diff --git a/config/bolt/contenttypes.yaml b/config/bolt/contenttypes.yaml
index e0714f32c..fe0d074b3 100644
--- a/config/bolt/contenttypes.yaml
+++ b/config/bolt/contenttypes.yaml
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ showcases:
     slug: showcases
     singular_name: Showcase
     singular_slug: showcase
+    title_format: '{id}: {title}'
     description: The 'Showcases' is not particularly useful in most cases, but it does a good job of showcasing most of the available fieldtypes.
     fields:
         title:
@@ -326,6 +327,7 @@ blocks:
 tests:
     name: Tests
     singular_name: Test
+    title_format: "{id}: {title}"
     fields:
         title:
             type: text
diff --git a/public/theme/skeleton/custom/test.twig b/public/theme/skeleton/custom/test.twig
index 7f18586ec..afac08634 100644
--- a/public/theme/skeleton/custom/test.twig
+++ b/public/theme/skeleton/custom/test.twig
@@ -13,11 +13,7 @@
 
     <marquee>This template is for testing only! This template is for testing only! This template is for testing only!</marquee>
 
-    {% if record.hasField('title') %}
-        <h1 class="title">{{ record.title }}</h1>
-    {% else %}
-        <h1 class="heading">{{ record|title }}</h1>
-    {% endif %}
+    <h1 class="title">{{ record|title }}</h1>
 
     <hr>
 
diff --git a/src/Configuration/Parser/ContentTypesParser.php b/src/Configuration/Parser/ContentTypesParser.php
index 45990b47a..68fbb472d 100644
--- a/src/Configuration/Parser/ContentTypesParser.php
+++ b/src/Configuration/Parser/ContentTypesParser.php
@@ -184,7 +184,8 @@ protected function parseContentType($key, array $contentType): ?ContentType
         if (isset($contentType['title_format'])) {
             $contentType['title_format'] = $contentType['title_format'];
         } elseif (isset($contentType['fields']['slug']['uses'])) {
-            $contentType['title_format'] = (array) $contentType['fields']['slug']['uses'];
+            $fields = (array) $contentType['fields']['slug']['uses'];
+            $contentType['title_format'] = '{' . implode('} {', $fields) . '}';
         } else {
             $contentType['title_format'] = null;
         }
diff --git a/src/Storage/Directive/OrderDirective.php b/src/Storage/Directive/OrderDirective.php
index f23a00f03..795057d04 100644
--- a/src/Storage/Directive/OrderDirective.php
+++ b/src/Storage/Directive/OrderDirective.php
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 namespace Bolt\Storage\Directive;
 
 use Bolt\Storage\QueryInterface;
+use Bolt\Utils\ContentHelper;
 
 /**
  *  Directive to alter query based on 'order' parameter.
@@ -27,36 +28,55 @@ public function __invoke(QueryInterface $query, string $order): void
         foreach ($separatedOrders as $order) {
             [ $order, $direction ] = $this->createSortBy($order);
 
