diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/context-menu.spec.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/context-menu.spec.ts
index 3e1b3d2c9a18..f9a0cc5a2c27 100644
--- a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/context-menu.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/context-menu.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import {Component, ViewChild, ElementRef} from '@angular/core';
+import {Component, ViewChild, ElementRef, Type} from '@angular/core';
 import {CdkMenuModule} from './menu-module';
 import {TestBed, async, ComponentFixture} from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {CdkMenu} from './menu';
@@ -351,6 +351,29 @@ describe('CdkContextMenuTrigger', () => {
       expect(getFileMenu()).not.toBeDefined();
     });
   });
+
+  describe('with shared triggered menu', () => {
+    /**
+     * Return a function which builds the given component and renders it.
+     * @param componentClass the component to create
+     */
+    function createComponent<T>(componentClass: Type<T>) {
+      return function () {
+        TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+          imports: [CdkMenuModule],
+          declarations: [componentClass],
+        }).compileComponents();
+
+        TestBed.createComponent(componentClass).detectChanges();
+      };
+    }
+
+    it('should throw an error if context and menubar trigger share a menu', () => {
+      expect(createComponent(MenuBarAndContextTriggerShareMenu)).toThrowError(
+        /CdkMenuPanel is already referenced by different CdkMenuTrigger/
+      );
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 @Component({
@@ -457,3 +480,20 @@ class ContextMenuWithMenuBarAndInlineMenu {
   @ViewChild('inline_menu') nativeInlineMenu: ElementRef;
   @ViewChild('inline_menu_button') nativeInlineMenuButton: ElementRef;
 }
+
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <div cdkMenuBar>
+      <button cdkMenuItem [cdkMenuTriggerFor]="menu">First</button>
+    </div>
+
+    <div [cdkContextMenuTriggerFor]="menu"></div>
+
+    <ng-template cdkMenuPanel #menu="cdkMenuPanel">
+      <div cdkMenu [cdkMenuPanel]="menu">
+        <button cdkMenuItem></button>
+      </div>
+    </ng-template>
+  `,
+})
+class MenuBarAndContextTriggerShareMenu {}
diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/context-menu.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/context-menu.ts
index 4ac2526ea035..8fbc1ade6415 100644
--- a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/context-menu.ts
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/context-menu.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   Inject,
   Injectable,
   InjectionToken,
+  isDevMode,
 } from '@angular/core';
 import {DOCUMENT} from '@angular/common';
 import {Directionality} from '@angular/cdk/bidi';
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import {fromEvent, merge, Subject} from 'rxjs';
 import {takeUntil} from 'rxjs/operators';
 import {CdkMenuPanel} from './menu-panel';
 import {MenuStack, MenuStackItem} from './menu-stack';
+import {throwExistingMenuStackError} from './menu-errors';
 
 /**
  * Check if the given element is part of the cdk menu module or nested within a cdk menu element.
@@ -108,6 +110,11 @@ export class CdkContextMenuTrigger implements OnDestroy {
     return this._menuPanel;
   }
   set menuPanel(panel: CdkMenuPanel) {
+    // If the provided panel already has a stack, that means it already has a trigger configured
+    // TODO refactor once https://github.com/angular/components/pull/20146 lands
+    if (isDevMode() && panel._menuStack) {
+      throwExistingMenuStackError();
+    }
     this._menuPanel = panel;
 
     if (this._menuPanel) {
@@ -324,6 +331,7 @@ export class CdkContextMenuTrigger implements OnDestroy {
 
   ngOnDestroy() {
     this._destroyOverlay();
+    this._resetPanelMenuStack();
 
     this._destroyed.next();
     this._destroyed.complete();
@@ -337,5 +345,18 @@ export class CdkContextMenuTrigger implements OnDestroy {
     }
   }
 
