diff --git a/tests/dialog.js b/tests/dialog.js
index 56be158b6..5cd1f1250 100644
--- a/tests/dialog.js
+++ b/tests/dialog.js
@@ -376,9 +376,9 @@ test("stack", function() {
 test("title", function() {
 	expect(4);
 	function titleText() {
-		return dlg().find(".ui-dialog-title").text();
+		return dlg().find(".ui-dialog-title").html();
 	}
-	el = $('<div/>').dialog(); equals(titleText(), "", "[default]"); el.remove();
+	el = $('<div/>').dialog(); equals(titleText(), "&nbsp;", "[default]"); el.remove();
 	el = $('<div title="foo"/>').dialog(); equals(titleText(), "foo", "title in element attribute"); el.remove();
 	el = $('<div/>').dialog({ title: 'foo' }); equals(titleText(), "foo", "title in init options"); el.remove();
 	el = $('<div title="foo"/>').dialog({ title: 'bar' }); equals(titleText(), "bar", "title in init options should override title in element attribute"); el.remove();
diff --git a/ui/ui.dialog.js b/ui/ui.dialog.js
index 72091e89d..42a06daa5 100644
--- a/ui/ui.dialog.js
+++ b/ui/ui.dialog.js
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ $.widget("ui.dialog", {
 				this.uiDialog.resizable(value ? 'enable' : 'disable');
 				break;
 			case "title":
-				$(".ui-dialog-title", this.uiDialogTitlebar).text(value);
+				$(".ui-dialog-title", this.uiDialogTitlebar).html(value || '&nbsp;');
 				break;
 			case "width":
 				this.uiDialog.width(value);