    MenuHelpers.merge(menu, item)
 
   unmerge: (menu, item) ->
-    if matchingItem = @findMatchingItem(menu, item)
-      if item.submenu?
-        @unmerge(matchingItem.submenu, submenuItem) for submenuItem in item.submenu
-
-      unless matchingItem.submenu?.length > 0
-        menu.splice(menu.indexOf(matchingItem), 1)
-
-  # find an existing menu item matching the given item
-  findMatchingItem: (menu, {label, submenu}) ->
-    debugger unless menu?
-    for item in menu
-      if @normalizeLabel(item.label) is @normalizeLabel(label) and item.submenu? is submenu?
-        return item
-    null
+    MenuHelpers.unmerge(menu, item)
 
   # OSX can't handle displaying accelerators for multiple keystrokes.
   # If they are sent across, it will stop processing accelerators for the rest
@@ -145,25 +128,17 @@ class MenuManager
     keystrokesByCommand = @filterMultipleKeystroke(keystrokesByCommand)
     ipc.send 'update-application-menu', template, keystrokesByCommand
 
-  normalizeLabel: (label) ->
-    return undefined unless label?
-
-    if process.platform is 'darwin'
-      label
-    else
-      label.replace(/\&/g, '')
-
   # Get an {Array} of {String} classes for the given element.
   classesForElement: (element) ->
     element?.classList.toString().split(' ') ? []
 
   sortPackagesMenu: ->
-    packagesMenu = @template.find ({label}) => @normalizeLabel(label) is 'Packages'
+    packagesMenu = @template.find ({label}) => MenuHelpers.normalizeLabel(label) is 'Packages'
     return unless packagesMenu?.submenu?
 
     packagesMenu.submenu.sort (item1, item2) =>
       if item1.label and item2.label
-        @normalizeLabel(item1.label).localeCompare(@normalizeLabel(item2.label))
+        MenuHelpers.normalizeLabel(item1.label).localeCompare(MenuHelpers.normalizeLabel(item2.label))
       else
         0
     @update()