diff --git a/src/Plugin/Block/MenuBlock.php b/src/Plugin/Block/MenuBlock.php
index 5c58b37..12758d5 100644
--- a/src/Plugin/Block/MenuBlock.php
+++ b/src/Plugin/Block/MenuBlock.php
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityTypeManagerInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Form\FormStateInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Menu\MenuActiveTrailInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Menu\MenuLinkTreeInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Menu\MenuTreeParameters;
 use Drupal\system\Entity\Menu;
 use Drupal\system\Plugin\Block\SystemMenuBlock;
 use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerInterface;
@@ -68,7 +69,8 @@ class MenuBlock extends SystemMenuBlock {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getConfiguration() {
-    $this->setConfigurationValue('label', $this->blockLabel());
+    $label = $this->blockLabel() ?: $this->label();
+    $this->setConfigurationValue('label', $label);
     return $this->configuration;
   }
 
@@ -352,10 +354,9 @@ class MenuBlock extends SystemMenuBlock {
    */
   protected function getActiveItemTitle() {
     $active_trail_ids = $this->getDerivativeActiveTrailIds();
-
     if ($active_trail_ids) {
       return $this->getLinkTitleFromLink(reset($active_trail_ids));
-    }
+    };
 
     return '';
   }
@@ -401,7 +402,7 @@ class MenuBlock extends SystemMenuBlock {
    * @return array
    *   The active trail.
    */
-  private function getDerivativeActiveTrailIds() {
+  protected function getDerivativeActiveTrailIds() {
     $menu_id = $this->getDerivativeId();
     return array_filter($this->menuActiveTrail->getActiveTrailIds($menu_id));
   }
@@ -415,34 +416,35 @@ class MenuBlock extends SystemMenuBlock {
    * @return string
    *   The given item title or empty string.
    */
-  private function getLinkTitleFromLink($link_id) {
-    list($entity_type, $entity_uuid) = explode(':', $link_id);
-
-    try {
-      $entity_query = $this->entityTypeManager->getStorage($entity_type)
-        ->getQuery('AND');
-    }
-    catch (\Exception $e) {
-      return '';
+  protected function getLinkTitleFromLink($link_id) {
+    $parameters = new MenuTreeParameters();
+    $menu = $this->menuTree->load($this->getDerivativeId(), $parameters);
+    if($link = $this->findLinkInTree($menu, $link_id)){
+      return $link->link->getTitle();
     }
+  }
 
-    $entity_query->condition('uuid', $entity_uuid);
-    $parent_ids = $entity_query->execute();
-
-    if ($parent_ids) {
-      $parent_id = reset($parent_ids);
-      try {
-        $parent = $this->entityTypeManager->getStorage('menu_link_content')
-          ->load($parent_id);
-      }
-      catch (\Exception $e) {
-        return '';
+  /**
+   * Find and return the menu link item from the menu tree.
+   *
+   * @param array $menu_tree
+   *   Array of menu link id's and its subtree.
+   * @param string $link_id
+   *   Menu link id.
+   *
+   * @return \Drupal\Core\Menu\MenuLinkTreeElement|bool
+   */
+  protected function findLinkInTree(array $menu_tree, $link_id){
+    if(isset($menu_tree[$link_id])){
+      return $menu_tree[$link_id];
+    }
+    /** @var \Drupal\Core\Menu\MenuLinkTreeElement $link */
+    foreach ($menu_tree as $uuid => $link) {
+      if ($link = $this->findLinkInTree($link->subtree, $link_id)) {
+        return $link;
       }
-
-      return $parent->getTitle();
     }
-
-    return '';
+    return FALSE;
   }
 
 }