diff --git a/lib/browser/api/menu.js b/lib/browser/api/menu.js
index 0ee05a06edd9..421462671fbf 100644
--- a/lib/browser/api/menu.js
+++ b/lib/browser/api/menu.js
@@ -132,40 +132,31 @@ Menu.prototype._init = function () {
 }
 
 Menu.prototype.popup = function (window, x, y, positioningItem) {
+  let [newX, newY, newPositioningItem] = [x, y, positioningItem]
   let asyncPopup
 
   // menu.popup(x, y, positioningItem)
-  if (window != null && (typeof window !== 'object' || window.constructor !== BrowserWindow)) {
-    // Shift.
-    positioningItem = y
-    y = x
-    x = window
-    window = null
+  if (window != null) {
+    if (typeof window !== 'object' || window.constructor !== BrowserWindow) {
+      [newPositioningItem, newY, newX] = [y, x, window]
+      window = null
+    }
   }
 
   // menu.popup(window, {})
   if (x != null && typeof x === 'object') {
-    const options = x
-    x = options.x
-    y = options.y
-    positioningItem = options.positioningItem
-    asyncPopup = options.async
+    [newX, newY, newPositioningItem] = [x.x, x.y, x.positioningItem]
+    asyncPopup = x.async
   }
 
-  // Default to showing in focused window.
+  // set up defaults
   if (window == null) window = BrowserWindow.getFocusedWindow()
-
-  // Default to showing under mouse location.
-  if (typeof x !== 'number') x = -1
-  if (typeof y !== 'number') y = -1
-
-  // Default to not highlighting any item.
-  if (typeof positioningItem !== 'number') positioningItem = -1
-
-  // Default to synchronous for backwards compatibility.
+  if (typeof x !== 'number') newX = -1
+  if (typeof y !== 'number') newY = -1
+  if (typeof positioningItem !== 'number') newPositioningItem = -1
   if (typeof asyncPopup !== 'boolean') asyncPopup = false
 
-  this.popupAt(window, x, y, positioningItem, asyncPopup)
+  this.popupAt(window, newX, newY, newPositioningItem, asyncPopup)
 }
 
 Menu.prototype.closePopup = function (window) {