+  /** Set the menu panels menu stack back to null. */
+  private _resetPanelMenuStack() {
+    // If a ContextMenuTrigger is placed in a conditionally rendered view, each time the trigger is
+    // rendered the panel setter for ContextMenuTrigger is called. From the first render onward,
+    // the attached CdkMenuPanel has the MenuStack set. Since we throw an error if a panel already
+    // has a stack set, we want to reset the attached stack here to prevent the error from being
+    // thrown if the trigger re-configures its attached panel (in the case where there is a 1:1
+    // relationship between the panel and trigger).
+    if (this._menuPanel) {
+      this._menuPanel._menuStack = null;
+    }
+  }
+
   static ngAcceptInputType_disabled: BooleanInput;
 }
diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-errors.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-errors.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c22a07e2da9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-errors.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright Google LLC All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style license that can be
+ * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Throws an exception when a menu panel already has a menu stack.
+ * @docs-private
+ */
+export function throwExistingMenuStackError() {
+  throw Error(
+    'CdkMenuPanel is already referenced by different CdkMenuTrigger. Ensure that a menu is' +
+      ' opened by a single trigger only.'
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item-trigger.spec.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item-trigger.spec.ts
index 879ad7f53314..deb982e5f226 100644
--- a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item-trigger.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item-trigger.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import {Component, ViewChildren, QueryList, ElementRef} from '@angular/core';
+import {Component, ViewChildren, QueryList, ElementRef, Type} from '@angular/core';
 import {ComponentFixture, TestBed, async} from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {By} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 import {CdkMenuModule} from './menu-module';
@@ -293,6 +293,42 @@ describe('MenuItemTrigger', () => {
         .toEqual(Math.floor(nativeMenus[1].getBoundingClientRect().top));
     });
   });
+
+  describe('with shared triggered menu', () => {
+    /**
+     * Return a function which builds the given component and renders it.
+     * @param componentClass the component to create
+     */
+    function createComponent<T>(componentClass: Type<T>) {
+      return function () {
+        TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+          imports: [CdkMenuModule],
+          declarations: [componentClass],
+        }).compileComponents();
+
+        TestBed.createComponent(componentClass).detectChanges();
+      };
+    }
+
+    it('should throw an error if two triggers in different menubars open the same menu', () => {
+      expect(createComponent(TriggersWithSameMenuDifferentMenuBars)).toThrowError(
+        /CdkMenuPanel is already referenced by different CdkMenuTrigger/
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('should throw an error if two triggers in the same menubar open the same menu', () => {
+      expect(createComponent(TriggersWithSameMenuSameMenuBar)).toThrowError(
+        /CdkMenuPanel is already referenced by different CdkMenuTrigger/
+      );
+    });
+
+    // TODO uncomment once we figure out why this is failing in Ivy
+    // it('should throw an error if a trigger in a submenu references its parent menu', () => {
+    //   expect(createComponent(TriggerOpensItsMenu)).toThrowError(
+    //     /CdkMenuPanel is already referenced by different CdkMenuTrigger/
+    //   );
+    // });
+  });
 });
 
 @Component({
@@ -331,3 +367,62 @@ class MenuBarWithNestedSubMenus {
 
   @ViewChildren(CdkMenuItem) menuItems: QueryList<CdkMenuItem>;
 }
+
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <div cdkMenuBar>
+      <button cdkMenuItem [cdkMenuTriggerFor]="menu">First</button>
+    </div>
+    <div cdkMenuBar>
+      <button cdkMenuItem [cdkMenuTriggerFor]="menu">Second</button>
+    </div>
+
+    <ng-template cdkMenuPanel #menu="cdkMenuPanel">
+      <div cdkMenu [cdkMenuPanel]="menu">
+        <button cdkMenuItem></button>
+      </div>
+    </ng-template>
+  `,
+})
+class TriggersWithSameMenuDifferentMenuBars {}
+
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <div cdkMenuBar>
+      <button cdkMenuItem [cdkMenuTriggerFor]="menu">First</button>
+      <button cdkMenuItem [cdkMenuTriggerFor]="menu">Second</button>
+    </div>
+
+    <ng-template cdkMenuPanel #menu="cdkMenuPanel">
+      <div cdkMenu [cdkMenuPanel]="menu">
+        <button cdkMenuItem></button>
+      </div>
+    </ng-template>
+  `,
+})
+class TriggersWithSameMenuSameMenuBar {}
+
+// TODO uncomment once we figure out why this is failing in Ivy
+// @Component({
+//   template: `
+//     <div cdkMenuBar>
+//       <button cdkMenuItem [cdkMenuTriggerFor]="menu"></button>
+//     </div>
+
+//     <ng-template cdkMenuPanel #menu="cdkMenuPanel">
+//       <div cdkMenu [cdkMenuPanel]="menu">
+//         <button cdkMenuItem [cdkMenuTriggerFor]="menu"></button>
+//       </div>
+//     </ng-template>
+//   `,
+// })
+// class TriggerOpensItsMenu implements AfterViewInit {
+//   @ViewChild(CdkMenuItem, {read: ElementRef}) trigger: ElementRef<HTMLButtonElement>;
+
+//   constructor(private readonly _changeDetector: ChangeDetectorRef) {}
+
+//   ngAfterViewInit() {
+//     this.trigger.nativeElement.click();
+//     this._changeDetector.detectChanges();
+//   }
+// }
diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item-trigger.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item-trigger.ts
index 8d7fabb541c9..a2ede3f9d879 100644
--- a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item-trigger.ts
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item-trigger.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   Inject,
   OnDestroy,
   Optional,
+  isDevMode,
 } from '@angular/core';
 import {Directionality} from '@angular/cdk/bidi';
 import {TemplatePortal} from '@angular/cdk/portal';
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ import {SPACE, ENTER, RIGHT_ARROW, LEFT_ARROW, DOWN_ARROW, UP_ARROW} from '@angu
 import {CdkMenuPanel} from './menu-panel';
 import {Menu, CDK_MENU} from './menu-interface';
 import {FocusNext} from './menu-stack';
+import {throwExistingMenuStackError} from './menu-errors';
 
