diff --git a/video/out/cocoa_common.m b/video/out/cocoa_common.m
index 9f03cd8d48..1c5c3a5e25 100644
--- a/video/out/cocoa_common.m
+++ b/video/out/cocoa_common.m
@@ -235,7 +235,9 @@ static void vo_set_level(struct vo *vo, int ontop)
 {
     struct vo_cocoa_state *s = vo->cocoa;
     if (ontop) {
-        s->window_level = NSNormalWindowLevel + 1;
+        // +1 is not enough as that will show the icon layer on top of the
+        // menubar when the application is not frontmost. so use +2
+        s->window_level = NSMainMenuWindowLevel + 2;
     } else {
         s->window_level = NSNormalWindowLevel;
     }