diff --git a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_common.js b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_common.js
index fb29838b7..47fff1013 100644
--- a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_common.js
+++ b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_common.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ TestHelpers.commonWidgetTests( "dialog", {
 		},
 		resizable: true,
 		show: null,
-		title: '',
+		title: null,
 		width: 300,
 
 		// callbacks
diff --git a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_options.js b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_options.js
index 331230318..899dc1df6 100644
--- a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_options.js
+++ b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_options.js
@@ -415,37 +415,45 @@ test("resizable", function() {
 	el.remove();
 });
 
-test("title", function() {
-	expect(9);
+test( "title", function() {
+	expect( 11 );
 
 	function titleText() {
-		return el.dialog('widget').find(".ui-dialog-title").html();
+		return el.dialog('widget').find( ".ui-dialog-title" ).html();
 	}
 
-	var el = $('<div></div>').dialog();
+	var el = $( '<div></div>' ).dialog();
 		// some browsers return a non-breaking space and some return "&nbsp;"
 		// so we generate a non-breaking space for comparison
-		equal(titleText(), $( "<span>&#160;</span>" ).html(), "[default]");
-		equal(el.dialog("option", "title"), "", "option not changed");
+		equal( titleText(), $( "<span>&#160;</span>" ).html(), "[default]" );
+		equal( el.dialog( "option", "title" ), null, "option not changed" );
 	el.remove();
 
-	el = $('<div title="foo">').dialog();
-		equal(titleText(), "foo", "title in element attribute");
-		equal(el.dialog("option", "title"), "foo", "option updated from attribute");
+	el = $( '<div title="foo">' ).dialog();
+		equal( titleText(), "foo", "title in element attribute" );
+		equal( el.dialog( "option", "title"), "foo", "option updated from attribute" );
 	el.remove();
 
-	el = $('<div></div>').dialog({ title: 'foo' });
-		equal(titleText(), "foo", "title in init options");
-		equal(el.dialog("option", "title"), "foo", "opiton set from options hash");
+	el = $( '<div></div>' ).dialog({ title: 'foo' });
+		equal( titleText(), "foo", "title in init options" );
+		equal( el.dialog("option", "title"), "foo", "opiton set from options hash" );
 	el.remove();
 
-	el = $('<div title="foo">').dialog({ title: 'bar' });
-		equal(titleText(), "bar", "title in init options should override title in element attribute");
-		equal(el.dialog("option", "title"), "bar", "opiton set from options hash");
+	el = $( '<div title="foo">' ).dialog({ title: 'bar' });
+		equal( titleText(), "bar", "title in init options should override title in element attribute" );
+		equal( el.dialog("option", "title"), "bar", "opiton set from options hash" );
 	el.remove();
 
-	el = $('<div></div>').dialog().dialog('option', 'title', 'foo');
-		equal(titleText(), 'foo', 'title after init');
+	el = $( '<div></div>' ).dialog().dialog( 'option', 'title', 'foo' );
+		equal( titleText(), 'foo', 'title after init' );
+	el.remove();
+
+	// make sure attroperties are properly ignored - #5742 - .attr() might return a DOMElement
+	el = $( '<form><input name="title"></form>' ).dialog();
+		// some browsers return a non-breaking space and some return "&nbsp;"
+		// so we get the text to normalize to the actual non-breaking space
+		equal( titleText(), $( "<span>&#160;</span>" ).html(), "[default]" );
+		equal( el.dialog( "option", "title" ), null, "option not changed" );
 	el.remove();
 });
 
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
index ab32219c2..451203cae 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ $.widget("ui.dialog", {
 		},
 		resizable: true,
 		show: null,
-		title: "",
+		title: null,
 		width: 300,
 
 		// callbacks
@@ -85,16 +85,11 @@ $.widget("ui.dialog", {
 
 	_create: function() {
 		this.originalTitle = this.element.attr( "title" );
-		// #5742 - .attr() might return a DOMElement
-		// TODO WTF?
-		if ( typeof this.originalTitle !== "string" ) {
-			this.originalTitle = "";
-		}
+		this.options.title = this.options.title || this.originalTitle;
 		this.oldPosition = {
 			parent: this.element.parent(),
 			index: this.element.parent().children().index( this.element )
 		};
-		this.options.title = this.options.title || this.originalTitle;
 		var that = this,
 			options = this.options,