diff --git a/R/functions-mgf.R b/R/functions-mgf.R
index 8dea4bb..d81ea84 100644
--- a/R/functions-mgf.R
+++ b/R/functions-mgf.R
@@ -285,16 +285,16 @@ readMgfSplit <- function(f, msLevel = 2L,
         spd$CHARGE <- paste0(abs(spd$CHARGE), sign_char)
         spd$CHARGE[nas] <- ""
     }
-    if (!exportTitle)
+    if (!exportTitle && any(colnames(spd) %in% "TITLE"))
         spd$TITLE <- NULL
     l <- nrow(spd)
     tmp <- lapply(colnames(spd), function(z) {
         paste0(z, "=", spd[, z], "\n")
     })
-    if (exportTitle && !any(colnames(spd) == "TITLE")) {
+    if (exportTitle && !any(colnames(spd) %in% "TITLE")) {
         sn <- spectraNames(x)
-        if (!is.null(sn) && any(sn != as.character(seq_along(x))))
-            title <- paste0("TITLE=", spectraNames(x), "\n")
+        if (any(sn != as.character(seq_along(x))))
+            title <- paste0("TITLE=", sn, "\n")
         else
             title <- paste0("TITLE=msLevel ", spd$msLevel, "; retentionTime ",
                             spd$rtime, "; scanNum ", spd$acquisitionNum, "\n")
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test_MsBackendMgf.R b/tests/testthat/test_MsBackendMgf.R
index c8438cf..48e046f 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test_MsBackendMgf.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test_MsBackendMgf.R
@@ -100,14 +100,16 @@ test_that("export,MsBackendMgf works", {
     expect_true(length(grep("TITLE", res)) == 0)
 
     spectraNames(sps) <- NULL
+    sps$TITLE <- NULL
     export(MsBackendMgf(), sps, file = fl, exportTitle = TRUE)
     res <- readLines(fl)
-    expect_true(length(grep("TITLE=msLevel", res)) == 0)
+    expect_true(length(grep("TITLE=msLevel", res)) > 0)
 
     spectraNames(sps) <- paste0("yes", seq_along(sps))
+    sps$TITLE <- NULL
     export(MsBackendMgf(), sps, file = fl, exportTitle = TRUE)
     res <- readLines(fl)
-    expect_true(length(grep("TITLE=yes", res)) == 0)
+    expect_true(length(grep("TITLE=yes", res)) > 0)
 
     expect_error(export(MsBackendMgf(), file = fl), "missing")
     expect_error(export(MsBackendMgf(), x = spd, file = fl), "spectra data to")