diff --git a/includes/menu.inc b/includes/menu.inc
index d11d3ea1fe7..2a8c80c4120 100644
--- a/includes/menu.inc
+++ b/includes/menu.inc
@@ -1691,6 +1691,22 @@ function menu_set_custom_theme() {
   menu_get_custom_theme(TRUE);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Build a list of named menus.
+ */
+function menu_get_names() {
+  $names = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__);
+
+  if (empty($names)) {
+    $names = db_select('menu_links')
+      ->distinct()
+      ->fields('menu_links', array('menu_name'))
+      ->orderBy('menu_name')
+      ->execute()->fetchCol();
+  }
+  return $names;
+}
+
 /**
  * Return an array containing the names of system-defined (default) menus.
  */
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/menu.test b/modules/simpletest/tests/menu.test
index 3709876b1e3..2578bebc08c 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/menu.test
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/menu.test
@@ -247,6 +247,31 @@ class MenuRouterTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->assertLink(t('Menu link #2'), 0, t('Found menu link #2'));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Test menu_get_names().
+   */
+  function testMenuGetNames() {
+    // Create three menu items.
+    for ($i = 0; $i < 3; $i++) {
+      $menu_link = array(
+        'link_title' => 'Menu link #' . $i,
+        'link_path' => 'menu_test/' . $i,
+        'module' => 'menu_test',
+        'menu_name' => 'menu_test_' . $i,
+      );
+      menu_link_save($menu_link);
+    }
+
+    drupal_static_reset('menu_get_names');
+
+    // Verify that the menu names are correctly reported by menu_get_names().
+    $menu_names = menu_get_names();
+    $this->pass(implode(' | ', $menu_names));
+    for ($i = 0; $i < 3; $i++) {
+      $this->assertTrue(in_array('menu_test_' . $i, $menu_names), t('Expected menu name %expected is returned.', array('%expected' => 'menu_test_' . $i)));
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Tests for menu_name parameter for hook_menu().
    */