diff --git a/apps/root_menu.c b/apps/root_menu.c
index 747ba76c24..16665c1824 100644
--- a/apps/root_menu.c
+++ b/apps/root_menu.c
@@ -477,26 +477,118 @@ static int do_shutdown(void)
 MENUITEM_FUNCTION(do_shutdown_item, 0, ID2P(LANG_SHUTDOWN),
                   do_shutdown, NULL, NULL, Icon_NOICON);
 #endif
-MAKE_MENU(root_menu_, ID2P(LANG_ROCKBOX_TITLE),
-            item_callback, Icon_Rockbox,
-            &bookmarks, &file_browser, 
+
+struct menu_item_ex root_menu_;
+static struct menu_callback_with_desc root_menu_desc = {
+        item_callback, ID2P(LANG_ROCKBOX_TITLE), Icon_Rockbox };
+struct menu_table {
+    char *string;
+    const struct menu_item_ex *item;
+};
+static struct menu_table menu_table[] = {
+    /* Order here represents the default ordering */
+    { "bookmarks", &bookmarks },
+    { "files", &file_browser },
 #ifdef HAVE_TAGCACHE
-            &db_browser,
+    { "database", &db_browser },
 #endif
-            &wps_item, &menu_, 
+    { "wps", &wps_item },
+    { "settings", &menu_ }, 
 #ifdef HAVE_RECORDING
-            &rec, 
+    { "recording", &rec }, 
 #endif
 #if CONFIG_TUNER
-            &fm,
+    { "radio", &fm },
 #endif
-            &playlists, &rocks_browser,  &system_menu_
-
+    { "playlists", &playlists },
+    { "plugins", &rocks_browser },
+    { "system_menu", &system_menu_ },
 #if CONFIG_KEYPAD == PLAYER_PAD
-            ,&do_shutdown_item
+    { "shutdown", &do_shutdown_item },
 #endif
-            ,&shortcut_menu
-        );
+    { "shortcuts", &shortcut_menu },
+};
+#define MAX_MENU_ITEMS (sizeof(menu_table) / sizeof(struct menu_table))
+static struct menu_item_ex *root_menu__[MAX_MENU_ITEMS];
+
+void root_menu_load_from_cfg(void* setting, char *value)
+{
+    char *next = value, *start;
+    unsigned int menu_item_count = 0, i;
+    bool main_menu_added = false;
+
+    root_menu_.flags = MENU_HAS_DESC | MT_MENU;
+    root_menu_.submenus = (const struct menu_item_ex **)&root_menu__;
+    root_menu_.callback_and_desc = &root_menu_desc;
+
+    while (next && menu_item_count < MAX_MENU_ITEMS)
+    {
+        start = next;
+        next = strchr(next, ',');
+        if (next)
+        {
+            *next = '\0';
+            next++;
+        }
+        for (i=0; i<MAX_MENU_ITEMS; i++)
+        {
+            if (*start && !strcmp(start, menu_table[i].string))
+            {
+                root_menu__[menu_item_count++] = (struct menu_item_ex *)menu_table[i].item;
+                if (menu_table[i].item == &menu_)
+                    main_menu_added = true;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if (!main_menu_added)
+        root_menu__[menu_item_count++] = (struct menu_item_ex *)&menu_;
+    root_menu_.flags |= MENU_ITEM_COUNT(menu_item_count);
+    *(int*)setting = 1;
+}
+
+char* root_menu_write_to_cfg(void* setting, char*buf, int buf_len)
+{
+    (void)setting;
+    unsigned i, written, j;
+    for (i = 0; i < MENU_GET_COUNT(root_menu_.flags); i++)
+    {
+        for (j=0; j<MAX_MENU_ITEMS; j++)
+        {
+            if (menu_table[j].item == root_menu__[i])
+            {
+                written = snprintf(buf, buf_len, "%s,", menu_table[j].string);
+                buf_len -= written;
+                buf += written;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return buf;
+}
+
+void root_menu_set_default(void* setting, void* defaultval)
+{
+    unsigned i;
+    (void)defaultval;
+
+    root_menu_.flags = MENU_HAS_DESC | MT_MENU;
+    root_menu_.submenus = (const struct menu_item_ex **)&root_menu__;
+    root_menu_.callback_and_desc = &root_menu_desc;
+
+    for (i=0; i<MAX_MENU_ITEMS; i++)
+    {
+        root_menu__[i] = (struct menu_item_ex *)menu_table[i].item;
+    }
+    root_menu_.flags |= MENU_ITEM_COUNT(MAX_MENU_ITEMS);
+    *(int*)setting = 0;
+}
+     
+bool root_menu_is_changed(void* setting, void* defaultval)
+{
+    (void)defaultval;
+    return *(int*)setting != 0;
+}
 
