Window title handling change in PuTTY 0.78: unresolved decision on title restoration after exit

Answer

Yes – PuTTY should expose a GUI option that restores the original window title when a session ends, while keeping the current “title‑set‑by‑server‑persists” behavior as the default.

Confirmed facts

• PuTTY 0.78 changed the handling of OSC window‑title sequences so that a title set by the remote host is retained after the session terminates.
• The change was documented in the 0.78 changelog under “Window title handling” and corresponds to the removal of the automatic title‑restore code that ran on session cleanup.

Likely explanation

Developers made the change to avoid title flicker and to respect user‑ or remote‑set titles, but they left the question of whether the original title should be restored after exit unresolved, resulting in the current behavior.

Steps to enable the feature (if added)

1. Open PuTTY’s configuration window.
2. Navigate to Window → Behaviour (or a new sub‑page).
3. Check a box such as “Restore original window title on session exit”.
4. Save the session; the option will take effect for all future connections.

Impact assessment

• Keeping the existing behavior as the default preserves compatibility with scripts, terminal multiplexers (tmux, screen) and any workflows that rely on the title persisting after disconnect.
• Providing an explicit GUI switch lets users who need the title to revert (e.g., for window‑management scripts) opt‑in without affecting others.
• No changes to the OSC handling code are required; the option would simply invoke the existing title‑restore routine on session cleanup when enabled.