diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c5652239..ee19ebb6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ FlatLaf Change Log
   - Changed menu bar and popup menu background colors (made brighter in light
     themes and darker in dark themes).
   - Popup menus now have empty space at the top and bottom.
+  - Menu items now have larger left and right margins.
   - Made `JMenu`, `JMenuItem`, `JCheckBoxMenuItem` and `JRadioButtonMenuItem`
     non-opaque.
 - TextField, FormattedTextField and PasswordField: Select all text when a text
diff --git a/flatlaf-core/src/main/java/com/formdev/flatlaf/ui/FlatMenuItemBorder.java b/flatlaf-core/src/main/java/com/formdev/flatlaf/ui/FlatMenuItemBorder.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9d51a5af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flatlaf-core/src/main/java/com/formdev/flatlaf/ui/FlatMenuItemBorder.java
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 FormDev Software GmbH
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.formdev.flatlaf.ui;
+
+import static com.formdev.flatlaf.util.UIScale.scale;
+import java.awt.Component;
+import java.awt.Insets;
+import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
+import javax.swing.UIManager;
+
+/**
+ * Border for {@link javax.swing.JMenu}, {@link javax.swing.JMenuItem},
+ * {@link javax.swing.JCheckBoxMenuItem} and {@link javax.swing.JRadioButtonMenuItem}.
+ *
+ * @uiDefault MenuBar.itemMargins				Insets
+ *
+ * @author Karl Tauber
+ */
+public class FlatMenuItemBorder
+	extends FlatMarginBorder
+{
+	private final Insets menuBarItemMargins = UIManager.getInsets( "MenuBar.itemMargins" );
+
+	@Override
+	public Insets getBorderInsets( Component c, Insets insets ) {
+		if( c.getParent() instanceof JMenuBar ) {
+			insets.top = scale( menuBarItemMargins.top );
+			insets.left = scale( menuBarItemMargins.left );
+			insets.bottom = scale( menuBarItemMargins.bottom + 1 );
+			insets.right = scale( menuBarItemMargins.right );
+			return insets;
+		} else
+			return super.getBorderInsets( c, insets );
+	}
+}
diff --git a/flatlaf-core/src/main/resources/com/formdev/flatlaf/FlatLaf.properties b/flatlaf-core/src/main/resources/com/formdev/flatlaf/FlatLaf.properties
index ec48c381..0b716bb5 100644
--- a/flatlaf-core/src/main/resources/com/formdev/flatlaf/FlatLaf.properties
+++ b/flatlaf-core/src/main/resources/com/formdev/flatlaf/FlatLaf.properties
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ ViewportUI=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatViewportUI
 #---- variables ----
 
 @textComponentMargin=2,6,2,6
+@menuItemMargin=2,8,2,8
 
 
 #---- system colors ----
@@ -117,10 +118,10 @@ CheckBox.rollover=true
 
 #---- CheckBoxMenuItem ----
 
-CheckBoxMenuItem.border=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatMarginBorder
+CheckBoxMenuItem.border=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatMenuItemBorder
 CheckBoxMenuItem.checkIcon=com.formdev.flatlaf.icons.FlatCheckBoxMenuItemIcon
 CheckBoxMenuItem.arrowIcon=com.formdev.flatlaf.icons.FlatMenuItemArrowIcon
-CheckBoxMenuItem.margin=2,2,2,2
+CheckBoxMenuItem.margin=@menuItemMargin
 CheckBoxMenuItem.opaque=false
 CheckBoxMenuItem.background=@menuBackground
 
@@ -214,9 +215,9 @@ List.dropLineColor=@dropLineColor
 
 #---- Menu ----
 
-Menu.border=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatMarginBorder
+Menu.border=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatMenuItemBorder
 Menu.arrowIcon=com.formdev.flatlaf.icons.FlatMenuArrowIcon
-Menu.margin=2,2,2,2
+Menu.margin=@menuItemMargin
 Menu.submenuPopupOffsetX={scaledInteger}-4
 Menu.submenuPopupOffsetY={scaledInteger}-4
 Menu.opaque=false
@@ -227,13 +228,14 @@ Menu.background=@menuBackground
 
 MenuBar.border=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatMenuBarBorder
 MenuBar.background=@menuBackground
+MenuBar.itemMargins=3,3,3,3
 
 
 #---- MenuItem ----
 
-MenuItem.border=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatMarginBorder
+MenuItem.border=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatMenuItemBorder
 MenuItem.arrowIcon=com.formdev.flatlaf.icons.FlatMenuItemArrowIcon
-MenuItem.margin=2,2,2,2
+MenuItem.margin=@menuItemMargin
 MenuItem.opaque=false
 MenuItem.background=@menuBackground
 
@@ -303,10 +305,10 @@ RadioButton.rollover=true
 
 #---- RadioButtonMenuItem ----
 
-RadioButtonMenuItem.border=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatMarginBorder
+RadioButtonMenuItem.border=com.formdev.flatlaf.ui.FlatMenuItemBorder
 RadioButtonMenuItem.checkIcon=com.formdev.flatlaf.icons.FlatRadioButtonMenuItemIcon
 RadioButtonMenuItem.arrowIcon=com.formdev.flatlaf.icons.FlatMenuItemArrowIcon
-RadioButtonMenuItem.margin=2,2,2,2
+RadioButtonMenuItem.margin=@menuItemMargin
 RadioButtonMenuItem.opaque=false
 RadioButtonMenuItem.background=@menuBackground