diff --git a/crates/engine/src/prefs.rs b/crates/engine/src/prefs.rs
index b163d40d88..295870b3ca 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/prefs.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/prefs.rs
@@ -954,6 +954,20 @@ pub struct MenuCustomization {
     pub colors: BTreeMap<String, String>,
 }
 
+impl MenuCustomization {
+    /// False for the items Edit › Menus can't hide (#5096): the way back into this dialog
+    /// (Edit › Menus, Edit › Keyboard Shortcuts), Preferences, Save, Save As and Exit.
+    pub fn hideable(id: &str) -> bool {
+        !matches!(id, "edit.menus" | "edit.keyboardShortcuts" | "file.save" | "file.saveAs" | "file.exit") && !id.starts_with("edit.preferences")
+    }
+
+    /// Whether the menus leave `id` out. Items that can't be hidden stay shown even when an
+    /// older or hand-edited preferences file lists them.
+    pub fn is_hidden(&self, id: &str) -> bool {
+        Self::hideable(id) && self.hidden.iter().any(|h| h == id)
+    }
+}
+
 /// Edit › Toolbar: hidden tools and a custom order (tool names as in `ui.set {tool}`).
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(default, rename_all = "camelCase")]
@@ -1898,6 +1912,9 @@ fn menus(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
         }
     }
     let (hide, show) = (ids("hide"), ids("show"));
+    if let Some(id) = hide.iter().find(|id| !MenuCustomization::hideable(id)) {
+        return Err(bad("edit.menus", format!("`{id}` can't be hidden")));
+    }
     s.edit_prefs(|pr| {
         if p.get("reset").and_then(Value::as_bool) == Some(true) {
             pr.menus = MenuCustomization::default();
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/prefs/tests.rs b/crates/engine/src/prefs/tests.rs
index 6b56cbc7ba..7f5c863e7f 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/prefs/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/prefs/tests.rs
@@ -397,6 +397,19 @@ fn menus_and_toolbar_customisation_persist() {
     assert_eq!(back.toolbar.hidden, vec!["Sponge".to_string()]);
 }
 
+/// #5096: Edit › Menus can't hide the way back into itself, Preferences, Save or Exit.
+#[test]
+fn menus_refuse_to_hide_essential_items() {
+    let mut s = session();
+    for id in ["edit.menus", "edit.keyboardShortcuts", "edit.preferences.general", "file.save", "file.saveAs", "file.exit"] {
+        assert!(s.execute("edit.menus", json!({"hide": ["edit.fade", id]})).is_err(), "{id}");
+        assert!(s.prefs().menus.hidden.is_empty(), "{id}: a refused call changes nothing");
+    }
+    // A preferences file that lists them anyway still shows them.
+    let menus = MenuCustomization { hidden: vec!["file.exit".into(), "edit.fade".into()], ..Default::default() };
+    assert!(!menus.is_hidden("file.exit") && menus.is_hidden("edit.fade"));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn preference_sections_are_commands() {
     let mut s = Session::new();
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/menus.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/menus.rs
index 403994ac10..d25d6a41de 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/menus.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/menus.rs
@@ -1111,7 +1111,7 @@ pub fn menu_items(app: &PhotocraftApp) -> Vec<MenuItem> {
         }
     }
     if !prefs.menus.hidden.is_empty() {
-        items.retain(|i| !prefs.menus.hidden.contains(&i.id));
+        items.retain(|i| !prefs.menus.is_hidden(&i.id));
     }
     if prefs.interface.show_menu_colors {
         for it in &mut items {
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/prefs_ui.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/prefs_ui.rs
index db908ae23f..497a7dba62 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/prefs_ui.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/prefs_ui.rs
@@ -1753,8 +1753,10 @@ fn shortcuts_body(app: &mut PhotocraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, f: &mut Map<String
                     }
                     ui.label(if changed { RichText::new(tl!("modified")).color(t.text_faint).size(10.5) } else { RichText::new("") });
                 } else {
-                    let mut visible = !hidden.contains(id);
-                    crate::widgets::checkbox(ui, &mut visible, tl!("Visible"));
+                    // Edit › Menus, Keyboard Shortcuts, Preferences, Save and Exit always stay (#5096).
+                    let hideable = photocraft_engine::prefs::MenuCustomization::hideable(id);
+                    let mut visible = !hideable || !hidden.contains(id);
+                    ui.add_enabled_ui(hideable, |ui| crate::widgets::checkbox(ui, &mut visible, tl!("Visible")));
                     if visible {
                         hidden.retain(|h| h != id);
                     } else if !hidden.contains(id) {
@@ -3183,6 +3185,16 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!crate::menus::menu_items(&app).iter().any(|i| i.id == "edit.fade"));
     }
 
+    /// #5096: preferences that list Edit › Menus or File › Exit as hidden still show them.
+    #[test]
+    fn essential_menu_items_stay_visible() {
+        let (mut app, _) = app_with_store();
+        app.run("prefs.set", json!({"values": {"menus": {"hidden": ["edit.menus", "file.exit", "edit.fade"], "colors": {}}}})).unwrap();
+        let items = crate::menus::menu_items(&app);
+        assert!(items.iter().any(|i| i.id == "edit.menus") && items.iter().any(|i| i.id == "file.exit"));
+        assert!(!items.iter().any(|i| i.id == "edit.fade"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn autosave_runs_for_dirty_documents() {
         type Saved = Arc<Mutex<Vec<(u64, u64)>>>;