diff --git a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_options.js b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_options.js
index fb6a28e12..d20f1d764 100644
--- a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_options.js
+++ b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_options.js
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ test("stack", function() {
 });
 
 test("title", function() {
-	expect(5);
+	expect(9);
 
 	function titleText() {
 		return dlg().find(".ui-dialog-title").html();
@@ -377,18 +377,22 @@ test("title", function() {
 
 	el = $('<div></div>').dialog();
 		equals(titleText(), "&nbsp;", "[default]");
+		equals(el.dialog("option", "title"), "", "option not changed");
 	el.remove();
 
 	el = $('<div title="foo"/>').dialog();
 		equals(titleText(), "foo", "title in element attribute");
+		equals(el.dialog("option", "title"), "foo", "option updated from attribute");
 	el.remove();
 
 	el = $('<div></div>').dialog({ title: 'foo' });
 		equals(titleText(), "foo", "title in init options");
+		equals(el.dialog("option", "title"), "foo", "opiton set from options hash");
 	el.remove();
 
 	el = $('<div title="foo"/>').dialog({ title: 'bar' });
 		equals(titleText(), "bar", "title in init options should override title in element attribute");
+		equals(el.dialog("option", "title"), "bar", "opiton set from options hash");
 	el.remove();
 
 	el = $('<div></div>').dialog().dialog('option', 'title', 'foo');
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
index 1f3bd60f0..ff2375164 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
@@ -67,10 +67,11 @@ $.widget("ui.dialog", {
 			this.originalTitle = "";
 		}
 
+		this.options.title = this.options.title || this.originalTitle;
 		var self = this,
 			options = self.options,
 
-			title = options.title || self.originalTitle || '&#160;',
+			title = options.title || '&#160;',
 			titleId = $.ui.dialog.getTitleId(self.element),
 
 			uiDialog = (self.uiDialog = $('<div></div>'))