--- a/development-bundle/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
+++ b/development-bundle/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
@@ -179,9 +179,9 @@
 			uiDialogTitle = $('<span></span>')
 				.addClass('ui-dialog-title')
 				.attr('id', titleId)
-				.html(title)
 				.prependTo(uiDialogTitlebar);
-
+                        this._title( uiDialogTitle );
+            
 		//handling of deprecated beforeclose (vs beforeClose) option
 		//Ticket #4669 http://dev.jqueryui.com/ticket/4669
 		//TODO: remove in 1.9pre
@@ -206,6 +206,13 @@
 		}
 	},
 
+        _title: function( title ) {
+                if ( !this.options.title ) {
+                        title.html( "&#160;" );
+                }
+                title.text( this.options.title );
+         },
+    
 	_init: function() {
 		if ( this.options.autoOpen ) {
 			this.open();
--- a/development-bundle/ui/jquery-ui-1.8.21.custom.js
+++ b/development-bundle/ui/jquery-ui-1.8.21.custom.js
@@ -6179,9 +6179,9 @@
 			uiDialogTitle = $('<span></span>')
 				.addClass('ui-dialog-title')
 				.attr('id', titleId)
-				.html(title)
 				.prependTo(uiDialogTitlebar);
-
+                        this._title( uiDialogTitlebar );
+            
 		//handling of deprecated beforeclose (vs beforeClose) option
 		//Ticket #4669 http://dev.jqueryui.com/ticket/4669
 		//TODO: remove in 1.9pre
@@ -6206,7 +6206,14 @@
 		}
 	},
 
-	_init: function() {
+	_title: function( title ) {
+		if ( !this.options.title ) {
+			title.html( "&#160;" );
+		}
+		title.text( this.options.title );
+	},
+
+        _init: function() {
 		if ( this.options.autoOpen ) {
 			this.open();
 		}
@@ -6640,7 +6647,7 @@
 				break;
 			case "title":
 				// convert whatever was passed in o a string, for html() to not throw up
-				$(".ui-dialog-title", self.uiDialogTitlebar).html("" + (value || '&#160;'));
+		                this._title( this.uiDialogTitlebar.find( ".ui-dialog-title" ) );
 				break;
 		}