 static int item_callback(int action, const struct menu_item_ex *this_item) 
 {
diff --git a/apps/root_menu.h b/apps/root_menu.h
index 8d11d9b338..32385d9530 100644
--- a/apps/root_menu.h
+++ b/apps/root_menu.h
@@ -61,8 +61,15 @@ enum {
     GO_TO_SHORTCUTMENU
 };
 
-extern const struct menu_item_ex root_menu_;
+extern struct menu_item_ex root_menu_;
 
 extern void previous_music_is_wps(void);
 
+void root_menu_load_from_cfg(void* setting, char *value);
+char* root_menu_write_to_cfg(void* setting, char*buf, int buf_len);
+void root_menu_set_default(void* setting, void* defaultval);
+bool root_menu_is_changed(void* setting, void* defaultval);
+
+
+
 #endif /* __ROOT_MENU_H__ */
diff --git a/apps/settings.h b/apps/settings.h
index 7a6fa55e79..ca0abaa202 100644
--- a/apps/settings.h
+++ b/apps/settings.h
@@ -844,6 +844,8 @@ struct user_settings
 #endif
 
     char start_directory[MAX_PATHNAME+1];
+    /* status setting for the root menu customisability. 0 = default, 1 = loaded from cfg */
+    int root_menu;
 };
 
 /** global variables **/
diff --git a/apps/settings_list.c b/apps/settings_list.c
index 44295ac5aa..c4d4d27f45 100644
--- a/apps/settings_list.c
+++ b/apps/settings_list.c
@@ -1921,6 +1921,11 @@ const struct settings_list settings[] = {
                 "resume rewind", UNIT_SEC, 0, 60, 5,
                 NULL, NULL, NULL),
 #endif
+   CUSTOM_SETTING(0, root_menu,
+                  LANG_ROCKBOX_TITLE, /* lang string here is never actually used */
+                  NULL, "root_menu_order",
+                  root_menu_load_from_cfg, root_menu_write_to_cfg,
+                  root_menu_is_changed, root_menu_set_default),
 };
 
 const int nb_settings = sizeof(settings)/sizeof(*settings);
diff --git a/manual/advanced_topics/main.tex b/manual/advanced_topics/main.tex
index 93d1935785..196053759b 100644
--- a/manual/advanced_topics/main.tex
+++ b/manual/advanced_topics/main.tex
@@ -2,6 +2,29 @@
 \chapter{Advanced Topics}
 
 \section{\label{ref:CustomisingUI}Customising the User Interface}
+
+\subsection{\label{ref:CustomisingTheMainMenu}Customising The Main Menu}
+
+It is possible to customise the main menu, i.e. to reorder or to hide some
+of its items. To accomplish this, the file \fname{/.rockbox/config.cfg} must
+be edited (presumably on the computer while the \dap{} is connected to it
+via USB). There, the line starting with \config{root\_menu\_order:} must
+be edited (or created if it is not present yet).
+
+The line should look like \config{root\_menu\_order:items}, where ``items''
+is a comma separated list (no spaces around the commas!) of the following
+words: \config{bookmarks}, \config{files}, \opt{database}{\config{database}, }%
+\config{wps}, \config{settings}, \opt{recording}{\config{recording}, }%
+\opt{radio}{\config{radio}, }\config{playlists}, \config{plugins},
+\config{system\_menu}, \opt{PLAYER_PAD}{\config{shutdown}, }\config{shortcuts}.
+Each of the words, if it occurs in the list, activates the appropriate item
+in the main menu. The order of the items is given by the order of the words
+in the list. The items whose words do not occur in the list will be hidden,
+with one exception: the menu item ``Settings'' will be shown even if its word
+is not in the list (it is added as the last item then).
+
+Only the main menu can be customised this way, submenus can not.
+
 \opt{lcd_bitmap}{
 \subsection{\label{ref:GettingExtras}Getting Extras}