 /**
  * A directive to be combined with CdkMenuItem which opens the Menu it is bound to. If the
@@ -59,8 +61,15 @@ export class CdkMenuItemTrigger implements OnDestroy {
     return this._menuPanel;
   }
   set menuPanel(panel: CdkMenuPanel | undefined) {
-    this._menuPanel = panel;
+    // If the provided panel already has a stack, that means it already has a trigger configured.
+    // Note however that there are some edge cases where two triggers **may** share the same menu,
+    // e.g. two triggers in two separate menus.
+    // TODO refactor once https://github.com/angular/components/pull/20146 lands
+    if (isDevMode() && panel?._menuStack) {
+      throwExistingMenuStackError();
+    }
 
+    this._menuPanel = panel;
     if (this._menuPanel) {
       this._menuPanel._menuStack = this._getMenuStack();
     }
@@ -140,7 +149,8 @@ export class CdkMenuItemTrigger implements OnDestroy {
    */
   _toggleOnMouseEnter() {
     const menuStack = this._getMenuStack();
-    if (!menuStack.isEmpty() && !this.isMenuOpen()) {
+    const isSiblingMenuOpen = !menuStack?.isEmpty() && !this.isMenuOpen();
+    if (isSiblingMenuOpen) {
       this._closeSiblingTriggers();
       this.openMenu();
     }
@@ -165,7 +175,7 @@ export class CdkMenuItemTrigger implements OnDestroy {
         if (this._isParentVertical()) {
           event.preventDefault();
           if (this._directionality?.value === 'rtl') {
-            this._getMenuStack().close(this._parentMenu, FocusNext.currentItem);
+            this._getMenuStack()?.close(this._parentMenu, FocusNext.currentItem);
           } else {
             this.openMenu();
             this.menuPanel?._menu?.focusFirstItem('keyboard');
@@ -180,7 +190,7 @@ export class CdkMenuItemTrigger implements OnDestroy {
             this.openMenu();
             this.menuPanel?._menu?.focusFirstItem('keyboard');
           } else {
-            this._getMenuStack().close(this._parentMenu, FocusNext.currentItem);
+            this._getMenuStack()?.close(this._parentMenu, FocusNext.currentItem);
           }
         }
         break;
@@ -206,10 +216,10 @@ export class CdkMenuItemTrigger implements OnDestroy {
     // that means that the parent menu is a menu bar since we don't put the menu bar on the
     // stack
     const isParentMenuBar =
-      !menuStack.closeSubMenuOf(this._parentMenu) && menuStack.peek() !== this._parentMenu;
+      !menuStack?.closeSubMenuOf(this._parentMenu) && menuStack?.peek() !== this._parentMenu;
 
     if (isParentMenuBar) {
-      menuStack.closeAll();
+      menuStack?.closeAll();
     }
   }
 
