diff --git a/app/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component.html.erb b/app/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component.html.erb
index cb2bcf0b5ba..38d68255cdc 100644
--- a/app/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component.html.erb
+++ b/app/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component.html.erb
@@ -39,13 +39,17 @@ See COPYRIGHT and LICENSE files for more details.
   <% end %>
 
   <% grid.with_area(:menu) do %>
-    <%= render(
-          OpenProject::Common::WorkPackageCardComponent::Menu.new(
-            work_package:,
-            src: menu_src,
-            button_aria_label: t(".menu.label_actions")
-          )
-        ) %>
+    <% if menu? %>
+      <%= menu %>
+    <% else %>
+      <%= render(
+            OpenProject::Common::WorkPackageCardComponent::Menu.new(
+              work_package:,
+              src: menu_src,
+              button_aria_label: t(".menu.label_actions")
+            )
+          ) %>
+    <% end %>
   <% end %>
 
   <% grid.with_area(:subject) do %>
diff --git a/app/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component.rb b/app/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component.rb
index bcbea5c8e56..12bb0fb8430 100644
--- a/app/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component.rb
+++ b/app/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component.rb
@@ -35,11 +35,20 @@ module OpenProject
       include OpPrimer::ComponentHelpers
 
       renders_one :metric, Primer::Content
+      renders_one :menu, ->(src: nil, button_aria_label: nil, **system_arguments) {
+        Menu.new(
+          work_package:,
+          src:,
+          button_aria_label:,
+          **system_arguments
+        )
+      }
 
       attr_reader :work_package, :menu_src
 
       # @param work_package [WorkPackage] the work package this card represents.
-      # @param menu_src [String, NilClass] optional lazy menu source.
+      # @param menu_src [String, NilClass] optional lazy menu source. Prefer the
+      #   `with_menu(src:)` slot for new call sites.
       def initialize(work_package:, menu_src: nil)
         super()
 
diff --git a/lookbook/previews/open_project/common/work_package_card_component_preview.rb b/lookbook/previews/open_project/common/work_package_card_component_preview.rb
index 023d64a9667..cb15d220239 100644
--- a/lookbook/previews/open_project/common/work_package_card_component_preview.rb
+++ b/lookbook/previews/open_project/common/work_package_card_component_preview.rb
@@ -54,6 +54,19 @@ module OpenProject
         end
       end
 
+      def with_menu
+        work_package = WorkPackage.first
+        return preview_message("No work packages in the database.") unless work_package
+
+        render OpenProject::Common::WorkPackageCardComponent.new(
+          work_package:
+        ) do |card|
+          card.with_menu do |menu|
+            menu.with_item(label: "Open", href: "/work_packages/#{work_package.id}")
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
       private
 
       def preview_message(text)
diff --git a/modules/backlogs/app/components/backlogs/work_package_card_component.rb b/modules/backlogs/app/components/backlogs/work_package_card_component.rb
index 76590b0d2f0..9f431f7b980 100644
--- a/modules/backlogs/app/components/backlogs/work_package_card_component.rb
+++ b/modules/backlogs/app/components/backlogs/work_package_card_component.rb
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ module Backlogs
   class WorkPackageCardComponent < ApplicationComponent
     attr_reader :work_package, :menu_src
 
+    delegate :with_menu, to: :card
+
     def initialize(work_package:, menu_src: nil)
       super()
 
@@ -40,11 +42,21 @@ module Backlogs
     end
 
     def call
-      render(OpenProject::Common::WorkPackageCardComponent.new(work_package:, menu_src:)) do |card|
-        card.with_metric do
+      render(card) do |common_card|
+        common_card.with_metric do
           render(Backlogs::StoryPointsComponent.new(work_package:))
         end
       end
     end
+
+    private
+
+    def card
+      @card ||= OpenProject::Common::WorkPackageCardComponent.new(work_package:, menu_src:)
+    end
+
+    def before_render
+      content
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/modules/backlogs/spec/components/backlogs/work_package_card_component_spec.rb b/modules/backlogs/spec/components/backlogs/work_package_card_component_spec.rb
index 6612181934d..793f1afe317 100644
--- a/modules/backlogs/spec/components/backlogs/work_package_card_component_spec.rb
+++ b/modules/backlogs/spec/components/backlogs/work_package_card_component_spec.rb
@@ -60,4 +60,20 @@ RSpec.describe Backlogs::WorkPackageCardComponent, type: :component do
     expect(rendered_component).to have_element "include-fragment",
                                                src: menu_src
   end
+
+  it "supports inline menu items through the menu slot" do
+    rendered = render_inline(described_class.new(work_package:, menu_src:)) do |card|
+      card.with_menu(button_aria_label: "Backlogs card actions") do |menu|
+        menu.with_item(label: "Open", href: "/work_packages/#{work_package.id}")
+      end
+    end
+
+    expect(rendered).to have_link "Open", href: "/work_packages/#{work_package.id}"
+    expect(rendered).to have_button(
+      "work_package_#{work_package.id}_menu-button",
+      accessible_name: "Backlogs card actions"
+    )
+    expect(rendered).to have_no_element "include-fragment"
+    expect(rendered).to have_text("5 points", normalize_ws: true)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component_spec.rb b/spec/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component_spec.rb
index d9034a3ea84..66778329f50 100644
--- a/spec/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/open_project/common/work_package_card_component_spec.rb
@@ -96,5 +96,34 @@ RSpec.describe OpenProject::Common::WorkPackageCardComponent, type: :component d
     it "uses the provided menu src" do
       expect(rendered_component).to have_element "include-fragment", src: menu_src
     end
+
+    it "supports inline menu items through the menu slot" do
+      rendered = render_inline(component) do |card|
+        card.with_menu(button_aria_label: "Card actions") do |menu|
+          menu.with_item(label: "Open", href: "/work_packages/#{work_package.id}")
+        end
+      end
+
+      expect(rendered).to have_link "Open", href: "/work_packages/#{work_package.id}"
+      expect(rendered).to have_button(menu_button_id, accessible_name: "Card actions")
+      expect(rendered).to have_no_element "include-fragment"
+    end
+
+    it "supports deferred menu loading through the menu slot" do
+      rendered = render_inline(described_class.new(work_package:)) do |card|
+        card.with_menu(src: menu_src)
+      end
+
+      expect(rendered).to have_element "include-fragment", src: menu_src
+    end
+
+    it "uses the menu slot before the initializer menu source" do
+      rendered = render_inline(component) do |card|
+        card.with_menu(src: "/slot-menu")
+      end
+
+      expect(rendered).to have_element "include-fragment", src: "/slot-menu"
+      expect(rendered).to have_no_element "include-fragment", src: menu_src
+    end
   end
 end