diff --git a/src/cascadia/LocalTests_SettingsModel/TerminalSettingsTests.cpp b/src/cascadia/LocalTests_SettingsModel/TerminalSettingsTests.cpp
index e274767d3..cecfade05 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/LocalTests_SettingsModel/TerminalSettingsTests.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/LocalTests_SettingsModel/TerminalSettingsTests.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ namespace SettingsModelLocalTests
 
         TEST_METHOD(TestLayerProfileOnColorScheme);
 
+        TEST_METHOD(TestCommandlineToTitlePromotion);
+
         TEST_CLASS_SETUP(ClassSetup)
         {
             return true;
@@ -554,4 +556,85 @@ namespace SettingsModelLocalTests
         VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(ARGB(0, 0x45, 0x67, 0x89), terminalSettings4->CursorColor()); // from profile (no color scheme)
         VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(DEFAULT_CURSOR_COLOR, terminalSettings5->CursorColor()); // default
     }
+
+    void TerminalSettingsTests::TestCommandlineToTitlePromotion()
+    {
+        const std::string settingsJson{ R"(
+        {
+            "defaultProfile": "{6239a42c-0000-49a3-80bd-e8fdd045185c}",
+            "profiles": { "list": [
+                {
+                    "name": "profile0",
+                    "guid": "{6239a42c-0000-49a3-80bd-e8fdd045185c}",
+                    "historySize": 1,
+                    "commandline": "cmd.exe"
+                },
+            ],
+            "defaults": {
+                "historySize": 29
+            } }
+        })" };
+
+        const winrt::guid guid0{ ::Microsoft::Console::Utils::GuidFromString(L"{6239a42c-0000-49a3-80bd-e8fdd045185c}") };
+
+        CascadiaSettings settings{ til::u8u16(settingsJson) };
+
+        { // just a profile (profile wins)
+            NewTerminalArgs args{};
+            args.Profile(L"profile0");
+            const auto settingsStruct{ TerminalSettings::CreateWithNewTerminalArgs(settings, args, nullptr) };
+            VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(L"profile0", settingsStruct.DefaultSettings().StartingTitle());
+        }
+        { // profile and command line -> no promotion (profile wins)
+            NewTerminalArgs args{};
+            args.Profile(L"profile0");
+            args.Commandline(L"foo.exe");
+            const auto settingsStruct{ TerminalSettings::CreateWithNewTerminalArgs(settings, args, nullptr) };
+            VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(L"profile0", settingsStruct.DefaultSettings().StartingTitle());
+        }
+        { // just a title -> it is propagated
+            NewTerminalArgs args{};
+            args.TabTitle(L"Analog Kid");
+            const auto settingsStruct{ TerminalSettings::CreateWithNewTerminalArgs(settings, args, nullptr) };
+            VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(L"Analog Kid", settingsStruct.DefaultSettings().StartingTitle());
+        }
+        { // title and command line -> no promotion
+            NewTerminalArgs args{};
+            args.TabTitle(L"Digital Man");
+            args.Commandline(L"foo.exe");
+            const auto settingsStruct{ TerminalSettings::CreateWithNewTerminalArgs(settings, args, nullptr) };
+            VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(L"Digital Man", settingsStruct.DefaultSettings().StartingTitle());
+        }
+        { // just a commandline -> promotion
+            NewTerminalArgs args{};
+            args.Commandline(L"foo.exe");
+            const auto settingsStruct{ TerminalSettings::CreateWithNewTerminalArgs(settings, args, nullptr) };
+            VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(L"foo.exe", settingsStruct.DefaultSettings().StartingTitle());
+        }
+        // various typesof commandline follow
+        {
+            NewTerminalArgs args{};
+            args.Commandline(L"foo.exe bar");
+            const auto settingsStruct{ TerminalSettings::CreateWithNewTerminalArgs(settings, args, nullptr) };
+            VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(L"foo.exe", settingsStruct.DefaultSettings().StartingTitle());
+        }
+        {
+            NewTerminalArgs args{};
+            args.Commandline(L"\"foo exe.exe\" bar");
+            const auto settingsStruct{ TerminalSettings::CreateWithNewTerminalArgs(settings, args, nullptr) };
+            VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(L"foo exe.exe", settingsStruct.DefaultSettings().StartingTitle());
+        }
+        {
+            NewTerminalArgs args{};
+            args.Commandline(L"\"\" grand designs");
+            const auto settingsStruct{ TerminalSettings::CreateWithNewTerminalArgs(settings, args, nullptr) };
+            VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(L"", settingsStruct.DefaultSettings().StartingTitle());
+        }
+        {
+            NewTerminalArgs args{};
+            args.Commandline(L" imagine a man");
+            const auto settingsStruct{ TerminalSettings::CreateWithNewTerminalArgs(settings, args, nullptr) };
+            VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(L"", settingsStruct.DefaultSettings().StartingTitle());
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/AppCommandlineArgs.cpp b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/AppCommandlineArgs.cpp
index ae8bced53..a2da96205 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/AppCommandlineArgs.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/AppCommandlineArgs.cpp
@@ -603,13 +603,6 @@ NewTerminalArgs AppCommandlineArgs::_getNewTerminalArgs(AppCommandlineArgs::NewT
         args.Profile(winrt::to_hstring(_profileName));
     }
 
-    if (!*subcommand.profileNameOption && !_commandline.empty())
-    {
-        // If there's no profile, but there IS a command line, set the tab title to the first part of the command
-        // This will ensure that the tab we spawn has a name (since it didn't get one from its profile!)
-        args.TabTitle(winrt::to_hstring(til::at(_commandline, 0)));
-    }
-
     if (*subcommand.startingDirectoryOption)
     {
         args.StartingDirectory(winrt::to_hstring(_startingDirectory));
diff --git a/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/TerminalSettings.cpp b/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/TerminalSettings.cpp
index f547e27d2..de6b01347 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/TerminalSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/TerminalSettings.cpp
@@ -124,6 +124,21 @@ namespace winrt::Microsoft::Terminal::Settings::Model::implementation
             {
                 defaultSettings.StartingTitle(newTerminalArgs.TabTitle());
             }
+            else
+            {
+                // There was no title, and no profile from which to infer the title.
+                // Per GH#6776, promote the first component of the command line to the title.
+                // This will ensure that the tab we spawn has a name (since it didn't get one from its profile!)
+                if (newTerminalArgs.Profile().empty() && !newTerminalArgs.Commandline().empty())
+                {
+                    const std::wstring_view commandLine{ newTerminalArgs.Commandline() };
+                    const auto start{ til::at(commandLine, 0) == L'"' ? 1 : 0 };
+                    const auto terminator{ commandLine.find_first_of(start ? L'"' : L' ', start) }; // look past the first character if it starts with "
+                    // We have to take a copy here; winrt::param::hstring requires a null-terminated string
+                    const std::wstring firstComponent{ commandLine.substr(start, terminator - start) };
+                    defaultSettings.StartingTitle(firstComponent);
+                }
+            }
             if (newTerminalArgs.TabColor())
             {
                 defaultSettings.StartingTabColor(winrt::Windows::Foundation::IReference<winrt::Microsoft::Terminal::Core::Color>{ til::color{ newTerminalArgs.TabColor().Value() } });