diff --git a/docs/pages/components/menu-item.md b/docs/pages/components/menu-item.md
index ef80dfbb0a..5fa0b20729 100644
--- a/docs/pages/components/menu-item.md
+++ b/docs/pages/components/menu-item.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ layout: component
 <sl-menu style="max-width: 200px;">
   <sl-menu-item>Option 1</sl-menu-item>
   <sl-menu-item>Option 2</sl-menu-item>
-  <sl-menu-item>Option 3</sl-menu-item>
+  <sl-menu-item loading>Option 3</sl-menu-item>
   <sl-divider></sl-divider>
   <sl-menu-item type="checkbox" checked>Checkbox</sl-menu-item>
   <sl-menu-item disabled>Disabled</sl-menu-item>
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ const App = () => (
   <SlMenu style={{ maxWidth: '200px' }}>
     <SlMenuItem>Option 1</SlMenuItem>
     <SlMenuItem>Option 2</SlMenuItem>
-    <SlMenuItem>Option 3</SlMenuItem>
+    <SlMenuItem loading>Option 3</SlMenuItem>
     <SlDivider />
     <SlMenuItem type="checkbox" checked>
       Checkbox
@@ -60,6 +60,35 @@ const App = () => (
 
 ## Examples
 
+### Loading
+
+Use the `loading` attribute to make a menu item busy. Clicks will be suppressed until the loading state is removed.
+
+```html:preview
+<sl-menu style="max-width: 200px;">
+  <sl-menu-item>Option 1</sl-menu-item>
+  <sl-menu-item loading>Option 2</sl-menu-item>
+  <sl-menu-item>Option 3</sl-menu-item>
+</sl-menu>
+```
+
+{% raw %}
+
+```jsx:react
+import SlMenu from '@shoelace-style/shoelace/dist/react/menu';
+import SlMenuItem from '@shoelace-style/shoelace/dist/react/menu-item';
+
+const App = () => (
+  <SlMenu style={{ maxWidth: '200px' }}>
+    <SlMenuItem>Option 1</SlMenuItem>
+    <SlMenuItem loading>Option 2</SlMenuItem>
+    <SlMenuItem>Option 3</SlMenuItem>
+  </SlMenu>
+);
+```
+
+{% endraw %}
+
 ### Disabled
 
 Add the `disabled` attribute to disable the menu item so it cannot be selected.
diff --git a/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.component.ts b/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.component.ts
index ebb92eef7d..b9e3c60ef9 100644
--- a/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.component.ts
+++ b/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.component.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { watch } from '../../internal/watch.js';
 import ShoelaceElement from '../../internal/shoelace-element.js';
 import SlIcon from '../icon/icon.component.js';
 import SlPopup from '../popup/popup.component.js';
+import SlSpinner from '../spinner/spinner.component.js';
 import styles from './menu-item.styles.js';
 import type { CSSResultGroup } from 'lit';
 
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ import type { CSSResultGroup } from 'lit';
  *
  * @dependency sl-icon
  * @dependency sl-popup
+ * @dependency sl-spinner
  *
  * @slot - The menu item's label.
  * @slot prefix - Used to prepend an icon or similar element to the menu item.
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ import type { CSSResultGroup } from 'lit';
  * @csspart prefix - The prefix container.
  * @csspart label - The menu item label.
  * @csspart suffix - The suffix container.
+ * @csspart spinner - The spinner that shows when the menu item is in the loading state.
  * @csspart submenu-icon - The submenu icon, visible only when the menu item has a submenu (not yet implemented).
  *
  * @cssproperty [--submenu-offset=-2px] - The distance submenus shift to overlap the parent menu.
@@ -38,7 +41,8 @@ export default class SlMenuItem extends ShoelaceElement {
   static styles: CSSResultGroup = styles;
   static dependencies = {
     'sl-icon': SlIcon,
-    'sl-popup': SlPopup
+    'sl-popup': SlPopup,
+    'sl-spinner': SlSpinner
   };
 
   private cachedTextLabel: string;
@@ -55,6 +59,9 @@ export default class SlMenuItem extends ShoelaceElement {
   /** A unique value to store in the menu item. This can be used as a way to identify menu items when selected. */
   @property() value = '';
 
+  /** Draws the menu item in a loading state. */
+  @property({ type: Boolean, reflect: true }) loading = false;
+
   /** Draws the menu item in a disabled state, preventing selection. */
   @property({ type: Boolean, reflect: true }) disabled = false;
 
@@ -158,6 +165,7 @@ export default class SlMenuItem extends ShoelaceElement {
           'menu-item--rtl': isRtl,
           'menu-item--checked': this.checked,
           'menu-item--disabled': this.disabled,
+          'menu-item--loading': this.loading,
           'menu-item--has-submenu': this.isSubmenu(),
           'menu-item--submenu-expanded': isSubmenuExpanded
         })}
@@ -179,6 +187,7 @@ export default class SlMenuItem extends ShoelaceElement {
         </span>
 
         ${this.submenuController.renderSubmenu()}
+        ${this.loading ? html`<sl-spinner part="spinner"></sl-spinner>` : ''}
       </div>
     `;
   }
diff --git a/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.styles.ts b/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.styles.ts
index 476add6877..c96d129744 100644
--- a/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.styles.ts
+++ b/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.styles.ts
@@ -139,4 +139,30 @@ export default css`
       outline-offset: -1px;
     }
   }
+
+  /*
+   * Loading modifier
+   */
+
+  .menu-item--loading {
+    position: relative;
+    cursor: wait;
+  }
+
+  .menu-item--loading .menu-item__prefix,
+  .menu-item--loading .menu-item__label,
+  .menu-item--loading .menu-item__suffix,
+  .menu-item--loading .menu-item__check {
+    visibility: hidden;
+  }
+
+  .menu-item--loading sl-spinner {
+    --indicator-color: currentColor;
+    position: absolute;
+    font-size: 1em;
+    height: 1em;
+    width: 1em;
+    top: calc(50% - 0.5em);
+    left: calc(50% - 0.5em);
+  }
 `;
diff --git a/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.test.ts b/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.test.ts
index abee95d814..65676e53b0 100644
--- a/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.test.ts
+++ b/src/components/menu-item/menu-item.test.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ describe('<sl-menu-item>', () => {
 
     expect(el.value).to.equal('');
     expect(el.disabled).to.be.false;
+    expect(el.loading).to.equal(false);
     expect(el.getAttribute('aria-disabled')).to.equal('false');
   });
 
@@ -48,6 +49,13 @@ describe('<sl-menu-item>', () => {
     expect(el.getAttribute('aria-disabled')).to.equal('true');
   });
 
+  describe('when loading', () => {
+    it('should have a spinner present', async () => {
+      const el = await fixture<SlMenuItem>(html` <sl-menu-item loading>Menu Item Label</sl-menu-item> `);
+      expect(el.shadowRoot!.querySelector('sl-spinner')).to.exist;
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should return a text label when calling getTextLabel()', async () => {
     const el = await fixture<SlMenuItem>(html` <sl-menu-item>Test</sl-menu-item> `);
     expect(el.getTextLabel()).to.equal('Test');