diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Menu/MenuItem.test.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Menu/MenuItem.test.tsx
index cb64a4e9603..3a7e2dc7057 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Menu/MenuItem.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Menu/MenuItem.test.tsx
@@ -78,4 +78,14 @@ describe('MenuItem', () => {
 
     expect(await screen.findByTestId(selectors.components.Menu.SubMenu.container)).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  it('renders with role="link" when URL is passed', async () => {
+    render(<MenuItem label="URL Item" url="/some-url" />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole('link', { name: 'URL Item' })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('renders with expected role when URL and role are passed', async () => {
+    render(<MenuItem label="URL Item" url="/some-url" role="menuitem" />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole('menuitem', { name: 'URL Item' })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Menu/MenuItem.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Menu/MenuItem.tsx
index b6947643064..8c0f0f1d21f 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Menu/MenuItem.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Menu/MenuItem.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 import { css, cx } from '@emotion/css';
-import React, { ReactElement, useCallback, useState, useRef, useImperativeHandle, CSSProperties } from 'react';
+import React, {
+  ReactElement,
+  useCallback,
+  useState,
+  useRef,
+  useImperativeHandle,
+  CSSProperties,
+  AriaRole,
+} from 'react';
 
 import { GrafanaTheme2, LinkTarget } from '@grafana/data';
 
@@ -29,7 +37,7 @@ export interface MenuItemProps<T = unknown> {
   /** Icon of the menu item */
   icon?: IconName;
   /** Role of the menu item */
-  role?: string;
+  role?: AriaRole;
   /** Url of the menu item */
   url?: string;
   /** Handler for the click behaviour */
@@ -70,7 +78,7 @@ export const MenuItem = React.memo(
       disabled,
       destructive,
       childItems,
-      role = 'menuitem',
+      role,
       tabIndex = -1,
       customSubMenuContainerStyles,
       shortcut,
@@ -153,7 +161,10 @@ export const MenuItem = React.memo(
         onMouseEnter={onMouseEnter}
         onMouseLeave={onMouseLeave}
         onKeyDown={handleKeys}
-        role={url === undefined ? role : undefined}
+        // If there's no URL, then set either the role from the props, or fallback to menuitem
+        // If there IS a URL, then use the role from props - which will result in this either being a
+        // link (default role of an anchor), or whatever the user of this component specified
+        role={!url ? role || 'menuitem' : role}
         data-role="menuitem" // used to identify menuitem in Menu.tsx
         ref={localRef}
         data-testid={testId}