diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/menu.py b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/menu.py
index ecad1bcbb..29d774e03 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/menu.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/menu.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ except ImportError:
 from django.forms import MediaDefiningClass, Media
 from django.utils.text import slugify
 from django.utils.html import format_html
+from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 
 from wagtail.wagtailcore import hooks
 
@@ -42,8 +43,9 @@ class MenuItem(with_metaclass(MediaDefiningClass)):
 
 
 class Menu(object):
-    def __init__(self, hook_name):
-        self.hook_name = hook_name
+    def __init__(self, register_hook_name, construct_hook_name=None):
+        self.register_hook_name = register_hook_name
+        self.construct_hook_name = construct_hook_name
         # _registered_menu_items will be populated on first access to the
         # registered_menu_items property. We can't populate it in __init__ because
         # we can't rely on all hooks modules to have been imported at the point that
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ class Menu(object):
     @property
     def registered_menu_items(self):
         if self._registered_menu_items is None:
-            self._registered_menu_items = [fn() for fn in hooks.get_hooks(self.hook_name)]
+            self._registered_menu_items = [fn() for fn in hooks.get_hooks(self.register_hook_name)]
         return self._registered_menu_items
 
     def menu_items_for_request(self, request):
@@ -66,6 +68,18 @@ class Menu(object):
             media += item.media
         return media
 
+    def render_html(self, request):
+        menu_items = self.menu_items_for_request(request)
 
-admin_menu = Menu(hook_name='register_admin_menu_item')
-settings_menu = Menu(hook_name='register_settings_menu_item')
+        # provide a hook for modifying the menu, if construct_hook_name has been set
+        if self.construct_hook_name:
+            for fn in hooks.get_hooks(self.construct_hook_name):
+                fn(request, menu_items)
+
+        rendered_menu_items = [item.render_html() for item in sorted(menu_items, key=lambda i: i.order)]
+
+        return mark_safe(''.join(rendered_menu_items))
+
+
+admin_menu = Menu(register_hook_name='register_admin_menu_item', construct_hook_name='construct_main_menu')
+settings_menu = Menu(register_hook_name='register_settings_menu_item')
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/shared/main_nav.html b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/shared/main_nav.html
index ce06d895c..5f797e695 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/shared/main_nav.html
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/shared/main_nav.html
@@ -2,9 +2,7 @@
 {% load i18n %}
 <nav class="nav-main">
     <ul>
-        {% for menu_item in menu_items %}
-            {{ menu_item.render_html }}
-        {% endfor %}
+        {{ menu_html }}
 
         <li class="footer">
             <div class="avatar icon icon-user"><a href="{% url 'wagtailadmin_account' %}" title="{% trans 'Account settings' %}">{% if request.user.email %}<img src="{% gravatar_url request.user.email %}" />{% endif %}</a></div>
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
index c30a3b54c..7b5d830e6 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
@@ -29,13 +29,9 @@ def explorer_subnav(nodes):
 @register.inclusion_tag('wagtailadmin/shared/main_nav.html', takes_context=True)
 def main_nav(context):
     request = context['request']
-    menu_items = admin_menu.menu_items_for_request(request)
-
-    for fn in hooks.get_hooks('construct_main_menu'):
-        fn(request, menu_items)
 
     return {
-        'menu_items': sorted(menu_items, key=lambda i: i.order),
+        'menu_html': admin_menu.render_html(request),
         'request': request,
     }