diff --git a/app/models/Document.js b/app/models/Document.js
index 70488fb2..a2769f7e 100644
--- a/app/models/Document.js
+++ b/app/models/Document.js
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ import type { User } from 'types';
 import BaseModel from './BaseModel';
 import Collection from './Collection';
 
-const DEFAULT_TITLE = 'Untitled document';
-
 class Document extends BaseModel {
   isSaving: boolean = false;
   hasPendingChanges: boolean = false;
@@ -172,14 +170,6 @@ class Document extends BaseModel {
           lastRevision: this.revision,
         });
       } else {
-        if (!this.title) {
-          this.title = DEFAULT_TITLE;
-          this.text = this.text.replace(
-            new RegExp(`^# `),
-            `# ${DEFAULT_TITLE}`
-          );
-        }
-
         const data = {
           parentDocument: undefined,
           collection: this.collection.id,
diff --git a/server/api/documents.test.js b/server/api/documents.test.js
index e1eec7bb..d579af82 100644
--- a/server/api/documents.test.js
+++ b/server/api/documents.test.js
@@ -247,6 +247,22 @@ describe('#documents.create', async () => {
     expect(newDocument.collection.id).toBe(collection.id);
   });
 
+  it('should fallback to a default title', async () => {
+    const { user, collection } = await seed();
+    const res = await server.post('/api/documents.create', {
+      body: {
+        token: user.getJwtToken(),
+        collection: collection.id,
+        title: ' ',
+        text: ' ',
+      },
+    });
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(res.status).toEqual(200);
+    expect(body.data.title).toBe('Untitled document');
+    expect(body.data.text).toBe('# Untitled document');
+  });
+
   it('should create as a child', async () => {
     const { user, document, collection } = await seed();
     const res = await server.post('/api/documents.create', {
@@ -288,6 +304,26 @@ describe('#documents.update', async () => {
     expect(body.data.collection.documents[1].title).toBe('Updated title');
   });
 
+  it('should fallback to a default title', async () => {
+    const { user, document } = await seed();
+
+    const res = await server.post('/api/documents.update', {
+      body: {
+        token: user.getJwtToken(),
+        id: document.id,
+        title: ' ',
+        text: ' ',
+        lastRevision: document.revision,
+      },
+    });
+    const body = await res.json();
+
+    expect(res.status).toEqual(200);
+    expect(body.data.title).toBe('Untitled document');
+    expect(body.data.text).toBe('# Untitled document');
+    expect(body.data.collection.documents[1].title).toBe('Untitled document');
+  });
+
   it('should fail if document lastRevision does not match', async () => {
     const { user, document } = await seed();
 
diff --git a/server/models/Document.js b/server/models/Document.js
index 32270207..a1507326 100644
--- a/server/models/Document.js
+++ b/server/models/Document.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import Revision from './Revision';
 
 const Markdown = new MarkdownSerializer();
 const URL_REGEX = /^[a-zA-Z0-9-]*-([a-zA-Z0-9]{10,15})$/;
+const DEFAULT_TITLE = 'Untitled document';
 
 // $FlowIssue invalid flow-typed
 slug.defaults.mode = 'rfc3986';
@@ -36,14 +37,19 @@ const createUrlId = doc => {
 };
 
 const beforeSave = async doc => {
-  const { emoji } = parseTitle(doc.text);
+  const { emoji, title } = parseTitle(doc.text);
 
+  // emoji in the title is split out for easier display
   doc.emoji = emoji;
-  doc.revisionCount += 1;
 
-  // Collaborators
+  // ensure document has a title
+  if (!title) {
+    doc.title = DEFAULT_TITLE;
+    doc.text = doc.text.replace(/^.*$/m, `# ${DEFAULT_TITLE}`);
+  }
+
+  // calculate collaborators
   let ids = [];
-  // Only get previous user IDs if the document already exists
   if (doc.id) {
     ids = await Revision.findAll({
       attributes: [[DataTypes.literal('DISTINCT "userId"'), 'userId']],
@@ -52,10 +58,14 @@ const beforeSave = async doc => {
       },
     }).map(rev => rev.userId);
   }
-  // We'll add the current user as revision hasn't been generated yet
+
+  // add the current user as revision hasn't been generated yet
   ids.push(doc.lastModifiedById);
   doc.collaboratorIds = _.uniq(ids);
 
+  // increment revision
+  doc.revisionCount += 1;
+
   return doc;
 };
 
diff --git a/server/presenters/document.js b/server/presenters/document.js
index 4414522f..2120cf9d 100644
--- a/server/presenters/document.js
+++ b/server/presenters/document.js
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ async function present(ctx: Object, document: Document, options: ?Options) {
   ctx.cache.set(document.id, document);
 
   // For empty document content, return the title
-  if (document.text.trim().length === 0)
-    document.text = `# ${document.title || 'Untitled document'}`;
+  if (!document.text.trim()) {
+    document.text = `# ${document.title}`;
+  }
 
   const data = {
     id: document.id,