diff --git a/packages/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.d.ts b/packages/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.d.ts
index 2e64c69a642..f5fc81b40b2 100644
--- a/packages/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.d.ts
+++ b/packages/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.d.ts
@@ -42,12 +42,6 @@ export class TooltipController extends SlotController {
    */
   manual: boolean;
 
-  /**
-   * When true, the tooltip is opened programmatically.
-   * Only works if `manual` is set to `true`.
-   */
-  opened: boolean;
-
   /**
    * Position of the tooltip with respect to its target.
    */
@@ -74,11 +68,6 @@ export class TooltipController extends SlotController {
    */
   setManual(manual: boolean): void;
 
-  /**
-   * Toggle opened state on the slotted tooltip.
-   */
-  setOpened(opened: boolean): void;
-
   /**
    * Set default position for the slotted tooltip.
    * This can be overridden by setting the position
@@ -96,4 +85,18 @@ export class TooltipController extends SlotController {
    * Set an HTML element to attach the tooltip to.
    */
   setTarget(target: HTMLElement): void;
+
+  /**
+   * Schedule opening the slotted tooltip. Respects the tooltip's
+   * configured `hoverDelay` / `focusDelay` and the shared warm-up state.
+   * No-op when no tooltip is slotted.
+   */
+  open(options?: { hover?: boolean; focus?: boolean; immediate?: boolean }): void;
+
+  /**
+   * Schedule closing the slotted tooltip. Respects the tooltip's
+   * configured `hideDelay` unless `immediate` is true.
+   * No-op when no tooltip is slotted.
+   */
+  close(immediate?: boolean): void;
 }
diff --git a/packages/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.js b/packages/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.js
index 78369425927..a45822b2e20 100644
--- a/packages/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.js
+++ b/packages/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.js
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@ export class TooltipController extends SlotController {
       tooltipNode.manual = this.manual;
     }
 
-    if (this.opened !== undefined) {
-      tooltipNode.opened = this.opened;
-    }
-
     if (this.position !== undefined) {
       tooltipNode._position = this.position;
     }
@@ -113,19 +109,6 @@ export class TooltipController extends SlotController {
     }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Toggle opened state on the slotted tooltip.
-   * @param {boolean} opened
-   */
-  setOpened(opened) {
-    this.opened = opened;
-
-    const tooltipNode = this.node;
-    if (tooltipNode) {
-      tooltipNode.opened = opened;
-    }
-  }
-
   /**
    * Set default position for the slotted tooltip.
    * This can be overridden by setting the position
@@ -168,6 +151,34 @@ export class TooltipController extends SlotController {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Schedule opening the slotted tooltip. Respects the tooltip's
+   * configured `hoverDelay` / `focusDelay` and the shared warm-up state.
+   * No-op when no tooltip is slotted.
+   *
+   * @param {{ hover?: boolean, focus?: boolean, immediate?: boolean }} [options]
+   */
+  open(options) {
+    const tooltipNode = this.node;
+    if (tooltipNode && tooltipNode.isConnected) {
+      tooltipNode._stateController.open(options);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Schedule closing the slotted tooltip. Respects the tooltip's
+   * configured `hideDelay` unless `immediate` is true.
+   * No-op when no tooltip is slotted.
+   *
+   * @param {boolean} [immediate]
+   */
+  close(immediate) {
+    const tooltipNode = this.node;
+    if (tooltipNode) {
+      tooltipNode._stateController.close(immediate);
+    }
+  }
+
   /** @private */
   __onContentChange(event) {
     this.__notifyChange(event.target);
diff --git a/packages/component-base/test/tooltip-controller.test.js b/packages/component-base/test/tooltip-controller.test.js
index 762f73cd42b..3452d2c8419 100644
--- a/packages/component-base/test/tooltip-controller.test.js
+++ b/packages/component-base/test/tooltip-controller.test.js
@@ -55,14 +55,6 @@ describe('TooltipController', () => {
       expect(tooltip.manual).to.be.false;
     });
 
