diff --git a/cockatrice/src/abstractcarditem.cpp b/cockatrice/src/abstractcarditem.cpp
index 5325409e..88145bfb 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/abstractcarditem.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/abstractcarditem.cpp
@@ -272,7 +272,6 @@ void AbstractCardItem::setFaceDown(bool _facedown)
 {
     facedown = _facedown;
     update();
-    emit updateCardMenu(this);
 }
 
 void AbstractCardItem::mousePressEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *event)
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/abstractcarditem.h b/cockatrice/src/abstractcarditem.h
index 5367ab5b..20215ae5 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/abstractcarditem.h
+++ b/cockatrice/src/abstractcarditem.h
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ signals:
     void hovered(AbstractCardItem *card);
     void showCardInfoPopup(QPoint pos, QString cardName);
     void deleteCardInfoPopup(QString cardName);
-    void updateCardMenu(AbstractCardItem *card);
     void sigPixmapUpdated();
     void cardShiftClicked(QString cardName);
 
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/carditem.cpp b/cockatrice/src/carditem.cpp
index 84d09df1..42b0766e 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/carditem.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/carditem.cpp
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ CardItem::CardItem(Player *_owner,
                    int _cardid,
                    bool _revealedCard,
                    QGraphicsItem *parent,
-                   CardZone *_zone,
-                   bool updateMenu)
+                   CardZone *_zone)
     : AbstractCardItem(_name, _owner, _cardid, parent), zone(_zone), revealedCard(_revealedCard), attacking(false),
       destroyOnZoneChange(false), doesntUntap(false), dragItem(nullptr), attachedTo(nullptr)
 {
@@ -35,9 +34,6 @@ CardItem::CardItem(Player *_owner,
     moveMenu = new QMenu;
 
     retranslateUi();
-    if (updateMenu) { // avoid updating card menu too often
-        emit updateCardMenu(this);
-    }
 }
 
 CardItem::~CardItem()
@@ -84,7 +80,6 @@ void CardItem::deleteLater()
 void CardItem::setZone(CardZone *_zone)
 {
     zone = _zone;
-    emit updateCardMenu(this);
 }
 
 void CardItem::retranslateUi()
@@ -203,23 +198,25 @@ void CardItem::setPT(const QString &_pt)
 
 void CardItem::setAttachedTo(CardItem *_attachedTo)
 {
-    if (attachedTo)
+    if (attachedTo != nullptr) {
         attachedTo->removeAttachedCard(this);
+    }
 
     gridPoint.setX(-1);
     attachedTo = _attachedTo;
-    if (attachedTo) {
+    if (attachedTo != nullptr) {
         setParentItem(attachedTo->getZone());
         attachedTo->addAttachedCard(this);
-        if (zone != attachedTo->getZone())
+        if (zone != attachedTo->getZone()) {
             attachedTo->getZone()->reorganizeCards();
-    } else
+        }
+    } else {
         setParentItem(zone);
+    }
 
-    if (zone)
+    if (zone != nullptr) {
         zone->reorganizeCards();
-
-    emit updateCardMenu(this);
+    }
 }
 
 void CardItem::resetState()
@@ -371,8 +368,7 @@ void CardItem::playCard(bool faceDown)
 void CardItem::mouseReleaseEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *event)
 {
     if (event->button() == Qt::RightButton) {
-        if (cardMenu && !cardMenu->isEmpty() && owner != nullptr) {
-            owner->updateCardMenu(this);
+        if (cardMenu != nullptr && !cardMenu->isEmpty() && owner != nullptr) {
             cardMenu->exec(event->screenPos());
         }
     } else if ((event->modifiers() != Qt::AltModifier) && (event->button() == Qt::LeftButton) &&
@@ -437,13 +433,13 @@ bool CardItem::animationEvent()
 
