diff --git a/src/aria/menu/menu-bar.ts b/src/aria/menu/menu-bar.ts
index 8c92f1d25996..30e8f15ab6b6 100644
--- a/src/aria/menu/menu-bar.ts
+++ b/src/aria/menu/menu-bar.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ import {MENU_COMPONENT} from './menu-tokens';
     '[attr.tabindex]': '_pattern.tabIndex()',
     '(keydown)': '_pattern.onKeydown($event)',
     '(mouseover)': '_pattern.onMouseOver($event)',
+    '(mouseout)': '_pattern.onMouseOut($event)',
     '(click)': '_pattern.onClick($event)',
     '(focusin)': '_pattern.onFocusIn()',
     '(focusout)': '_pattern.onFocusOut($event)',
diff --git a/src/aria/menu/menu.spec.ts b/src/aria/menu/menu.spec.ts
index 1306cfacd8bc..8525b0cb2a15 100644
--- a/src/aria/menu/menu.spec.ts
+++ b/src/aria/menu/menu.spec.ts
@@ -759,6 +759,23 @@ describe('Menu Trigger Pattern', () => {
       focusout(getMenu()!, document.body);
       expect(isExpanded()).toBe(false);
     });
+
+    it('should close programmatically without refocusing the trigger', () => {
+      const trigger = getTrigger();
+      const triggerDirective = fixture.debugElement
+        .query(By.directive(MenuTrigger))
+        .injector.get(MenuTrigger);
+
+      click(trigger);
+      expect(isExpanded()).toBe(true);
+      expect(document.activeElement).toBe(getItem('Apple'));
+
+      triggerDirective.close();
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      expect(isExpanded()).toBe(false);
+      expect(document.activeElement).not.toBe(trigger);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Selection', () => {
@@ -1221,6 +1238,88 @@ describe('Menu Bar Pattern', () => {
       expect(document.activeElement).toBe(undo);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('Active state', () => {
+    const mouseout = (element: Element, relatedTarget?: EventTarget) => {
+      element.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent('mouseout', {bubbles: true, relatedTarget} as any));
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+    };
+
+    function isActive(text: string): boolean {
+      return getMenuBarItem(text)?.getAttribute('data-active') === 'true';
+    }
+
+    it('should not mark any menubar item as active on initial render', () => {
+      TestBed.configureTestingModule({providers: [provideFakeDirectionality('ltr')]});
+      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(MenuBarExample);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      expect(isActive('File')).toBe(false);
+      expect(isActive('Edit')).toBe(false);
+      expect(isActive('View')).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should mark a menubar item as active when hovered', () => {
+      TestBed.configureTestingModule({providers: [provideFakeDirectionality('ltr')]});
+      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(MenuBarExample);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      mouseover(getMenuBarItem('Edit')!);
+
+      expect(isActive('Edit')).toBe(true);
+      expect(isActive('File')).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should clear the active state when the pointer leaves the menubar', () => {
+      TestBed.configureTestingModule({providers: [provideFakeDirectionality('ltr')]});
+      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(MenuBarExample);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      const edit = getMenuBarItem('Edit')!;
+      mouseover(edit);
+      expect(isActive('Edit')).toBe(true);
+
+      mouseout(edit, document.body);
+
+      expect(isActive('Edit')).toBe(false);
+      expect(isActive('File')).toBe(false);
+      expect(isActive('View')).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should keep the active state while the pointer moves between menubar items', () => {
+      TestBed.configureTestingModule({providers: [provideFakeDirectionality('ltr')]});
+      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(MenuBarExample);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      const file = getMenuBarItem('File')!;
+      const edit = getMenuBarItem('Edit')!;
+
+      mouseover(file);
+      expect(isActive('File')).toBe(true);
+
+      mouseout(file, edit);
+      mouseover(edit);
+
+      expect(isActive('Edit')).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should mark the focused menubar item as active', () => {
+      setupMenu();
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      expect(isActive('File')).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should clear the active state when focus leaves the menubar', () => {
+      setupMenu();
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      expect(isActive('File')).toBe(true);
+
+      focusout(getMenuBarItem('File')!, document.body);
+
+      expect(isActive('File')).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 @Component({
diff --git a/src/aria/private/menu/menu.ts b/src/aria/private/menu/menu.ts
index 70657833c7ec..39ec6d40d15c 100644
--- a/src/aria/private/menu/menu.ts
+++ b/src/aria/private/menu/menu.ts
@@ -503,6 +503,9 @@ export class MenuBarPattern<V> {
   /** Whether the menubar or any of its children are currently focused. */
   readonly isFocused = signal(false);
 
+  /** Whether the pointer is currently over a menubar item. */
+  readonly isHovered = signal(false);
+
   /** Whether the menubar has been interacted with. */
   readonly hasBeenInteracted = signal(false);
 
@@ -567,10 +570,20 @@ export class MenuBarPattern<V> {
     const item = this.inputs.items().find(i => i.element()?.contains(event.target as Node));
 
     if (item) {
+      this.isHovered.set(true);
       this.goto(item, {focusElement: this.isFocused()});
     }
   }
 
+  /** Handles mouseout events for the menu bar. */
+  onMouseOut(event: MouseEvent) {
+    const relatedTarget = event.relatedTarget as Node | null;
+
+    if (!this.inputs.element()?.contains(relatedTarget)) {
+      this.isHovered.set(false);
+    }
+  }
+
   /** Handles focusin events for the menu bar. */
   onFocusIn() {
     this.isFocused.set(true);
@@ -773,7 +786,16 @@ export class MenuItemPattern<V> implements ListItem<V> {
   readonly element: SignalLike<HTMLElement | undefined>;
 
   /** Whether the menu item is active. */
-  readonly active = computed(() => this.inputs.parent()?.inputs.activeItem() === this);
+  readonly active = computed(() => {
+    const parent = this.inputs.parent();
+    if (parent?.inputs.activeItem() !== this) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (parent instanceof MenuBarPattern) {
+      return parent.isFocused() || parent.isHovered() || this._expanded();
+    }
+    return true;
+  });
 
   /** Whether the menu item has received interaction. */
   readonly hasBeenInteracted = signal(false);