diff --git a/lib/outputcomponents.php b/lib/outputcomponents.php
index a85e0f5866540..fa6235ab4affd 100644
--- a/lib/outputcomponents.php
+++ b/lib/outputcomponents.php
@@ -4957,6 +4957,8 @@ class action_menu_link extends action_link implements renderable {
 
     /**
      * The number of instances of this action menu link (and its subclasses).
+     *
+     * @deprecated since Moodle 4.4.
      * @var int
      */
     protected static $instance = 1;
@@ -4985,7 +4987,6 @@ public function __construct(moodle_url $url, ?pix_icon $icon, $text, $primary =
      */
     public function export_for_template(renderer_base $output) {
         $data = parent::export_for_template($output);
-        $data->instance = self::$instance++;
 
         // Ignore what the parent did with the attributes, except for ID and class.
         $data->attributes = [];
diff --git a/lib/templates/action_menu_link.mustache b/lib/templates/action_menu_link.mustache
index 55143816d2aff..12ac0367650c4 100644
--- a/lib/templates/action_menu_link.mustache
+++ b/lib/templates/action_menu_link.mustache
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@
     }
 }}
 {{^disabled}}
-    <a href="{{url}}" class="{{$actionmenulinkclasses}}aabtn {{classes}}{{/actionmenulinkclasses}}" {{#attributes}}{{name}}="{{value}}" {{/attributes}}{{#showtext}}aria-labelledby="actionmenuaction-{{instance}}"{{/showtext}}>
+    <a href="{{url}}" class="{{$actionmenulinkclasses}}aabtn {{classes}}{{/actionmenulinkclasses}}" {{#attributes}}{{name}}="{{value}}" {{/attributes}}>
         {{#icon}}
             {{#pix}}{{key}}, {{component}}, {{title}}{{/pix}}
         {{/icon}}
         {{#showtext}}
-            <span class="menu-action-text" id="actionmenuaction-{{instance}}">{{{text}}}</span>
+            <span class="menu-action-text">{{{text}}}</span>
         {{/showtext}}
     </a>
 {{/disabled}}
diff --git a/lib/upgrade.txt b/lib/upgrade.txt
index 4edcb7ae6e42d..686c058ac936a 100644
--- a/lib/upgrade.txt
+++ b/lib/upgrade.txt
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ information provided here is intended especially for developers.
   - `\core\deprecation::emit_deprecation_if_present([self::class, 'some_method']);`
 * Added missing deprecation for PARAM_CLEANFILE which was deprecated in Moodle 2.0.
 * Login can now utilise new param 'loginredirect' to indicate when to use value set for $CFG->alternateloginurl.
+* \action_menu_link::$instance has been deprecated as it is no longer used.
 
 === 4.3 ===