 QVariant CardItem::itemChange(GraphicsItemChange change, const QVariant &value)
 {
-    if ((change == ItemSelectedHasChanged) && owner) {
+    if ((change == ItemSelectedHasChanged) && owner != nullptr) {
         if (value == true) {
             owner->setCardMenu(cardMenu);
             owner->getGame()->setActiveCard(this);
         } else if (owner->getCardMenu() == cardMenu) {
-            owner->setCardMenu(0);
-            owner->getGame()->setActiveCard(0);
+            owner->setCardMenu(nullptr);
+            owner->getGame()->setActiveCard(nullptr);
         }
     }
     return QGraphicsItem::itemChange(change, value);
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/carditem.h b/cockatrice/src/carditem.h
index 5c04d97f..c480f6a0 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/carditem.h
+++ b/cockatrice/src/carditem.h
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ public:
              int _cardid = -1,
              bool revealedCard = false,
              QGraphicsItem *parent = nullptr,
-             CardZone *_zone = nullptr,
-             bool updateMenu = false);
+             CardZone *_zone = nullptr);
     ~CardItem();
     void retranslateUi();
     CardZone *getZone() const
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/player.cpp b/cockatrice/src/player.cpp
index a853e0e3..e50a48e5 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/player.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/player.cpp
@@ -1945,7 +1945,6 @@ void Player::eventSetCardCounter(const Event_SetCardCounter &event)
 
     int oldValue = card->getCounters().value(event.counter_id(), 0);
     card->setCounter(event.counter_id(), event.counter_value());
-    updateCardMenu(card);
     emit logSetCardCounter(this, card->getName(), event.counter_id(), event.counter_value(), oldValue);
 }
 
@@ -2014,7 +2013,7 @@ void Player::eventMoveCard(const Event_MoveCard &event, const GameEventContext &
         x = 0;
     }
     CardItem *card = startZone->takeCard(position, event.card_id(), startZone != targetZone);
-    if (!card) {
+    if (card == nullptr) {
         return;
     }
     if (startZone != targetZone) {
@@ -2080,6 +2079,7 @@ void Player::eventMoveCard(const Event_MoveCard &event, const GameEventContext &
             i->delArrow();
         }
     }
+    updateCardMenu(card);
 }
 
 void Player::eventFlipCard(const Event_FlipCard &event)
@@ -2094,6 +2094,7 @@ void Player::eventFlipCard(const Event_FlipCard &event)
     }
     emit logFlipCard(this, card->getName(), event.face_down());
     card->setFaceDown(event.face_down());
+    updateCardMenu(card);
 }
 
 void Player::eventDestroyCard(const Event_DestroyCard &event)
@@ -2111,7 +2112,7 @@ void Player::eventDestroyCard(const Event_DestroyCard &event)
     QList<CardItem *> attachedCards = card->getAttachedCards();
     // This list is always empty except for buggy server implementations.
     for (auto &attachedCard : attachedCards) {
-        attachedCard->setAttachedTo(0);
+        attachedCard->setAttachedTo(nullptr);
     }
 
     emit logDestroyCard(this, card->getName());
@@ -2162,6 +2163,7 @@ void Player::eventAttachCard(const Event_AttachCard &event)
     } else {
         emit logUnattachCard(this, startCard->getName());
     }
+    updateCardMenu(startCard);
 }
 
 void Player::eventDrawCards(const Event_DrawCards &event)
@@ -3278,17 +3280,14 @@ void Player::refreshShortcuts()
 {
     if (shortcutsActive) {
         setShortcutsActive();
-
-        for (const CardItem *cardItem : table->getCards()) {
-            updateCardMenu(cardItem);
-        }
     }
 }
 
 void Player::updateCardMenu(const CardItem *card)
 {
     // If bad card OR is a spectator (as spectators don't need card menus), return
-    if (card == nullptr || (game->isSpectator() && !judge)) {
+    // only update the menu if the card is actually selected
+    if (card == nullptr || (game->isSpectator() && !judge) || game->getActiveCard() != card) {
         return;
     }
 
