diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/menu.py b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/menu.py
index 4aae05cd3..27afcda44 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/menu.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/menu.py
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     from django.forms.util import flatatt
 
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.utils.text import slugify
-from django.utils.html import format_html
+from django.utils.html import format_html, format_html_join
 
 from wagtail.wagtailcore import hooks
 
@@ -27,6 +28,13 @@ class MenuItem(object):
         else:
             self.attr_string = ""
 
+    js_files = []
+    def render_js(self):
+        if self.js_files:
+            return format_html_join('\n', '<script src="{0}{1}"></script>',
+                    ((settings.STATIC_URL, filename) for filename in self.js_files)
+                )
+
     def is_shown(self, request):
         return True
 
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js
index 5ff1b5104..21966a3bf 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js
@@ -21,32 +21,6 @@ $(function(){
         }
     });
 
-    // Dynamically load menu on request.
-    $(document).on('click', '.dl-trigger', function(){
-        var $this = $(this);
-        var $explorer = $('#explorer');
-
-        $this.addClass('icon-spinner');
-
-        if(!$explorer.children().length){
-            $explorer.load($this.data('explorer-menu-url'), function() {
-                $this.removeClass('icon-spinner');
-
-                $explorer.addClass('dl-menuwrapper').dlmenu({
-                    animationClasses : {
-                        classin : 'dl-animate-in-2',
-                        classout : 'dl-animate-out-2'
-                    }
-                });
-                $explorer.dlmenu('openMenu');
-            });
-        }else{
-            $explorer.dlmenu('openMenu');
-        }
-
-        return false;
-    });
-
     // Resize nav to fit height of window. This is an unimportant bell/whistle to make it look nice
     var fitNav = function(){
         $('.nav-wrapper').css('min-height',$(window).height());
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/explorer-menu.js b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/explorer-menu.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9fc6ccc5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/explorer-menu.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+$(function(){
+    // Dynamically load menu on request.
+    $(document).on('click', '.dl-trigger', function(){
+        var $this = $(this);
+        var $explorer = $('#explorer');
+
+        $this.addClass('icon-spinner');
+
+        if(!$explorer.children().length){
+            $explorer.load($this.data('explorer-menu-url'), function() {
+                $this.removeClass('icon-spinner');
+
+                $explorer.addClass('dl-menuwrapper').dlmenu({
+                    animationClasses : {
+                        classin : 'dl-animate-in-2',
+                        classout : 'dl-animate-out-2'
+                    }
+                });
+                $explorer.dlmenu('openMenu');
+            });
+        }else{
+            $explorer.dlmenu('openMenu');
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    });
+});
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/admin_base.html b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/admin_base.html
index 0cae459a2..a9664e011 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/admin_base.html
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/admin_base.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "wagtailadmin/skeleton.html" %}
-{% load compress %}
+{% load compress wagtailadmin_tags %}
 
 {% block css %}
     {% compress css %}
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
         <script src="{{ STATIC_URL }}wagtailadmin/js/vendor/bootstrap-tab.js"></script>
         <script src="{{ STATIC_URL }}wagtailadmin/js/vendor/jquery.dlmenu.js"></script>
         <script src="{{ STATIC_URL }}wagtailadmin/js/core.js"></script>
+        {% main_nav_js %}
     {% endcompress %}
     
     {% block extra_js %}{% endblock %}
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
index 94bc14dde..657a2570c 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ def main_nav(context):
         'request': request,
     }
 
+@register.simple_tag
+def main_nav_js():
+    js_snippets = [item.render_js() or '' for item in get_master_menu_item_list()]
+    return ''.join(js_snippets)
+
 
 @register.filter("ellipsistrim")
 def ellipsistrim(value, max_length):
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/wagtail_hooks.py b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/wagtail_hooks.py
index a529fb93c..8945154b8 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/wagtail_hooks.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/wagtail_hooks.py
@@ -5,9 +5,14 @@ from wagtail.wagtailcore import hooks
 from wagtail.wagtailadmin.menu import MenuItem
 
 
+class ExplorerMenuItem(MenuItem):
+    js_files = [
+        'wagtailadmin/js/explorer-menu.js',
+    ]
+
 @hooks.register('register_admin_menu_item')
 def register_explorer_menu_item():
-    return MenuItem(
+    return ExplorerMenuItem(
         _('Explorer'), urlresolvers.reverse('wagtailadmin_explore_root'),
         classnames='icon icon-folder-open-inverse dl-trigger',
         attrs={'data-explorer-menu-url': urlresolvers.reverse('wagtailadmin_explorer_nav')},