Why do menus get updated when importing a dashboard

We exported a user created dashboard which was deployed to a user created menu. When we imported it to a different database, our menus were completely modified. It was as if the menus were exported/imported with the dashboards. Is this what happens? Why? How do we prevent this or get around the issue. We don’t want to lose the menus.

Just curious, export/import was thru standard dashboard maintenance interface?
And going from one system to another… e.g. test to live?

One way around that is to use Solution Workbench to export/import the dashboard

Yes. Exactly.