@@ -3521,7 +3520,7 @@ void Player::addRelatedCardActions(const CardItem *card, QMenu *cardMenu)
 
 void Player::setCardMenu(QMenu *menu)
 {
-    if (aCardMenu) {
+    if (aCardMenu != nullptr) {
         aCardMenu->setEnabled(menu != nullptr);
         aCardMenu->setMenu(menu);
     }
@@ -3529,10 +3528,11 @@ void Player::setCardMenu(QMenu *menu)
 
 QMenu *Player::getCardMenu() const
 {
-    if (aCardMenu) {
+    if (aCardMenu != nullptr) {
         return aCardMenu->menu();
+    } else {
+        return nullptr;
     }
-    return nullptr;
 }
 
 QString Player::getName() const
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/tab_game.cpp b/cockatrice/src/tab_game.cpp
index 9cd7a928..f7232a7f 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/tab_game.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/tab_game.cpp
@@ -1349,7 +1349,6 @@ void TabGame::newCardAdded(AbstractCardItem *card)
     connect(card, SIGNAL(hovered(AbstractCardItem *)), cardInfo, SLOT(setCard(AbstractCardItem *)));
     connect(card, SIGNAL(showCardInfoPopup(QPoint, QString)), this, SLOT(showCardInfoPopup(QPoint, QString)));
     connect(card, SIGNAL(deleteCardInfoPopup(QString)), this, SLOT(deleteCardInfoPopup(QString)));
-    connect(card, SIGNAL(updateCardMenu(AbstractCardItem *)), this, SLOT(updateCardMenu(AbstractCardItem *)));
     connect(card, SIGNAL(cardShiftClicked(QString)), this, SLOT(linkCardToChat(QString)));
 }
 
@@ -1413,6 +1412,12 @@ Player *TabGame::getActiveLocalPlayer() const
     return nullptr;
 }
 
+void TabGame::setActiveCard(CardItem *card)
+{
+    activeCard = card;
+    updateCardMenu(card);
+}
+
 void TabGame::updateCardMenu(AbstractCardItem *card)
 {
     Player *player;
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/tab_game.h b/cockatrice/src/tab_game.h
index 97c36498..0c35262c 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/tab_game.h
+++ b/cockatrice/src/tab_game.h
@@ -298,10 +298,7 @@ public:
     Player *getActiveLocalPlayer() const;
     AbstractClient *getClientForPlayer(int playerId) const;
 
-    void setActiveCard(CardItem *_card)
-    {
-        activeCard = _card;
-    }
+    void setActiveCard(CardItem *card);
     CardItem *getActiveCard() const
     {
         return activeCard;
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/zoneviewzone.cpp b/cockatrice/src/zoneviewzone.cpp
index 84045231..87d561d7 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/zoneviewzone.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/zoneviewzone.cpp
@@ -83,15 +83,12 @@ void ZoneViewZone::initializeCards(const QList<const ServerInfo_Card *> &cardLis
 
 void ZoneViewZone::zoneDumpReceived(const Response &r)
 {
-    static constexpr int MAX_VIEW_MENU = 300;
     const Response_DumpZone &resp = r.GetExtension(Response_DumpZone::ext);
     const int respCardListSize = resp.zone_info().card_list_size();
     for (int i = 0; i < respCardListSize; ++i) {
         const ServerInfo_Card &cardInfo = resp.zone_info().card_list(i);
         auto cardName = QString::fromStdString(cardInfo.name());
-        // stop updating card menus after MAX_VIEW_MENU cards
-        // this means only the first cards in the menu have actions but others can still be dragged
-        auto *card = new CardItem(player, cardName, cardInfo.id(), revealZone, this, this, i < MAX_VIEW_MENU);
+        auto *card = new CardItem(player, cardName, cardInfo.id(), revealZone, this, this);
         cards.insert(i, card);
     }
     reorganizeCards();