-            if (in_array($order, $query->getCoreFields(), true)) {
-                $query->getQueryBuilder()->addOrderBy('content.' . $order, $direction);
-            } elseif ($order === 'author') {
-                $query
-                    ->getQueryBuilder()
-                    ->leftJoin('content.author', 'user')
-                    ->addOrderBy('user.username', $direction);
-            } else {
-                if (! $this->isActualField($query, $order)) {
-                    dump("A query with ordering on a Field (`${order}`) that's not defined, will yield unexpected results. Update your `{% setcontent %}`-statement");
+            if ($order === 'title' && $this->getTitleFormat($query) !== null) {
+                $order = ContentHelper::getFieldNames($this->getTitleFormat($query));
+            }
+
+            if (is_array($order)) {
+                foreach ($order as $orderitem) {
+                    $this->setOrderBy($query, $orderitem, $direction);
                 }
-                $fieldsAlias = 'fields_order_' . $query->getIndex();
-                $fieldAlias = 'order_' . $query->getIndex();
-                $translationsAlias = 'translations_order_' . $query->getIndex();
-
-                // Note the `lower()` in the `addOrderBy()`. It is essential to sorting the
-                // results correctly. See also https://github.com/bolt/core/issues/1190
-                $query
-                    ->getQueryBuilder()
-                    ->leftJoin('content.fields', $fieldsAlias)
-                    ->leftJoin($fieldsAlias . '.translations', $translationsAlias)
-                    ->andWhere($fieldsAlias . '.name = :' . $fieldAlias)
-                    ->addOrderBy('lower(' . $translationsAlias . '.value)', $direction)
-                    ->setParameter($fieldAlias, $order);
-
-                $query->incrementIndex();
+            } else {
+                $this->setOrderBy($query, $order, $direction);
             }
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the query OrderBy directives
+     * given an order (e.g. 'heading', 'id') and direction (ASC|DESC)
+     */
+    private function setOrderBy(QueryInterface $query, string $order, string $direction): void
+    {
+        if (in_array($order, $query->getCoreFields(), true)) {
+            $query->getQueryBuilder()->addOrderBy('content.' . $order, $direction);
+        } elseif ($order === 'author') {
+            $query
+                ->getQueryBuilder()
+                ->leftJoin('content.author', 'user')
+                ->addOrderBy('user.username', $direction);
+        } else {
+            if (! $this->isActualField($query, $order)) {
+                dump("A query with ordering on a Field (`${order}`) that's not defined, will yield unexpected results. Update your `{% setcontent %}`-statement");
+            }
+            $fieldsAlias = 'fields_order_' . $query->getIndex();
+            $fieldAlias = 'order_' . $query->getIndex();
+            $translationsAlias = 'translations_order_' . $query->getIndex();
+
+            // Note the `lower()` in the `addOrderBy()`. It is essential to sorting the
+            // results correctly. See also https://github.com/bolt/core/issues/1190
+            $query
+                ->getQueryBuilder()
+                ->leftJoin('content.fields', $fieldsAlias)
+                ->leftJoin($fieldsAlias . '.translations', $translationsAlias)
+                ->andWhere($fieldsAlias . '.name = :' . $fieldAlias)
+                ->addOrderBy('lower(' . $translationsAlias . '.value)', $direction)
+                ->setParameter($fieldAlias, $order);
+
+            $query->incrementIndex();
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Cobble together the sorting order, and whether or not it's a column in `content` or `fields`.
      */
@@ -98,4 +118,11 @@ protected function isActualField(QueryInterface $query, string $name): bool
 
         return in_array($name, $contentType->get('fields')->keys()->all(), true);
     }
+
+    private function getTitleFormat(QueryInterface $query): ?string
+    {
+        $contentType = $query->getConfig()->get('contenttypes/' . $query->getContentType());
+
+        return $contentType->get('title_format', null);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Twig/ContentExtension.php b/src/Twig/ContentExtension.php
index 8648a0991..97b005f53 100644
--- a/src/Twig/ContentExtension.php
+++ b/src/Twig/ContentExtension.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 use Bolt\Repository\ContentRepository;
 use Bolt\Repository\TaxonomyRepository;
 use Bolt\Storage\Query;
-use Bolt\Utils\ComposeValueHelper;
+use Bolt\Utils\ContentHelper;
 use Bolt\Utils\Excerpt;
 use Bolt\Utils\Html;
 use Pagerfanta\Pagerfanta;
@@ -166,45 +166,26 @@ public function getAnyTitle(Content $content, int $length = 120): string
 
     public function getTitle(Content $content, string $locale = '', int $length = 120): string
     {
-        if (ComposeValueHelper::isSuitable($content)) {
-            $title = ComposeValueHelper::get($content, $content->getDefinition()->get('title_format'));
-        } else {
-            $title = $this->getFieldBasedTitle($content);
+        if (empty($locale)) {
+            $locale = $this->request->getLocale();
         }
 
-        return Html::trimText($title, $length);
-    }
-
-    private function getFieldBasedTitle(Content $content): string
-    {
-        $titleParts = [];
-
-        foreach (ComposeValueHelper::guessTitleFields($content) as $fieldName) {
-            $field = $content->getField($fieldName);
-
-            if (! empty($locale)) {
-                $field->setCurrentLocale($locale);
-            }
-
-            $value = $field->getParsedValue();
-
-            if (empty($value)) {
-                $value = $field->setLocale($field->getDefaultLocale())->getParsedValue();
-            }
-
-            $titleParts[] = $value;
+        if (ContentHelper::isSuitable($content)) {
+            $title = ContentHelper::get($content, $content->getDefinition()->get('title_format'), $locale);
+        } else {
+            $title = ContentHelper::getFieldBasedTitle($content, $locale);
         }
 
