diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/demo.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/demo.py
index 2509c5b623..d3f34f3ffc 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/demo.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/demo.py
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
 __license__ = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2014, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
+import time
+
 from PyQt5.Qt import (
     QApplication, QMainWindow, QVBoxLayout, Qt, QKeySequence, QAction,
-    QActionGroup, QMenu, QPushButton, QWidget)
+    QActionGroup, QMenu, QPushButton, QWidget, QTimer)
 
 from calibre.gui2.dbus_export.utils import setup_for_cli_run
 from calibre.gui2.dbus_export.widgets import factory
@@ -76,12 +78,17 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
             l.addWidget(b), b.clicked.connect(self.change_icon)
             self.hib = b = QPushButton('Show/Hide system tray icon')
             l.addWidget(b), b.clicked.connect(self.systray.toggle)
+            self.update_tooltip_timer = t = QTimer(self)
+            t.setInterval(1000), t.timeout.connect(self.update_tooltip), t.start()
         self.ab = b = QPushButton('Add a new menu')
         b.clicked.connect(self.add_menu), l.addWidget(b)
         self.rb = b = QPushButton('Remove a created menu')
         b.clicked.connect(self.remove_menu), l.addWidget(b)
         print ('DBUS connection unique name:', f.bus.get_unique_name())
 
+    def update_tooltip(self):
+        self.systray.setToolTip(time.strftime('A dynamically updated tooltip [%H:%M:%S]'))
+
     def add_menu(self):
         mb = self.menuBar()
         m = mb.addMenu('Created menu %d' % len(mb.actions()))
@@ -137,6 +144,7 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         self.menu_two.addAction('Action added by about to show')
 
 app=QApplication([])
+app.setAttribute(Qt.AA_DontUseNativeMenuBar, False)
 app.setApplicationName('com.calibre-ebook.DBusExportDemo')
 mw=MainWindow()
 mw.show()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/tray.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/tray.py
index 16f356e293..3718427101 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/tray.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/tray.py
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ class StatusNotifierItem(QObject):
     def icon(self):
         return self._icon
 
+    @classmethod
+    def supportsMessages(cls):
+        return False
+
 _status_item_menu_count = 0
 
 class StatusNotifierItemAPI(Object):
@@ -141,6 +145,8 @@ class StatusNotifierItemAPI(Object):
 
     @dbus_property(IFACE, signature='(sa(iiay)ss)')
     def ToolTip(self):
+        # This is ignored on Unity, Canonical believes in user interfaces
+        # that are so functionality free that they dont need tooltips
         return self.IconName, self.IconPixmap, self.Title, self.notifier.toolTip()
 
     @dbus_property(IFACE, signature='a(iiay)')
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/widgets.py
index 2cc6b270be..aad8e2b2eb 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/widgets.py
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ __copyright__ = '2014, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
 import time, sys
 
-from PyQt5.Qt import QObject, QMenuBar, QAction, QEvent, QSystemTrayIcon, QApplication
+from PyQt5.Qt import (
+    QObject, QMenuBar, QAction, QEvent, QSystemTrayIcon, QApplication, Qt)
 
 from calibre.constants import iswindows, isosx
 
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ class Factory(QObject):
             self.status_notifier = bool(self.bus.call_blocking(*args, timeout=0.1))
 
     def create_window_menubar(self, parent):
-        if self.has_global_menu:
+        if not QApplication.instance().testAttribute(Qt.AA_DontUseNativeMenuBar) and self.has_global_menu:
             return ExportedMenuBar(parent, self.menu_registrar, self.bus)
         return QMenuBar(parent)