diff --git a/tests/tests.js b/tests/tests.js
index 4c0e5f50..083bab16 100644
--- a/tests/tests.js
+++ b/tests/tests.js
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
             var callbackFunction = function(dirEntryList) {
                 assert.ok(dirEntryList && dirEntryList.length === 5, "Article list with 5 results");
                 var firstDirEntry = dirEntryList[0];
-                assert.equal(firstDirEntry.title , 'A Fool for You', 'First result should be "A Fool for You"');
+                assert.equal(firstDirEntry.getTitleOrUrl() , 'A Fool for You', 'First result should be "A Fool for You"');
                 done();
             };
             localZimArchive.findDirEntriesWithPrefix('A', 5, callbackFunction);
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
             var callbackFunction = function(dirEntryList) {
                 assert.ok(dirEntryList && dirEntryList.length === 5, "Article list with 5 results");
                 var firstDirEntry = dirEntryList[0];
-                assert.equal(firstDirEntry.title , 'A Fool for You', 'First result should be "A Fool for You"');
+                assert.equal(firstDirEntry.getTitleOrUrl() , 'A Fool for You', 'First result should be "A Fool for You"');
                 done();
             };
             localZimArchive.findDirEntriesWithPrefix('a', 5, callbackFunction);
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
             var callbackFunction = function(dirEntryList) {
                 assert.ok(dirEntryList && dirEntryList.length === 3, "Article list with 3 result");
                 var firstDirEntry = dirEntryList[0];
-                assert.equal(firstDirEntry.title , 'Blues Brothers (film)', 'First result should be "Blues Brothers (film)"');
+                assert.equal(firstDirEntry.getTitleOrUrl() , 'Blues Brothers (film)', 'First result should be "Blues Brothers (film)"');
                 done();
             };
             localZimArchive.findDirEntriesWithPrefix('blues brothers', 5, callbackFunction);
@@ -210,11 +210,11 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
                 assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "DirEntry found");
                 if (dirEntry !== null) {
                     assert.ok(dirEntry.isRedirect(), "DirEntry is a redirect.");
-                    assert.equal(dirEntry.title, "(The Night Time Is) The Right Time", "Correct redirect title name.");
+                    assert.equal(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl(), "(The Night Time Is) The Right Time", "Correct redirect title name.");
                     localZimArchive.resolveRedirect(dirEntry, function(dirEntry) {
                         assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "DirEntry found");
                         assert.ok(!dirEntry.isRedirect(), "DirEntry is not a redirect.");
-                        assert.equal(dirEntry.title, "Night Time Is the Right Time", "Correct redirected title name.");
+                        assert.equal(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl(), "Night Time Is the Right Time", "Correct redirected title name.");
                         done();
                     });
                 } else {
@@ -229,11 +229,11 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
                 assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "DirEntry found");
                 if (dirEntry !== null) {
                     assert.ok(dirEntry.isRedirect(), "DirEntry is a redirect.");
-                    assert.equal(dirEntry.title, "Raelettes", "Correct redirect title name.");
+                    assert.equal(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl(), "Raelettes", "Correct redirect title name.");
                     localZimArchive.resolveRedirect(dirEntry, function(dirEntry) {
                         assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "DirEntry found");
                         assert.ok(!dirEntry.isRedirect(), "DirEntry is not a redirect.");
-                        assert.equal(dirEntry.title, "The Raelettes", "Correct redirected title name.");
+                        assert.equal(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl(), "The Raelettes", "Correct redirected title name.");
                         done();
                     });
                 } else {
@@ -248,11 +248,11 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
                 assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "DirEntry found");
                 if (dirEntry !== null) {
                     assert.ok(dirEntry.isRedirect(), "DirEntry is a redirect.");
-                    assert.equal(dirEntry.title, "Bein Green", "Correct redirect title name.");
+                    assert.equal(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl(), "Bein Green", "Correct redirect title name.");
                     localZimArchive.resolveRedirect(dirEntry, function(dirEntry) {
                         assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "DirEntry found");
                         assert.ok(!dirEntry.isRedirect(), "DirEntry is not a redirect.");
-                        assert.equal(dirEntry.title, "Bein' Green", "Correct redirected title name.");
+                        assert.equal(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl(), "Bein' Green", "Correct redirected title name.");
                         done();
                     });
                 } else {
@@ -267,11 +267,11 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
                 assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "DirEntry found");
                 if (dirEntry !== null) {
                     assert.ok(dirEntry.isRedirect(), "DirEntry is a redirect.");
-                    assert.equal(dirEntry.title, "America, the Beautiful", "Correct redirect title name.");
+                    assert.equal(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl(), "America, the Beautiful", "Correct redirect title name.");
                     localZimArchive.resolveRedirect(dirEntry, function(dirEntry) {
                         assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "DirEntry found");
                         assert.ok(!dirEntry.isRedirect(), "DirEntry is not a redirect.");
-                        assert.equal(dirEntry.title, "America the Beautiful", "Correct redirected title name.");
+                        assert.equal(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl(), "America the Beautiful", "Correct redirected title name.");
                         done();
                     });
                 } else {
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
                 if (dirEntry !== null) {
                     assert.equal(dirEntry.namespace +"/"+ dirEntry.url, "A/Ray_Charles.html", "URL is correct.");
                     localZimArchive.readUtf8File(dirEntry, function(dirEntry2, data) {
-                        assert.equal(dirEntry2.title, "Ray Charles", "Title is correct.");
+                        assert.equal(dirEntry2.getTitleOrUrl(), "Ray Charles", "Title is correct.");
                         assert.equal(data.length, 157186, "Data length is correct.");
                         assert.equal(data.indexOf("the only true genius in show business"), 5535, "Specific substring at beginning found.");
                         assert.equal(data.indexOf("Random Access Memories"), 154107, "Specific substring at end found.");
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
             assert.expect(2);
             var callbackRandomArticleFound = function(dirEntry) {
                 assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "One DirEntry should be found");
-                assert.ok(dirEntry.title !== null, "The random DirEntry should have a title" );
+                assert.ok(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl() !== null, "The random DirEntry should have a title" );
                
