diff --git a/gtk/gtkactionhelper.c b/gtk/gtkactionhelper.c
index a9276d5b33..50060ee092 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkactionhelper.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkactionhelper.c
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ gtk_action_helper_new (GtkActionable *widget)
         g_object_get (G_OBJECT (helper->widget), "active", &helper->active, NULL);
     }
 
-  helper->action_context = _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GTK_WIDGET (widget));
+  helper->action_context = _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GTK_WIDGET (widget), TRUE);
 
   return helper;
 }
diff --git a/gtk/gtkmenusectionbox.c b/gtk/gtkmenusectionbox.c
index 9905fa737d..e6b93748eb 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkmenusectionbox.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkmenusectionbox.c
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ gtk_menu_section_box_new_toplevel (GtkStack    *stack,
   box = g_object_new (GTK_TYPE_MENU_SECTION_BOX, "margin", 10,  NULL);
   gtk_stack_add_named (stack, GTK_WIDGET (box), "main");
 
-  box->tracker = gtk_menu_tracker_new (GTK_ACTION_OBSERVABLE (_gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GTK_WIDGET (box))),
+  box->tracker = gtk_menu_tracker_new (GTK_ACTION_OBSERVABLE (_gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GTK_WIDGET (box), TRUE)),
                                        model, TRUE, FALSE, action_namespace,
                                        gtk_menu_section_box_insert_func,
                                        gtk_menu_section_box_remove_func, box);
diff --git a/gtk/gtkmenushell.c b/gtk/gtkmenushell.c
index d1d0c7f07b..939d5f4462 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkmenushell.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkmenushell.c
@@ -2194,7 +2194,7 @@ gtk_menu_shell_bind_model (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
   g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_MENU_SHELL (menu_shell));
   g_return_if_fail (model == NULL || G_IS_MENU_MODEL (model));
 
-  muxer = _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GTK_WIDGET (menu_shell));
+  muxer = _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GTK_WIDGET (menu_shell), TRUE);
 
   g_clear_pointer (&menu_shell->priv->tracker, gtk_menu_tracker_free);
 
diff --git a/gtk/gtkwidget.c b/gtk/gtkwidget.c
index f0f2f6aa58..50ca98bf11 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkwidget.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkwidget.c
@@ -16481,45 +16481,54 @@ _gtk_widget_set_style (GtkWidget *widget,
   widget->priv->style = style;
 }
 
+GtkActionMuxer *
+_gtk_widget_get_parent_muxer (GtkWidget *widget,
+                              gboolean   create)
+{
+  GtkWidget *parent;
+
+  if (GTK_IS_WINDOW (widget))
+    return gtk_application_get_parent_muxer_for_window (GTK_WINDOW (widget));
+
+  if (GTK_IS_MENU (widget))
+    parent = gtk_menu_get_attach_widget (GTK_MENU (widget));
+  else if (GTK_IS_POPOVER (widget))
+    parent = gtk_popover_get_relative_to (GTK_POPOVER (widget));
+  else
+    parent = gtk_widget_get_parent (widget);
+
+  if (parent)
+    return _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (parent, create);
+
+  return NULL;
+}
+
 void
 _gtk_widget_update_parent_muxer (GtkWidget *widget)
 {
-  GtkActionMuxer *parent_muxer;
-
   if (widget->priv->muxer == NULL)
     return;
 
-  if (GTK_IS_WINDOW (widget))
-    {
-      parent_muxer = gtk_application_get_parent_muxer_for_window (GTK_WINDOW (widget));
-    }
-  else
-    {
-      GtkWidget *parent;
-
-      if (GTK_IS_MENU (widget))
-        parent = gtk_menu_get_attach_widget (GTK_MENU (widget));
-      else if (GTK_IS_POPOVER (widget))
-        parent = gtk_popover_get_relative_to (GTK_POPOVER (widget));
-      else
-        parent = gtk_widget_get_parent (widget);
-
-      parent_muxer = parent ? _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (parent) : NULL;
-    }
-
-  gtk_action_muxer_set_parent (widget->priv->muxer, parent_muxer);
+  gtk_action_muxer_set_parent (widget->priv->muxer,
+                               _gtk_widget_get_parent_muxer (widget, TRUE));
 }
 
 GtkActionMuxer *
-_gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GtkWidget *widget)
+_gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GtkWidget *widget,
+                              gboolean   create)
 {
-  if (widget->priv->muxer == NULL)
+  if (widget->priv->muxer)
+    return widget->priv->muxer;
+
+  if (create)
     {
       widget->priv->muxer = gtk_action_muxer_new ();
       _gtk_widget_update_parent_muxer (widget);
-    }
 
-  return widget->priv->muxer;
+      return widget->priv->muxer;
+    }
+  else
+    return _gtk_widget_get_parent_muxer (widget, FALSE);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -16548,7 +16557,7 @@ gtk_widget_insert_action_group (GtkWidget    *widget,
   g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget));
   g_return_if_fail (name != NULL);
 
-  muxer = _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (widget);
+  muxer = _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (widget, TRUE);
 
   if (group)
     gtk_action_muxer_insert (muxer, name, group);
diff --git a/gtk/gtkwidgetprivate.h b/gtk/gtkwidgetprivate.h
index 6eddbb45e7..6fd7a63346 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkwidgetprivate.h
+++ b/gtk/gtkwidgetprivate.h
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ void              _gtk_widget_invalidate_style_context     (GtkWidget    *widget
 void              _gtk_widget_style_context_invalidated    (GtkWidget    *widget);
 
 void              _gtk_widget_update_parent_muxer          (GtkWidget    *widget);
-GtkActionMuxer *  _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer             (GtkWidget    *widget);
+GtkActionMuxer *  _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer             (GtkWidget    *widget,
+                                                            gboolean      create);
 gchar **          _gtk_widget_list_action_prefixes         (GtkWidget    *widget);
 GActionGroup *    _gtk_widget_get_action_group             (GtkWidget    *widget,
                                                             const gchar  *prefix);
diff --git a/gtk/gtkwindow.c b/gtk/gtkwindow.c
index 16f7e049dc..842a5ff0ac 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkwindow.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkwindow.c
@@ -11214,7 +11214,12 @@ gtk_window_activate_key (GtkWindow   *window,
 
               if (window->priv->application)
                 {
-                  GtkActionMuxer *muxer = _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (GTK_WIDGET (window));
+                  GtkWidget *focused_widget = gtk_window_get_focus (window);
+                  if (focused_widget == NULL)
+                    return FALSE;
+                  GtkActionMuxer *muxer = _gtk_widget_get_action_muxer (focused_widget, FALSE);
+                  if (muxer == NULL)
+                    return FALSE;
 
                   return gtk_application_activate_accel (window->priv->application,
                                                          G_ACTION_GROUP (muxer),