@@ -278,6 +288,20 @@ export class CdkMenuItemTrigger implements OnDestroy {
 
   ngOnDestroy() {
     this._destroyOverlay();
+    this._resetPanelMenuStack();
+  }
+
+  /** Set the menu panels menu stack back to null. */
+  private _resetPanelMenuStack() {
+    // If a CdkMenuTrigger is placed in a submenu, each time the trigger is rendered (its parent
+    // menu is opened) the panel setter for CdkMenuPanel is called. From the first render onward,
+    // the attached CdkMenuPanel has the MenuStack set. Since we throw an error if a panel already
+    // has a stack set, we want to reset the attached stack here to prevent the error from being
+    // thrown if the trigger re-configures its attached panel (in the case where there is a 1:1
+    // relationship between the panel and trigger).
+    if (this._menuPanel) {
+      this._menuPanel._menuStack = null;
+    }
   }
 
   /** Destroy and unset the overlay reference it if exists */
diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item.ts
index 76e12a982153..0059f267a3e9 100644
--- a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item.ts
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-item.ts
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ export class CdkMenuItem implements FocusableOption, FocusableElement, OnDestroy
     }
 
     // don't set the tabindex if there are no open sibling or parent menus
-    if (!event || (event && !this._getMenuStack().isEmpty())) {
+    if (!event || !this._getMenuStack()?.isEmpty()) {
       this._tabindex = 0;
     }
   }
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ export class CdkMenuItem implements FocusableOption, FocusableElement, OnDestroy
   trigger() {
     if (!this.disabled && !this.hasMenu()) {
       this.triggered.next();
-      this._getMenuStack().closeAll();
+      this._getMenuStack()?.closeAll();
     }
   }
 
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ export class CdkMenuItem implements FocusableOption, FocusableElement, OnDestroy
         if (this._isParentVertical() && !this.hasMenu()) {
           event.preventDefault();
           this._dir?.value === 'rtl'
-            ? this._getMenuStack().close(this._parentMenu, FocusNext.previousItem)
-            : this._getMenuStack().closeAll(FocusNext.nextItem);
+            ? this._getMenuStack()?.close(this._parentMenu, FocusNext.previousItem)
+            : this._getMenuStack()?.closeAll(FocusNext.nextItem);
         }
         break;
 
@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ export class CdkMenuItem implements FocusableOption, FocusableElement, OnDestroy
         if (this._isParentVertical() && !this.hasMenu()) {
           event.preventDefault();
           this._dir?.value === 'rtl'
-            ? this._getMenuStack().closeAll(FocusNext.nextItem)
-            : this._getMenuStack().close(this._parentMenu, FocusNext.previousItem);
+            ? this._getMenuStack()?.closeAll(FocusNext.nextItem)
+            : this._getMenuStack()?.close(this._parentMenu, FocusNext.previousItem);
         }
         break;
     }
@@ -226,11 +226,11 @@ export class CdkMenuItem implements FocusableOption, FocusableElement, OnDestroy
     this._ngZone.runOutsideAngular(() =>
       fromEvent(this._elementRef.nativeElement, 'mouseenter')
         .pipe(
-          filter(() => !this._getMenuStack().isEmpty() && !this.hasMenu()),
+          filter(() => !this._getMenuStack()?.isEmpty() && !this.hasMenu()),
           takeUntil(this._destroyed)
         )
         .subscribe(() => {
-          this._ngZone.run(() => this._getMenuStack().closeSubMenuOf(this._parentMenu));
+          this._ngZone.run(() => this._getMenuStack()?.closeSubMenuOf(this._parentMenu));
         })
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-panel.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-panel.ts
index f22b880f1069..c6ea88b1cf3a 100644
--- a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-panel.ts
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-panel.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export class CdkMenuPanel {
   _menu?: Menu;
 
   /** Keep track of open Menus. */
-  _menuStack: MenuStack;
+  _menuStack: MenuStack | null;
 
   constructor(readonly _templateRef: TemplateRef<unknown>) {}
 
@@ -35,6 +35,6 @@ export class CdkMenuPanel {
     // inject the menu stack reference into the child menu and menu items, however this isn't
     // possible at this time.
     this._menu._menuStack = this._menuStack;
-    this._menuStack.push(child);
+    this._menuStack?.push(child);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-stack.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-stack.ts
index 6d231e235a4a..47ad9a2f7272 100644
--- a/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-stack.ts
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/menu/menu-stack.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export const enum FocusNext {
  */
 export interface MenuStackItem {
   /** A reference to the previous Menus MenuStack instance. */
-  _menuStack: MenuStack;
+  _menuStack: MenuStack | null;
 }
 
 /**