                 done();
             };
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchive', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'utf8'],
             assert.expect(2);
             var callbackMainPageArticleFound = function(dirEntry) {
                 assert.ok(dirEntry !== null, "Main DirEntry should be found");
-                assert.equal(dirEntry.title, "Summary", "The main DirEntry should be called Summary" );
+                assert.equal(dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl(), "Summary", "The main DirEntry should be called Summary" );
                
                 done();
             };
diff --git a/www/js/app.js b/www/js/app.js
index 6d5f5c38..ac6a83a2 100644
--- a/www/js/app.js
+++ b/www/js/app.js
@@ -708,9 +708,8 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchiveLoader', 'util', 'uiUtil', 'cookies','abstractFiles
         var listLength = dirEntryArray.length < MAX_SEARCH_RESULT_SIZE ? dirEntryArray.length : MAX_SEARCH_RESULT_SIZE;
         for (var i = 0; i < listLength; i++) {
             var dirEntry = dirEntryArray[i];
-            var title = dirEntry.title ? dirEntry.title : '[' + dirEntry.url + ']';
             articleListDivHtml += '<a href="#" dirEntryId="' + dirEntry.toStringId().replace(/'/g, '&apos;') +
-                '" class="list-group-item">' + title + '</a>';
+                '" class="list-group-item">' + dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl() + '</a>';
         }
         articleListDiv.html(articleListDivHtml);
         $('#articleList a').on('click', handleTitleClick);
diff --git a/www/js/lib/zimArchive.js b/www/js/lib/zimArchive.js
index f70aad2e..b2bc662c 100644
--- a/www/js/lib/zimArchive.js
+++ b/www/js/lib/zimArchive.js
@@ -185,13 +185,7 @@ define(['zimfile', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'utf8'],
                 if (dirEntry.namespace < "A") return 1;
                 if (dirEntry.namespace > "A") return -1;
                 // We should now be in namespace A
-                if (dirEntry.title) { 
-                    return prefix <= dirEntry.title ? -1 : 1;
-                } else {
-                    // Some dirEntries (e.g. subtitles) have no title, but are still sorted in the A namespace,
-                    // so, like libzim, we have to use the url as a comparator [kiwix-js #440 #443]
-                    return prefix <= dirEntry.url ? -1 : 1;
-                }
+                return prefix <= dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl() ? -1 : 1;
             });
         }, true).then(function(firstIndex) {
             var dirEntries = [];
@@ -199,7 +193,7 @@ define(['zimfile', 'zimDirEntry', 'util', 'utf8'],
                 if (index >= firstIndex + resultSize || index >= that._file.articleCount)
                     return dirEntries;
                 return that._file.dirEntryByTitleIndex(index).then(function(dirEntry) {
-                    var title = dirEntry.title ? dirEntry.title : dirEntry.url;
+                    var title = dirEntry.getTitleOrUrl();
                     if (!title.indexOf(prefix) && dirEntry.namespace === "A")
                         dirEntries.push(dirEntry);
                     return addDirEntries(index + 1);
diff --git a/www/js/lib/zimDirEntry.js b/www/js/lib/zimDirEntry.js
index 9be9a07c..dbc737ec 100644
--- a/www/js/lib/zimDirEntry.js
+++ b/www/js/lib/zimDirEntry.js
@@ -107,6 +107,16 @@ define([], function() {
         return new DirEntry(zimfile, data);
     };
 
+    /**
+     * Defines a function that returns the URL if the title is empty, as per the specification
+     * See https://wiki.openzim.org/wiki/ZIM_file_format#Directory_Entries
+     * 
+     * @returns {String} The dirEntry's title or, if empty, the dirEntry's (unescaped) URL   
+     */
+    DirEntry.prototype.getTitleOrUrl = function() {
+        return this.title ? this.title : this.url;
+    };
+
     /**
      * Functions and classes exposed by this module
      */