diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a655cd2f..bea0660f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
   the Wayland window.
 * `--app-id` command line option, that sets the _app-id_ property on
   the Wayland window.
-
+* **title** option to `footrc`, that sets the initial window title.
+* `--title` command line option, that sets the initial window title.
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index a7ba7e30..754f349b 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ print_usage(const char *prog_name)
     printf("\n");
     printf("Options:\n");
     printf("  -t,--term=TERM                        value to set the environment variable TERM to (foot)\n"
+           "     --title=TITLE                      initial window title (foot)\n"
            "  -a,--app-id=ID                        window application ID (foot)\n"
            "     --maximized                        start in maximized mode\n"
            "     --fullscreen                       start in fullscreen mode\n"
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
 
     static const struct option longopts[] =  {
         {"term",          required_argument, NULL, 't'},
+        {"title",         required_argument, NULL, 'T'},
         {"app-id",        required_argument, NULL, 'a'},
         {"maximized",     no_argument,       NULL, 'm'},
         {"fullscreen",    no_argument,       NULL, 'F'},
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
     };
 
     const char *term = "";
+    const char *title = "";
     const char *app_id = "";
     const char *server_socket_path = NULL;
     enum log_colorize log_colorize = LOG_COLORIZE_AUTO;
@@ -80,6 +83,10 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
             term = optarg;
             break;
 
+        case 'T':
+            title = optarg;
+            break;
+
         case 'a':
             app_id = optarg;
             break;
@@ -194,12 +201,14 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
     }
     const uint16_t cwd_len = strlen(cwd) + 1;
     const uint16_t term_len = strlen(term) + 1;
+    const uint16_t title_len = strlen(title) + 1;
     const uint16_t app_id_len = strlen(app_id) + 1;
     uint32_t total_len = 0;
 
     /* Calculate total length */
     total_len += sizeof(cwd_len) + cwd_len;
     total_len += sizeof(term_len) + term_len;
+    total_len += sizeof(title_len) + title_len;
     total_len += sizeof(app_id_len) + app_id_len;
     total_len += sizeof(uint8_t);  /* maximized */
     total_len += sizeof(uint8_t);  /* fullscreen */
@@ -233,6 +242,13 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
         goto err;
     }
 
+    if (send(fd, &title_len, sizeof(title_len), 0) != sizeof(title_len) ||
+        send(fd, title, title_len, 0) != title_len)
+    {
+        LOG_ERRNO("failed to send title to server");
+        goto err;
+    }
+
     if (send(fd, &app_id_len, sizeof(app_id_len), 0) != sizeof(app_id_len) ||
         send(fd, app_id, app_id_len, 0) != app_id_len)
     {
diff --git a/completions/zsh/_foot b/completions/zsh/_foot
index 86b83f37..1189aaa5 100644
--- a/completions/zsh/_foot
+++ b/completions/zsh/_foot
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ _arguments \
     '(-c --config)'{-c,--config}'[path to configuration file (XDG_CONFIG_HOME/footrc)]:config:_files' \
     '(-f --font)'{-f,--font}'[font name and style in fontconfig format (monospace)]:font:->fonts' \
     '(-t --term)'{-t,--term}'[value to set the environment variable TERM to (foot)]:term:->terms' \
+    '--title[initial window title]:()' \
     '(-a --app-id)'{-a,--app-id}'[value to set the app-id property on the Wayland window to (foot)]:()' \
     '--maximized[start in maximized mode]' \
     '--fullscreen[start in fullscreen mode]' \
diff --git a/completions/zsh/_footclient b/completions/zsh/_footclient
index a5865ce5..9da39a30 100644
--- a/completions/zsh/_footclient
+++ b/completions/zsh/_footclient
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 _arguments \
     -s \
     '(-t --term)'{-t,--term}'[value to set the environment variable TERM to (foot)]:term:->terms' \
+    '--title[initial window title]:()' \
     '(-a --app-id)'{-a,--app-id}'[value to set the app-id property on the Wayland window to (foot)]:()' \
     '--maximized[start in maximized mode]' \
     '--fullscreen[start in fullscreen mode]' \
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index d73e8ec1..a97b8a38 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -209,6 +209,11 @@ parse_section_main(const char *key, const char *value, struct config *conf,
         conf->login_shell = str_to_bool(value);
     }
 
+    else if (strcmp(key, "title") == 0) {
+        free(conf->title);
+        conf->title = strdup(value);
+    }
+
     else if (strcmp(key, "app-id") == 0) {
         free(conf->app_id);
         conf->app_id = strdup(value);
@@ -832,6 +837,7 @@ config_load(struct config *conf, const char *conf_path)
     *conf = (struct config) {
         .term = strdup("foot"),
         .shell = get_shell(),
+        .title = strdup("foot"),
         .app_id = strdup("foot"),
         .width = 700,
         .height = 500,
@@ -966,6 +972,7 @@ config_free(struct config conf)
 {
     free(conf.term);
     free(conf.shell);
+    free(conf.title);
     free(conf.app_id);
     tll_free_and_free(conf.fonts, free);
     free(conf.server_socket_path);
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 355468fc..969edea5 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 struct config {
     char *term;
     char *shell;
+    char *title;
     char *app_id;
     bool login_shell;
     unsigned width;
diff --git a/doc/foot.1.scd b/doc/foot.1.scd
index 7207d1c7..84b27fd6 100644
--- a/doc/foot.1.scd
+++ b/doc/foot.1.scd
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ execute (instead of the shell).
 *-t*,*--term*=_TERM_
 	Value to set the environment variable *TERM* to. Default: _foot_.
 