-    it('should update tooltip opened using controller setOpened method', () => {
-      controller.setOpened(true);
-      expect(tooltip.opened).to.be.true;
-
-      controller.setOpened(false);
-      expect(tooltip.opened).to.be.false;
-    });
-
     it('should update tooltip shouldShow using controller shouldShow method', () => {
       const shouldShow = () => true;
       controller.setShouldShow(shouldShow);
@@ -85,6 +77,25 @@ describe('TooltipController', () => {
       controller.setAriaTarget(input);
       expect(tooltip.ariaTarget).to.equal(input);
     });
+
+    it('should delegate open to the tooltip state controller', () => {
+      tooltip._stateController = { open: sinon.spy(), close: sinon.spy() };
+      controller.open({ hover: true });
+      expect(tooltip._stateController.open).to.be.calledOnceWith({ hover: true });
+    });
+
+    it('should not open the tooltip state controller when the tooltip is disconnected', () => {
+      tooltip._stateController = { open: sinon.spy(), close: sinon.spy() };
+      tooltip.remove();
+      controller.open({ hover: true });
+      expect(tooltip._stateController.open).to.be.not.called;
+    });
+
+    it('should delegate close to the tooltip state controller', () => {
+      tooltip._stateController = { open: sinon.spy(), close: sinon.spy() };
+      controller.close(true);
+      expect(tooltip._stateController.close).to.be.calledOnceWith(true);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('lazy tooltip', () => {
@@ -139,18 +150,6 @@ describe('TooltipController', () => {
       expect(tooltip.manual).to.be.false;
     });
 
-    it('should update lazy tooltip opened using controller setOpened method', async () => {
-      controller.setOpened(true);
-
-      host.appendChild(tooltip);
-      await nextFrame();
-
-      expect(tooltip.opened).to.be.true;
-
-      controller.setOpened(false);
-      expect(tooltip.opened).to.be.false;
-    });
-
     it('should update lazy tooltip shouldShow using controller shouldShow method', async () => {
       const shouldShow = () => true;
       controller.setShouldShow(shouldShow);
@@ -238,5 +237,13 @@ describe('TooltipController', () => {
       await nextFrame();
       expect(host.hasAttribute('has-tooltip')).to.be.false;
     });
+
+    it('should not throw when calling open before a tooltip is slotted', () => {
+      expect(() => controller.open({ hover: true })).to.not.throw();
+    });
+
+    it('should not throw when calling close before a tooltip is slotted', () => {
+      expect(() => controller.close(true)).to.not.throw();
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/grid/src/vaadin-grid-mixin.js b/packages/grid/src/vaadin-grid-mixin.js
index 47a5298fab6..7b820ce7309 100644
--- a/packages/grid/src/vaadin-grid-mixin.js
+++ b/packages/grid/src/vaadin-grid-mixin.js
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ export const GridMixin = (superClass) =>
         this._tooltipController.setContext(this.getEventContext(event));
 
         // Trigger opening using the corresponding delay.
-        tooltip._stateController.open({
+        this._tooltipController.open({
           focus: event.type === 'focusin',
           hover: event.type === 'mouseenter',
         });
@@ -918,10 +918,7 @@ export const GridMixin = (superClass) =>
 
     /** @protected */
     _hideTooltip(immediate) {
-      const tooltip = this._tooltipController && this._tooltipController.node;
-      if (tooltip) {
-        tooltip._stateController.close(immediate);
-      }
+      this._tooltipController.close(immediate);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/packages/menu-bar/src/vaadin-menu-bar-mixin.js b/packages/menu-bar/src/vaadin-menu-bar-mixin.js
index c2c09e21abc..07eedf318df 100644
--- a/packages/menu-bar/src/vaadin-menu-bar-mixin.js
+++ b/packages/menu-bar/src/vaadin-menu-bar-mixin.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { Debouncer } from '@vaadin/component-base/src/debounce.js';
 import { I18nMixin } from '@vaadin/component-base/src/i18n-mixin.js';
 import { ResizeMixin } from '@vaadin/component-base/src/resize-mixin.js';
 import { SlotController } from '@vaadin/component-base/src/slot-controller.js';
+import { TooltipController } from '@vaadin/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.js';
 
 /**
  * Custom Lit directive for rendering item components
@@ -310,12 +311,16 @@ export const MenuBarMixin = (superClass) =>
         },
       });
 
-      this.addController(this._subMenuController);
-      this.addController(this._overflowController);
+      this._tooltipController = new TooltipController(this);
+      this._tooltipController.setManual(true);
 
       this.addEventListener('mousedown', () => this._hideTooltip(true));
       this.addEventListener('mouseleave', () => this._hideTooltip());
 
