diff --git a/src/lib/app/i18n/en.json b/src/lib/app/i18n/en.json
index 2c20db31..c782487d 100644
--- a/src/lib/app/i18n/en.json
+++ b/src/lib/app/i18n/en.json
@@ -566,7 +566,6 @@
         "url": "URL"
     },
     "post": {
-        "untitled": "Untitled post",
         "actions": {
             "comments": "Comments",
             "save": "Save",
diff --git a/src/lib/feature/post/Post.svelte b/src/lib/feature/post/Post.svelte
index 227e6185..1c686e5d 100644
--- a/src/lib/feature/post/Post.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/feature/post/Post.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import type { PostView } from '$lib/api/coves/types'
-  import { t } from '$lib/app/i18n'
   import { type View, settings } from '$lib/app/settings.svelte'
   import { publishedToDate } from '$lib/ui/util/date'
   import type { ClassValue } from 'svelte/elements'
@@ -11,7 +10,12 @@
     PostMediaCompact,
     PostMeta,
   } from '.'
-  import { extractEmbedTitle, extractEmbedUrl, mediaType } from './helpers'
+  import {
+    extractEmbedTitle,
+    extractEmbedUrl,
+    mediaType,
+    postTextFallback,
+  } from './helpers'
   import { type MetaTag, parseTags } from './PostMeta.svelte'
 
   interface Props {
@@ -55,6 +59,14 @@
       type !== 'iframe',
   )
 
+  // Coves posts may legitimately have no title. Cozy/list views render the
+  // body below the meta row, but compact rows would show no text at all — so
+  // fall back to a plain-text body excerpt there. Everywhere else the title
+  // slot simply stays empty.
+  let compactExcerpt = $derived(
+    view == 'compact' ? postTextFallback(post.record?.content) : undefined,
+  )
+
   let badges = $derived({
     featured: pinned,
     saved: post.viewer?.saved ?? false,
@@ -86,7 +98,7 @@
     uri={post.uri}
     title={hideTitle
       ? undefined
-      : tags?.title || post.record?.title || $t('post.untitled')}
+      : tags?.title || post.record?.title || compactExcerpt}
     style="grid-area: meta;"
     edited={post.editedAt}
     tags={tags?.tags}
diff --git a/src/lib/feature/post/helpers.test.ts b/src/lib/feature/post/helpers.test.ts
index 0a18ab95..11a38507 100644
--- a/src/lib/feature/post/helpers.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/feature/post/helpers.test.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import {
   optimizeImageURL,
   postLink,
   postLinkRefFromUri,
+  postTextFallback,
 } from './helpers'
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -821,3 +822,44 @@ describe('crosspost draft encoding', () => {
     expect(decodeCrosspostDraft(tampered)).toEqual({})
   })
 })
+
+describe('postTextFallback', () => {
+  it('returns undefined for missing or empty content', () => {
+    expect(postTextFallback(undefined)).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(postTextFallback('')).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(postTextFallback('   \n  \n')).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
+  it('returns the first non-empty line', () => {
+    expect(postTextFallback('\n\nHello world\nsecond line')).toBe('Hello world')
+  })
+
+  it('strips markdown syntax that would render literally', () => {
+    expect(postTextFallback('# A heading start')).toBe('A heading start')
+    expect(postTextFallback('> quoted text')).toBe('quoted text')
+    expect(postTextFallback('**bold** and _italic_ and `code`')).toBe(
+      'bold and italic and code',
+    )
+    expect(postTextFallback('see [the docs](https://example.com) here')).toBe(
+      'see the docs here',
+    )
+    expect(postTextFallback('![alt text](https://example.com/x.png)')).toBe(
+      'alt text',
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('returns undefined when the line is only markdown syntax', () => {
+    expect(postTextFallback('***')).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
+  it('truncates long content with an ellipsis', () => {
+    const long = 'a'.repeat(200)
+    const result = postTextFallback(long, 120)
+    expect(result).toHaveLength(120)
+    expect(result?.endsWith('…')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('leaves short content untouched', () => {
+    expect(postTextFallback('short post', 120)).toBe('short post')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/lib/feature/post/helpers.ts b/src/lib/feature/post/helpers.ts
index bbad56fb..8db57aed 100644
--- a/src/lib/feature/post/helpers.ts
+++ b/src/lib/feature/post/helpers.ts
@@ -426,3 +426,33 @@ export function decodeCrosspostDraft(
     return undefined
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Plain-text excerpt of a post body, for contexts that need a short text
+ * stand-in when a post has no title (Coves posts may legitimately omit one):
+ * compact list rows and document/og titles. Takes the first non-empty line,
+ * strips markdown syntax that would render literally, and truncates.
+ */
+export function postTextFallback(
+  content: string | undefined,
+  max = 120,
+): string | undefined {
+  if (!content) return undefined
+
+  const line = content
+    .split('\n')
+    .map((part) => part.trim())
+    .find((part) => part.length > 0)
+  if (!line) return undefined
+
+  const plain = line
+    .replace(/!\[([^\]]*)\]\([^)]*\)/g, '$1')
+    .replace(/\[([^\]]*)\]\([^)]*\)/g, '$1')
+    .replace(/^#{1,6}\s+/, '')
+    .replace(/^>\s*/, '')
+    .replace(/[*_`~]/g, '')
+    .trim()
+  if (!plain) return undefined
+
+  return plain.length > max ? `${plain.slice(0, max - 1).trimEnd()}…` : plain
+}
diff --git a/src/routes/c/[handle=handle]/post/[rkey]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/c/[handle=handle]/post/[rkey]/+page.svelte
index 05f72a4d..a38138d5 100644
--- a/src/routes/c/[handle=handle]/post/[rkey]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/c/[handle=handle]/post/[rkey]/+page.svelte
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   import { mapSort } from '$lib/app/sort'
   import CommentProvider from '$lib/feature/comment/CommentProvider.svelte'
   import { Post } from '$lib/feature/post'
+  import { postTextFallback } from '$lib/feature/post/helpers'
   import Placeholder from '$lib/ui/info/Placeholder.svelte'
   import { Material, Spinner, toast } from 'mono-svelte'
   import { ChatBubbleOvalLeft, Icon, NoSymbol } from 'svelte-hero-icons/dist'
@@ -144,20 +145,22 @@
 
 <svelte:head>
   {#if data.data.value?.post}
+    {@const headPost = data.data.value.post}
+    {@const headTitle =
+      headPost.record?.title ??
+      postTextFallback(headPost.record?.content, 80) ??
+      `Post by @${headPost.author.handle}`}
     <title>
-      {data.data.value.post.record?.title ?? 'Post'}
+      {headTitle}
     </title>
     <meta
       name="description"
-      content={data.data.value.post.record?.content?.slice(0, 200) ?? ''}
-    />
-    <meta
-      property="og:title"
-      content={data.data.value.post.record?.title ?? 'Post'}
+      content={headPost.record?.content?.slice(0, 200) ?? ''}
     />
+    <meta property="og:title" content={headTitle} />
     <meta
       property="og:description"
-      content={data.data.value.post.record?.content?.slice(0, 200) ?? ''}
+      content={headPost.record?.content?.slice(0, 200) ?? ''}
     />
   {:else if data.data.value?.unavailable}
     <title>Post unavailable</title>