diff --git a/tailbone/menus.py b/tailbone/menus.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b3bb09f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tailbone/menus.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8; -*-
+################################################################################
+#
+#  Rattail -- Retail Software Framework
+#  Copyright © 2010-2018 Lance Edgar
+#
+#  This file is part of Rattail.
+#
+#  Rattail is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+#  terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+#  Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later
+#  version.
+#
+#  Rattail is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+#  WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+#  FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more
+#  details.
+#
+#  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+#  Rattail.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+################################################################################
+"""
+App Menus
+"""
+
+from __future__ import unicode_literals, absolute_import
+
+from rattail.core import Object
+from rattail.util import import_module_path
+
+
+class MenuGroup(Object):
+    title = None
+    items = None
+
+
+class MenuItem(Object):
+    title = None
+    url = None
+    perm = None
+
+
+def make_simple_menus(request):
+    """
+    Build the main menu list for the app.
+    """
+    menus_module = import_module_path(
+        request.rattail_config.require('tailbone', 'menus'))
+
+    if not hasattr(menus_module, 'simple_menus') or not callable(menus_module.simple_menus):
+        raise RuntimeError("module does not have a simple_menus() callable: {}".format(menus_module))
+
+    # collect "simple" menus definition, but must refine that somewhat to
+    # produce our final menus
+    raw_menus = menus_module.simple_menus(request)
+    final_menus = []
+    for topitem in raw_menus:
+
+        # figure out which ones the user has permission to access
+        allowed = [item for item in topitem['items']
+                   if request.has_perm(item['perm'])]
+        if allowed:
+
+            # okay, user must have access to something; add the menu
+            items = [MenuItem(title=item['title'],
+                              url=item['url'],
+                              perm=item['perm'])
+                     for item in allowed]
+            final_menus.append(
+                MenuGroup(title=topitem['title'], items=items))
+
+    return final_menus
diff --git a/tailbone/subscribers.py b/tailbone/subscribers.py
index 2203487c..6af90cbc 100644
--- a/tailbone/subscribers.py
+++ b/tailbone/subscribers.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ from webhelpers2.html import tags
 import tailbone
 from tailbone import helpers
 from tailbone.db import Session
+from tailbone.menus import make_simple_menus
 
 
 def new_request(event):
@@ -113,6 +114,12 @@ def before_render(event):
             options = [tags.Option(theme) for theme in available]
             renderer_globals['theme_picker_options'] = options
 
+        # heck while we're assuming the classic web app here...
+        # (we don't want this to happen for the API either!)
+        # TODO: just..awful *shrug*
+        if request.rattail_config.getbool('tailbone', 'menus.simple', default=False):
+            renderer_globals['menus'] = make_simple_menus(request)
+
 
 def add_inbox_count(event):
     """