diff --git a/packages/react/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/storyshots.test.js.snap b/packages/react/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/storyshots.test.js.snap
index 4d67576bb19..a59cc30f224 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/storyshots.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/react/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/storyshots.test.js.snap
@@ -56874,6 +56874,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Dotcom Shell With L1 1`] = `
                   "hasMenu": false,
                   "menuSections": Array [],
                   "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                  "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                   "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
                 },
               ],
@@ -57245,6 +57246,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Dotcom Shell With L1 1`] = `
                       "hasMenu": false,
                       "menuSections": Array [],
                       "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                      "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                       "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
                     },
                   ],
@@ -57568,6 +57570,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Dotcom Shell With L1 1`] = `
                   "hasMenu": false,
                   "menuSections": Array [],
                   "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                  "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                   "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
                 },
               ],
@@ -57886,6 +57889,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Dotcom Shell With L1 1`] = `
                   "hasMenu": false,
                   "menuSections": Array [],
                   "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                  "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                   "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
                 },
               ],
@@ -58549,6 +58553,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Dotcom Shell With L1 1`] = `
                           "hasMenu": false,
                           "menuSections": Array [],
                           "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                          "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                           "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
                         },
                       ]
@@ -114443,6 +114448,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Masthead With Custom Navigation 1`] = `
               "hasMenu": false,
               "menuSections": Array [],
               "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+              "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
               "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
             },
           ],
@@ -114811,6 +114817,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Masthead With Custom Navigation 1`] = `
                   "hasMenu": false,
                   "menuSections": Array [],
                   "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                  "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                   "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
                 },
               ],
@@ -115132,6 +115139,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Masthead With Custom Navigation 1`] = `
               "hasMenu": false,
               "menuSections": Array [],
               "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+              "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
               "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
             },
           ]
@@ -115565,6 +115573,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Masthead With Custom Navigation 1`] = `
                               "hasMenu": false,
                               "menuSections": Array [],
                               "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                              "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                               "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
                             },
                           ]
@@ -117554,6 +117563,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Masthead With L 1 1`] = `
                 "hasMenu": false,
                 "menuSections": Array [],
                 "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                 "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
               },
             ],
@@ -117923,6 +117933,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Masthead With L 1 1`] = `
                     "hasMenu": false,
                     "menuSections": Array [],
                     "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                    "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                     "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
                   },
                 ],
@@ -118244,6 +118255,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Masthead With L 1 1`] = `
                 "hasMenu": false,
                 "menuSections": Array [],
                 "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                 "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
               },
             ],
@@ -118907,6 +118919,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Components|Masthead With L 1 1`] = `
                         "hasMenu": false,
                         "menuSections": Array [],
                         "title": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
+                        "titleEnglish": "Sed cursus ante dapibus diam",
                         "url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen",
                       },
                     ]
diff --git a/packages/react/src/components/Masthead/MastheadLeftNav.js b/packages/react/src/components/Masthead/MastheadLeftNav.js
index 16cfc528005..1db9abafe08 100755
--- a/packages/react/src/components/Masthead/MastheadLeftNav.js
+++ b/packages/react/src/components/Masthead/MastheadLeftNav.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * Copyright IBM Corp. 2016, 2020
+ * Copyright IBM Corp. 2016, 2021
  *
  * This source code is licensed under the Apache-2.0 license found in the
  * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ const MastheadLeftNav = ({
    * @returns {*} Left side navigation
    */
   const sideNav = navigation.map((link, i) => {
+    const selected = rest.selectedMenuItem === link.titleEnglish;
     if (link.hasMenu || link.hasMegaPanel) {
       const autoid = `${stablePrefix}--masthead-${rest.navType}-sidenav__l0-nav${i}`;
       const dataTitle = link.titleEnglish
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ const MastheadLeftNav = ({
               backButtonText={backButtonText}
               key={i}
               autoid={autoid}
-              selected={rest.selectedMenuItem === link.titleEnglish}
+              selected={selected}
               navType={rest.navType}
               dataTitle={dataTitle}>
               {renderNavSections(
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ const MastheadLeftNav = ({
           backButtonText={backButtonText}
           key={i}
           autoid={autoid}
-          selected={rest.selectedMenuItem === link.titleEnglish}
+          selected={selected}
           navType={rest.navType}
           dataTitle={dataTitle}>
           {renderNavSections(
@@ -102,8 +103,7 @@ const MastheadLeftNav = ({
             <SideNavLink
               href={link.url}
               className={
-                rest.selected &&
-                `${prefix}--masthead__side-nav--submemu--selected`
+                selected && `${prefix}--masthead__side-nav--submemu--selected`
               }
               data-autoid={`${stablePrefix}--masthead-${rest.navType}-sidenav__l0-nav${i}`}
               key={i}>
@@ -127,8 +127,7 @@ const MastheadLeftNav = ({
         <SideNavLink
           href={link.url}
           className={
-            rest.selectedMenuItem === link.titleEnglish &&
-            `${prefix}--masthead__side-nav--submemu--selected`
+            selected && `${prefix}--masthead__side-nav--submemu--selected`
           }
           data-autoid={`${stablePrefix}--masthead-${rest.navType}-sidenav__l0-nav${i}`}
           key={i}>
diff --git a/packages/react/src/components/Masthead/__stories__/data/MastheadLinks.js b/packages/react/src/components/Masthead/__stories__/data/MastheadLinks.js
index 46961fc2a36..860ced8e51e 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/components/Masthead/__stories__/data/MastheadLinks.js
+++ b/packages/react/src/components/Masthead/__stories__/data/MastheadLinks.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * Copyright IBM Corp. 2020
+ * Copyright IBM Corp. 2020, 2021
  *
  * This source code is licensed under the Apache-2.0 license found in the
  * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
@@ -344,6 +344,7 @@ const mastheadLinks = [
   },
   {
     title: 'Sed cursus ante dapibus diam',
+    titleEnglish: 'Sed cursus ante dapibus diam',
     url: 'https://www.ibm.com/support/home/?lnk=msu_usen',
     hasMenu: false,
     hasMegapanel: false,
diff --git a/packages/styles/scss/components/masthead/_masthead-leftnav.scss b/packages/styles/scss/components/masthead/_masthead-leftnav.scss
index 88bac9d0b02..f9b53f075d2 100644
--- a/packages/styles/scss/components/masthead/_masthead-leftnav.scss
+++ b/packages/styles/scss/components/masthead/_masthead-leftnav.scss
@@ -242,7 +242,8 @@
   .#{$prefix}--masthead__side-nav--submemu--selected {
     border-left: 3px solid $interactive-01;
 
-    .#{$prefix}--side-nav__submenu-title {
+    .#{$prefix}--side-nav__submenu-title,
+    &.#{$prefix}--side-nav__link .#{$prefix}--side-nav__link-text {
       font-weight: carbon--font-weight('semibold');
     }
   }