diff --git a/src/wp-includes/nav-menu.php b/src/wp-includes/nav-menu.php
index 9261a4a5c5713..547ca7f709ac2 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/nav-menu.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/nav-menu.php
@@ -436,20 +436,22 @@ function wp_update_nav_menu_item( $menu_id = 0, $menu_item_db_id = 0, $menu_item
 	}
 
 	$defaults = array(
-		'menu-item-db-id'       => $menu_item_db_id,
-		'menu-item-object-id'   => 0,
-		'menu-item-object'      => '',
-		'menu-item-parent-id'   => 0,
-		'menu-item-position'    => 0,
-		'menu-item-type'        => 'custom',
-		'menu-item-title'       => '',
-		'menu-item-url'         => '',
-		'menu-item-description' => '',
-		'menu-item-attr-title'  => '',
-		'menu-item-target'      => '',
-		'menu-item-classes'     => '',
-		'menu-item-xfn'         => '',
-		'menu-item-status'      => '',
+		'menu-item-db-id'         => $menu_item_db_id,
+		'menu-item-object-id'     => 0,
+		'menu-item-object'        => '',
+		'menu-item-parent-id'     => 0,
+		'menu-item-position'      => 0,
+		'menu-item-type'          => 'custom',
+		'menu-item-title'         => '',
+		'menu-item-url'           => '',
+		'menu-item-description'   => '',
+		'menu-item-attr-title'    => '',
+		'menu-item-target'        => '',
+		'menu-item-classes'       => '',
+		'menu-item-xfn'           => '',
+		'menu-item-status'        => '',
+		'menu-item-post-date'     => '',
+		'menu-item-post-date-gmt' => '',
 	);
 
 	$args = wp_parse_args( $menu_item_data, $defaults );
@@ -513,6 +515,11 @@ function wp_update_nav_menu_item( $menu_id = 0, $menu_item_db_id = 0, $menu_item
 		'post_type'    => 'nav_menu_item',
 	);
 
+	$post_date = wp_resolve_post_date( $args['menu-item-post-date'], $args['menu-item-post-date-gmt'] );
+	if ( $post_date ) {
+		$post['post_date'] = $post_date;
+	}
+
 	$update = 0 != $menu_item_db_id;
 
 	// New menu item. Default is draft status.
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/post/nav-menu.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/post/nav-menu.php
index e242066fb2cd1..284267f60d3d7 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/post/nav-menu.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/post/nav-menu.php
@@ -992,4 +992,153 @@ function test_wp_update_nav_menu_item_with_special_characters_in_category_name()
 		$category_item = get_post( $category_item_id );
 		$this->assertEmpty( $category_item->post_title );
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test passed post_date/post_date_gmt.
+	 *
+	 * When inserting a nav menu item, it should be possible to set the post_date
+	 * of it to ensure that this data is maintained during an import.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 52189
+	 */
+	function test_wp_update_nav_menu_item_with_post_date() {
+		$post_date     = '2020-12-28 11:26:35';
+		$post_date_gmt = '2020-12-29 10:11:45';
+		$invalid_date  = '2020-12-41 14:15:27';
+
+		$post_id = self::factory()->post->create(
+			array(
+				'post_status' => 'publish',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$menu_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item(
+			$this->menu_id,
+			0,
+			array(
+				'menu-item-type'      => 'post_type',
+				'menu-item-object'    => 'post',
+				'menu-item-object-id' => $post_id,
+				'menu-item-status'    => 'publish',
+			)
+		);
+		$post = get_post( $menu_item_id );
+		$this->assertEqualsWithDelta( strtotime( date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' ) ), strtotime( $post->post_date ), 2, 'The dates should be equal' );
+
+		$menu_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item(
+			$this->menu_id,
+			0,
+			array(
+				'menu-item-type'          => 'post_type',
+				'menu-item-object'        => 'post',
+				'menu-item-object-id'     => $post_id,
+				'menu-item-status'        => 'publish',
+				'menu-item-post-date-gmt' => $post_date_gmt,
+			)
+		);
+		$post = get_post( $menu_item_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( get_date_from_gmt( $post_date_gmt ), $post->post_date );
+
+		$menu_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item(
+			$this->menu_id,
+			0,
+			array(
+				'menu-item-type'          => 'post_type',
+				'menu-item-object'        => 'post',
+				'menu-item-object-id'     => $post_id,
+				'menu-item-status'        => 'publish',
+				'menu-item-post-date-gmt' => $invalid_date,
+			)
+		);
+		$post = get_post( $menu_item_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( '1970-01-01 00:00:00', $post->post_date );
+
+		$menu_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item(
+			$this->menu_id,
+			0,
+			array(
+				'menu-item-type'      => 'post_type',
+				'menu-item-object'    => 'post',
+				'menu-item-object-id' => $post_id,
+				'menu-item-status'    => 'publish',
+				'menu-item-post-date' => $post_date,
+			)
+		);
+		$post = get_post( $menu_item_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( $post_date, $post->post_date );
+
+		$menu_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item(
+			$this->menu_id,
+			0,
+			array(
+				'menu-item-type'          => 'post_type',
+				'menu-item-object'        => 'post',
+				'menu-item-object-id'     => $post_id,
+				'menu-item-status'        => 'publish',
+				'menu-item-post-date'     => $post_date,
+				'menu-item-post-date-gmt' => $post_date_gmt,
+			)
+		);
+		$post = get_post( $menu_item_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( $post_date, $post->post_date );
+
+		$menu_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item(
+			$this->menu_id,
+			0,
+			array(
+				'menu-item-type'          => 'post_type',
+				'menu-item-object'        => 'post',
+				'menu-item-object-id'     => $post_id,
+				'menu-item-status'        => 'publish',
+				'menu-item-post-date'     => $post_date,
+				'menu-item-post-date-gmt' => $invalid_date,
+			)
+		);
+		$post = get_post( $menu_item_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( $post_date, $post->post_date );
+
+		$menu_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item(
+			$this->menu_id,
+			0,
+			array(
+				'menu-item-type'      => 'post_type',
+				'menu-item-object'    => 'post',
+				'menu-item-object-id' => $post_id,
+				'menu-item-status'    => 'publish',
+				'menu-item-post-date' => $invalid_date,
+			)
+		);
+		$post = get_post( $menu_item_id );
+		$this->assertEqualsWithDelta( strtotime( date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' ) ), strtotime( $post->post_date ), 2, 'The dates should be equal' );
+
+		$menu_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item(
+			$this->menu_id,
+			0,
+			array(
+				'menu-item-type'          => 'post_type',
+				'menu-item-object'        => 'post',
+				'menu-item-object-id'     => $post_id,
+				'menu-item-status'        => 'publish',
+				'menu-item-post-date'     => $invalid_date,
+				'menu-item-post-date-gmt' => $post_date_gmt,
+			)
+		);
+		$post = get_post( $menu_item_id );
+		$this->assertEqualsWithDelta( strtotime( date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' ) ), strtotime( $post->post_date ), 2, 'The dates should be equal' );
+
+		$menu_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item(
+			$this->menu_id,
+			0,
+			array(
+				'menu-item-type'          => 'post_type',
+				'menu-item-object'        => 'post',
+				'menu-item-object-id'     => $post_id,
+				'menu-item-status'        => 'publish',
+				'menu-item-post-date'     => $invalid_date,
+				'menu-item-post-date-gmt' => $invalid_date,
+			)
+		);
+		$post = get_post( $menu_item_id );
+		$this->assertEqualsWithDelta( strtotime( date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' ) ), strtotime( $post->post_date ), 2, 'The dates should be equal' );
+	}
 }