diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/demo.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/demo.py
index d1d5e728e8..7a67a37233 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/demo.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/demo.py
@@ -7,37 +7,51 @@ __license__ = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2014, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
 from PyQt5.Qt import (
-    QApplication, QMainWindow, QVBoxLayout, Qt, QKeySequence)
+    QApplication, QMainWindow, QVBoxLayout, Qt, QKeySequence, QAction, QActionGroup)
 
 from calibre.gui2.dbus_export.utils import setup_for_cli_run
 from calibre.gui2.dbus_export.widgets import factory
 
 setup_for_cli_run()
 
+def make_checkable(ac, checked=True):
+    ac.setCheckable(True), ac.setChecked(checked)
+
 class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
 
+    def __init__(self):
+        QMainWindow.__init__(self)
+        self.setMinimumWidth(400)
+        self.setWindowTitle('Demo of DBUS menu exporter and systray integration')
+        self.statusBar().showMessage(self.windowTitle())
+        w = self.centralWidget()
+        self.l = QVBoxLayout(w)
+        mb = f.create_window_menubar(self)
+        self.setMenuBar(mb)
+        m = mb.addMenu('&One')
+        s = self.style()
+        for i, icon in zip(xrange(3), map(s.standardIcon, (s.SP_DialogOkButton, s.SP_DialogCancelButton, s.SP_ArrowUp))):
+            ac = m.addAction('One - &%d' % (i + 1))
+            ac.setShortcut(QKeySequence(Qt.CTRL | (Qt.Key_1 + i), Qt.SHIFT | (Qt.Key_1 + i)))
+            ac.setIcon(icon)
+        m.addSeparator()
+        m.addAction('&Disabled action').setEnabled(False)
+        ac = m.addAction('A checkable action')
+        make_checkable(ac)
+        g = QActionGroup(self)
+        make_checkable(g.addAction(m.addAction('Exclusive 1')))
+        make_checkable(g.addAction(m.addAction('Exclusive 2')), False)
+        for ac in mb.findChildren(QAction):
+            ac.triggered.connect(self.action_triggered)
+
     def action_triggered(self, checked=False):
-        self.statusBar().showMessage('Action triggered: %s' % self.sender().text())
+        ac = self.sender()
+        text = 'Action triggered: %s' % ac.text()
+        self.statusBar().showMessage(text)
 
 app = QApplication([])
 f = factory()
 mw = MainWindow()
-mw.setWindowTitle('Demo of DBUS menu exporter and systray integration')
-mw.statusBar().showMessage(mw.windowTitle())
-w = mw.centralWidget()
-mw.l = l = QVBoxLayout(w)
-mb = f.create_window_menubar(mw)
-mw.setMenuBar(mb)
-m = mb.addMenu('&One')
-s = mw.style()
-for i, icon in zip(xrange(3), map(s.standardIcon, (s.SP_DialogOkButton, s.SP_DialogCancelButton, s.SP_ArrowUp))):
-    ac = m.addAction('One - &%d' % (i + 1))
-    ac.triggered.connect(mw.action_triggered)
-    k = getattr(Qt, 'Key_%d' % (i + 1))
-    ac.setShortcut(QKeySequence(Qt.CTRL | (Qt.Key_1 + i), Qt.SHIFT | (Qt.Key_1 + i)))
-    ac.setIcon(icon)
-m.addSeparator()
-m.addAction('&Disabled action').setEnabled(False)
 mw.show()
 print ('DBUS connection unique name:', f.bus.get_unique_name())
 app.exec_()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/menu.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/menu.py
index 190aa73d0c..590d57df38 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/menu.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dbus_export/menu.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ __copyright__ = '2014, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
 import dbus
 from PyQt5.Qt import (
-    QApplication, QMenu, QIcon, QKeySequence, QObject, QEvent, QTimer)
+    QApplication, QMenu, QIcon, QKeySequence, QObject, QEvent, QTimer, pyqtSignal, Qt)
 
 from calibre.utils.dbus_service import Object, BusName, method as dbus_method, dbus_property, signal as dbus_signal
 from calibre.gui2.dbus_export.utils import (
@@ -66,8 +66,13 @@ def create_properties_for_action(ac, previous=None):
 
 class DBusMenu(QObject):
 
+    handle_event_signal = pyqtSignal(object, object, object, object)
+
     def __init__(self, object_path, **kw):
         QObject.__init__(self, kw.get('parent'))
+        # Unity barfs is the Event DBUS method does not return immediately, so
+        # handle it asynchronously
+        self.handle_event_signal.connect(self.handle_event, type=Qt.QueuedConnection)
         self.dbus_api = DBusMenuAPI(self, object_path, **kw)
         self.set_status = self.dbus_api.set_status
         self._next_id = 0
@@ -219,8 +224,9 @@ class DBusMenu(QObject):
     def handle_event(self, action_id, event, data, timestamp):
         ac = self.id_to_action(action_id)
         if event == 'clicked':
-            # TODO: Handle checkable actions
-            ac.triggered.emit()
+            if ac.isCheckable():
+                ac.toggle()
+            ac.triggered.emit(ac.isCheckable() and ac.isChecked())
 
 class DBusMenuAPI(Object):
 
@@ -278,7 +284,7 @@ class DBusMenuAPI(Object):
             * "closed"
         Vendor specific events can be added by prefixing them with "x-<vendor>-"'''
         if self.menu.id_to_action(id) is not None:
-            self.menu.handle_event(id, eventId, data, timestamp)
+            self.menu.handle_event_signal.emit(id, eventId, data, timestamp)
 
     @dbus_method(IFACE, in_signature='a(isvu)', out_signature='ai')
     def EventGroup(self, events):
@@ -289,7 +295,7 @@ class DBusMenuAPI(Object):
         missing = dbus.Array(signature='u')
         for id, eventId, data, timestamp in events:
             if self.menu.id_to_action(id) is not None:
-                self.menu.handle_event(id, eventId, data, timestamp)
+                self.menu.handle_event_signal.emit(id, eventId, data, timestamp)
             else:
                 missing.append(id)
         return missing