diff --git a/runtime/syntax/vim.vim b/runtime/syntax/vim.vim
index 1cd2bdc568..d5761087e0 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/vim.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/vim.vim
@@ -488,8 +488,8 @@ syn keyword vimMenu am[enu] an[oremenu] aun[menu] cme[nu] cnoreme[nu] cunme[nu]
 syn keyword vimMenu popu[p] skipwhite nextgroup=vimMenuBang,vimMenuName
 syn region	vimMenuRhs	 contained contains=@vimContinue,vimNotation start="|\@!\S"            skip=+\\\\\|\\|\|\n\s*\\\|\n\s*"\\ + end="$" matchgroup=vimSep end="|"
 syn region	vimMenuRhsContinue contained contains=@vimContinue,vimNotation start=+^\s*\%(\\\|"\\ \)+ skip=+\\\\\|\\|\|\n\s*\\\|\n\s*"\\ + end="$" matchgroup=vimSep end="|"
-syn match	vimMenuName	"\%(\\\s\|\S\)\+"        contained contains=vimMenuNotation,vimNotation skipwhite        nextgroup=vimCmdSep,vimMenuRhs
-syn match	vimMenuName	"\%(\\\s\|\S\)\+\ze\s*$" contained contains=vimMenuNotation,vimNotation skipwhite skipnl nextgroup=vimCmdSep,vimMenuRhsContinue
+syn match	vimMenuName	"\.\@!\%(\\\s\|\S\)\+"        contained contains=vimMenuNotation,vimNotation skipwhite        nextgroup=vimCmdSep,vimMenuRhs
+syn match	vimMenuName	"\.\@!\%(\\\s\|\S\)\+\ze\s*$" contained contains=vimMenuNotation,vimNotation skipwhite skipnl nextgroup=vimCmdSep,vimMenuRhsContinue
 syn match	vimMenuNotation	"&\a\|&&\|\\\s\|\\\." contained
 syn match	vimMenuPriority	"\<\d\+\%(\.\d\+\)*\>" contained skipwhite nextgroup=vimMenuName
 syn match	vimMenuMod	"\c<\%(script\|silent\|special\)>" contained skipwhite nextgroup=vimMenuName,vimMenuPriority,vimMenuMod contains=vimMapModKey,vimMapModErr