diff --git a/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Entity/MenuLinkContent.php b/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Entity/MenuLinkContent.php
index 49235b928d271a5c2df572c7075005d9f5fc4c7f..129404407bbee3cf8d27b14479d5e070e1ec3d87 100644
--- a/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Entity/MenuLinkContent.php
+++ b/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Entity/MenuLinkContent.php
@@ -235,6 +235,14 @@ public static function preDelete(EntityStorageInterface $storage, array $entitie
     foreach ($entities as $menu_link) {
       /** @var \Drupal\menu_link_content\Entity\MenuLinkContent $menu_link */
       $menu_link_manager->removeDefinition($menu_link->getPluginId(), FALSE);
+
+      // Children get re-attached to the menu link's parent.
+      $parent_plugin_id = $menu_link->getParentId();
+      $children = $storage->loadByProperties(['parent' => $menu_link->getPluginId()]);
+      foreach ($children as $child) {
+        /** @var \Drupal\menu_link_content\Entity\MenuLinkContent $child */
+        $child->set('parent', $parent_plugin_id)->save();
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/menu_link_content/tests/src/Kernel/MenuLinkContentDeleteTest.php b/core/modules/menu_link_content/tests/src/Kernel/MenuLinkContentDeleteTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..98dead915cda29973e115e44952d6eea4796ef7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/menu_link_content/tests/src/Kernel/MenuLinkContentDeleteTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Drupal\Tests\menu_link_content\Kernel;
+
+use Drupal\menu_link_content\Entity\MenuLinkContent;
+use Drupal\KernelTests\KernelTestBase;
+
+/**
+ * Tests the menu link content delete function.
+ *
+ * @group menu_link_content
+ */
+class MenuLinkContentDeleteTest extends KernelTestBase {
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public static $modules = ['menu_link_content', 'link', 'system'];
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setUp() {
+    parent::setUp();
+    $this->installEntitySchema('menu_link_content');
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests the MenuLinkContent::preDelete function.
+   */
+  public function testMenuLinkContentDelete() {
+    // Add new menu items in a hierarchy.
+    $parent = MenuLinkContent::create([
+      'title' => $this->randomMachineName(8),
+      'link' => [['uri' => 'internal:/']],
+      'menu_name' => 'main',
+    ]);
+    $parent->save();
+    $child1 = MenuLinkContent::create([
+      'title' => $this->randomMachineName(8),
+      'link' => [['uri' => 'internal:/']],
+      'menu_name' => 'main',
+      'parent' => 'menu_link_content:' . $parent->uuid(),
+    ]);
+    $child1->save();
+    $child2 = MenuLinkContent::create([
+      'title' => $this->randomMachineName(8),
+      'link' => [['uri' => 'internal:/']],
+      'menu_name' => 'main',
+      'parent' => 'menu_link_content:' . $child1->uuid(),
+    ]);
+    $child2->save();
+
+    // Delete the middle child.
+    $child1->delete();
+    // Refresh $child2.
+    $child2 = MenuLinkContent::load($child2->id());
+    // Test the reference in the child.
+    $this->assertSame('menu_link_content:' . $parent->uuid(), $child2->getParentId());
+  }
+
+}