+*--title*=_TITLE:
+	Initial window title. Default: _foot_.
+
 *-a*,*--app-id*=_ID_
 	Value to set the *app-id* property on the Wayland window
 	to. Default: _foot_.
diff --git a/doc/foot.5.scd b/doc/foot.5.scd
index 9a977da7..5088d2ce 100644
--- a/doc/foot.5.scd
+++ b/doc/foot.5.scd
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ in this order:
 *term*
 	Value to set the environment variable *TERM* to. Default: _foot_.
 
+*title*
+	Initial window title. Default: _foot_.
+
 *app-id*
 	Value to set the *app-id* property on the Wayland window to. The
 	compositor can use this value to e.g. group multiple windows, or
diff --git a/doc/footclient.1.scd b/doc/footclient.1.scd
index c7b07466..25bb444c 100644
--- a/doc/footclient.1.scd
+++ b/doc/footclient.1.scd
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ execute (instead of the shell).
 *-t*,*--term*=_TERM_
 	Value to set the environment variable *TERM* to. Default: _foot_.
 
+*--title*=_TITLE:
+	Initial window title. Default: _foot_.
+
 *-a*,*--app-id*=_ID_
 	Value to set the *app-id* property on the Wayland window
 	to. Default: _foot_.
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index add743d1..39e90bbf 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ print_usage(const char *prog_name)
         "  -c,--config=PATH                      load configuration from PATH (XDG_CONFIG_HOME/footrc)\n"
         "  -f,--font=FONT                        comma separated list of fonts in fontconfig format (monospace)\n"
         "  -t,--term=TERM                        value to set the environment variable TERM to (foot)\n"
+        "     --title=TITLE                      initial window title (foot)\n"
         "  -a,--app-id=ID                        window application ID (foot)\n"
         "     --maximized                        start in maximized mode\n"
         "     --fullscreen                       start in fullscreen mode\n"
@@ -140,6 +141,7 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
     static const struct option longopts[] =  {
         {"config",               required_argument, NULL, 'c'},
         {"term",                 required_argument, NULL, 't'},
+        {"title",                required_argument, NULL, 'T'},
         {"app-id",               required_argument, NULL, 'a'},
         {"login-shell",          no_argument,       NULL, 'L'},
         {"font",                 required_argument, NULL, 'f'},
@@ -159,6 +161,7 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
 
     const char *conf_path = NULL;
     const char *conf_term = NULL;
+    const char *conf_title = NULL;
     const char *conf_app_id = NULL;
     bool login_shell = false;
     tll(char *) conf_fonts = tll_init();
@@ -193,6 +196,10 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
             login_shell = true;
             break;
 
+        case 'T':
+            conf_title = optarg;
+            break;
+
         case 'a':
             conf_app_id = optarg;
             break;
@@ -313,6 +320,10 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
         free(conf.term);
         conf.term = strdup(conf_term);
     }
+    if (conf_title != NULL) {
+        free(conf.title);
+        conf.title = strdup(conf_title);
+    }
     if (conf_app_id != NULL) {
         free(conf.app_id);
         conf.app_id = strdup(conf_app_id);
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index 37c17477..99c0e7ad 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ client_destroy(struct client *client)
     /* TODO: clone server conf completely, so that we can just call
      * conf_destroy() here */
     free(client->conf.term);
+    free(client->conf.title);
     free(client->conf.app_id);
 
     free(client);
@@ -225,6 +226,19 @@ fdm_client(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events, void *data)
         goto shutdown;
     }
 
+    CHECK_BUF(sizeof(uint16_t));
+    uint16_t title_len = *(uint16_t *)p; p += sizeof(title_len);
+
+    CHECK_BUF(title_len);
+    const char *title = (const char *)p; p += title_len;
+    LOG_DBG("app-id = %.*s", title_len, title);
+
+    if (title_len != strlen(title) + 1) {
+        LOG_ERR("title length mismatch: indicated = %hu, actual = %zu",
+                title_len - 1, strlen(title));
+        goto shutdown;
+    }
+
     CHECK_BUF(sizeof(uint16_t));
     uint16_t app_id_len = *(uint16_t *)p; p += sizeof(app_id_len);
 
@@ -273,6 +287,8 @@ fdm_client(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events, void *data)
     client->conf = *server->conf;
     client->conf.term = strlen(term_env) > 0
         ? strdup(term_env) : strdup(server->conf->term);
+    client->conf.title = strlen(title) > 0
+        ? strdup(title) : strdup(server->conf->title);
     client->conf.app_id = strlen(app_id) > 0
         ? strdup(app_id) : strdup(server->conf->app_id);
     client->conf.login_shell = login_shell;
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index 14f1666a..c948c314 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -795,7 +795,7 @@ term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl,
     if (!term_font_dpi_changed(term))
         goto err;
 
-    term_set_window_title(term, "foot");
+    term_set_window_title(term, conf->title);
 
     /* Let the Wayland backend know we exist */
     tll_push_back(wayl->terms, term);