diff --git a/src/reader.cpp b/src/reader.cpp
index e64f4c550..c7b0c3204 100644
--- a/src/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/reader.cpp
@@ -102,6 +102,9 @@
 /// The name of the function for getting the input mode indicator.
 #define MODE_PROMPT_FUNCTION_NAME L"fish_mode_prompt"
 
+/// The default title for the reader. This is used by reader_readline.
+#define DEFAULT_TITLE L"echo (status current-command) \" \" $PWD"
+
 /// The maximum number of characters to read from the keyboard without repainting. Note that this
 /// readahead will only occur if new characters are available for reading, fish will never block for
 /// more input without repainting.
@@ -1214,18 +1217,15 @@ void reader_write_title(const wcstring &cmd, parser_t &parser, bool reset_cursor
     scoped_push<bool> noninteractive{&parser.libdata().is_interactive, false};
     scoped_push<bool> in_title(&parser.libdata().suppress_fish_trace, true);
 
-    wcstring fish_title_command = L"echo ";
+    wcstring fish_title_command = DEFAULT_TITLE;
     if (function_exists(L"fish_title", parser)) {
         fish_title_command = L"fish_title";
+        if (!cmd.empty()) {
+            fish_title_command.append(L" ");
+            fish_title_command.append(
+                escape_string(cmd, ESCAPE_ALL | ESCAPE_NO_QUOTED | ESCAPE_NO_TILDE));
+        }
     }
-    if (!cmd.empty()) {
-        fish_title_command.append(L" ");
-        fish_title_command.append(
-            escape_string(cmd, ESCAPE_ALL | ESCAPE_NO_QUOTED | ESCAPE_NO_TILDE));
-    } else {
-        fish_title_command.append(L" (status current-command)");
-    }
-    fish_title_command.append(L" $PWD");
 
     wcstring_list_t lst;
     (void)exec_subshell(fish_title_command, parser, lst, false /* ignore exit status */);