+      this.addController(this._tooltipController);
+      this.addController(this._subMenuController);
+      this.addController(this._overflowController);
+
       this._container = this.shadowRoot.querySelector('[part="container"]');
     }
 
@@ -662,7 +667,7 @@ export const MenuBarMixin = (superClass) =>
           this._tooltipController.setContext({ item: button.item });
 
           // Trigger opening using the corresponding delay.
-          tooltip._stateController.open({
+          this._tooltipController.open({
             hover: isHover,
             focus: !isHover,
           });
@@ -672,11 +677,8 @@ export const MenuBarMixin = (superClass) =>
 
     /** @protected */
     _hideTooltip(immediate) {
-      const tooltip = this._tooltipController && this._tooltipController.node;
-      if (tooltip) {
-        this._tooltipController.setContext({ item: null });
-        tooltip._stateController.close(immediate);
-      }
+      this._tooltipController.setContext({ item: null });
+      this._tooltipController.close(immediate);
     }
 
     /** @private */
diff --git a/packages/menu-bar/src/vaadin-menu-bar.js b/packages/menu-bar/src/vaadin-menu-bar.js
index b0ce7fc53cd..d6f486eba9f 100644
--- a/packages/menu-bar/src/vaadin-menu-bar.js
+++ b/packages/menu-bar/src/vaadin-menu-bar.js
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import { html, LitElement } from 'lit';
 import { defineCustomElement } from '@vaadin/component-base/src/define.js';
 import { ElementMixin } from '@vaadin/component-base/src/element-mixin.js';
 import { PolylitMixin } from '@vaadin/component-base/src/polylit-mixin.js';
-import { TooltipController } from '@vaadin/component-base/src/tooltip-controller.js';
 import { LumoInjectionMixin } from '@vaadin/vaadin-themable-mixin/lumo-injection-mixin.js';
 import { ThemableMixin } from '@vaadin/vaadin-themable-mixin/vaadin-themable-mixin.js';
 import { menuBarStyles } from './styles/vaadin-menu-bar-base-styles.js';
@@ -97,15 +96,6 @@ class MenuBar extends MenuBarMixin(ElementMixin(ThemableMixin(PolylitMixin(LumoI
     `;
   }
 
-  /** @protected */
-  ready() {
-    super.ready();
-
-    this._tooltipController = new TooltipController(this);
-    this._tooltipController.setManual(true);
-    this.addController(this._tooltipController);
-  }
-
   /**
    * Fired when either a submenu item or menu bar button without nested children is clicked.
    *
diff --git a/test/integration/grid-tooltip.test.js b/test/integration/grid-tooltip.test.js
index 5c589b2a864..07389735a83 100644
--- a/test/integration/grid-tooltip.test.js
+++ b/test/integration/grid-tooltip.test.js
@@ -249,18 +249,6 @@ describe('tooltip', () => {
 
       expect(spy.calledOnce).to.be.false;
     });
-
-    it('should not set tooltip opened if there is no tooltip', async () => {
-      const spy = sinon.spy(grid._tooltipController, 'setOpened');
-
-      tooltip.remove();
-      await nextFrame();
-
-      const cell = getCell(grid, 0);
-      mouseenter(cell);
-
-      expect(spy.calledOnce).to.be.false;
-    });
   });
 
   describe('cell not fully visible', () => {
diff --git a/test/integration/menu-bar-tooltip.test.js b/test/integration/menu-bar-tooltip.test.js
index 226d05f4ebc..f56c7caf4a8 100644
--- a/test/integration/menu-bar-tooltip.test.js
+++ b/test/integration/menu-bar-tooltip.test.js
@@ -194,7 +194,6 @@ describe('menu-bar with tooltip', () => {
     it('should not set tooltip properties if there is no tooltip', async () => {
       const spyTarget = sinon.spy(menuBar._tooltipController, 'setTarget');
       const spyContent = sinon.spy(menuBar._tooltipController, 'setContext');
-      const spyOpened = sinon.spy(menuBar._tooltipController, 'setOpened');
 
       tooltip.remove();
       await nextRender();
@@ -203,7 +202,6 @@ describe('menu-bar with tooltip', () => {
 
       expect(spyTarget.called).to.be.false;
       expect(spyContent.called).to.be.false;
-      expect(spyOpened.called).to.be.false;
     });
 
     it('should not override a custom generator', () => {