-        return implode(' ', $titleParts);
+        return Html::trimText($title, $length);
     }
 
     public function getTitleFields(Content $content): array
     {
-        if (ComposeValueHelper::isSuitable($content)) {
-            return ComposeValueHelper::getFieldNames($content->getDefinition()->get('title_format'));
+        if (ContentHelper::isSuitable($content)) {
+            return ContentHelper::getFieldNames($content->getDefinition()->get('title_format'));
         }
 
-        return ComposeValueHelper::guessTitleFields($content);
+        return ContentHelper::guessTitleFields($content);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -242,8 +223,8 @@ public function getExcerpt($content, int $length = 280, bool $includeTitle = fal
             return Excerpt::getExcerpt((string) $content, $length);
         }
 
-        if (ComposeValueHelper::isSuitable($content, 'excerpt_format')) {
-            $excerpt = ComposeValueHelper::get($content, $content->getDefinition()->get('excerpt_format'));
+        if (ContentHelper::isSuitable($content, 'excerpt_format')) {
+            $excerpt = ContentHelper::get($content, $content->getDefinition()->get('excerpt_format'));
         } else {
             $excerpt = $this->getFieldBasedExcerpt($content, $length, $includeTitle);
         }
@@ -263,7 +244,7 @@ private function getFieldBasedExcerpt(Content $content, int $length, bool $inclu
             }
         }
 
-        $skipFields = ComposeValueHelper::guessTitleFields($content);
+        $skipFields = $this->getTitleFields($content);
 
         foreach ($content->getFields() as $field) {
             if ($field instanceof Excerptable && in_array($field->getName(), $skipFields, true) === false) {
@@ -574,7 +555,7 @@ private function selectOptionsContentType(SelectField $field): LaravelCollection
         foreach ($records as $record) {
             $options[] = [
                 'key' => $record->getId(),
-                'value' => ComposeValueHelper::get($record, $format),
+                'value' => ContentHelper::get($record, $format),
             ];
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Twig/RelatedExtension.php b/src/Twig/RelatedExtension.php
index 083213ca3..568c2141c 100644
--- a/src/Twig/RelatedExtension.php
+++ b/src/Twig/RelatedExtension.php
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 use Bolt\Entity\Relation;
 use Bolt\Repository\RelationRepository;
 use Bolt\Storage\Query;
-use Bolt\Utils\ComposeValueHelper;
+use Bolt\Utils\ContentHelper;
 use Tightenco\Collect\Support\Collection;
 use Twig\Extension\AbstractExtension;
 use Twig\TwigFilter;
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public function getRelatedOptions(string $contentTypeSlug, ?string $order = null
         foreach ($records as $record) {
             $options[] = [
                 'key' => $record->getId(),
-                'value' => ComposeValueHelper::get($record, $format),
+                'value' => ContentHelper::get($record, $format),
             ];
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Utils/ComposeValueHelper.php b/src/Utils/ContentHelper.php
similarity index 63%
rename from src/Utils/ComposeValueHelper.php
rename to src/Utils/ContentHelper.php
index 3586b2342..c81165ef1 100644
--- a/src/Utils/ComposeValueHelper.php
+++ b/src/Utils/ContentHelper.php
@@ -6,15 +6,14 @@
 
 use Bolt\Entity\Content;
 use Bolt\Entity\Field\Excerptable;
-use Tightenco\Collect\Support\Collection;
 
-class ComposeValueHelper
+class ContentHelper
 {
     public static function isSuitable(Content $record, string $which = 'title_format'): bool
     {
         $definition = $record->getDefinition();
 
-        if ($definition !== null && $definition->has($which)) {
+        if ($record->getId() && $definition !== null && $definition->has($which)) {
             $format = $definition->get($which);
             if (is_string($format) && mb_strpos($format, '{') !== false) {
                 return true;
@@ -45,6 +44,10 @@ function ($match) use ($record, $locale) {
                     return $record->getStatus();
                 }
 
+                if ($match[1] === 'author') {
+                    return $record->getAuthor();
+                }
+
                 if ($record->hasField($match[1])) {
                     $field = $record->getField($match[1]);
 
@@ -55,10 +58,6 @@ function ($match) use ($record, $locale) {
                     return $field;
                 }
 
-                if (array_key_exists($match[1], $record->getExtras())) {
-                    return $record->getExtras()[$match[1]];
-                }
-
                 return '(unknown)';
             },
             $format
@@ -74,34 +73,7 @@ public static function getFieldNames(string $format): array
 
     public static function guessTitleFields(Content $content): array
     {
-        $definition = $content->getDefinition();
-
-        // First, see if we have a "title format" in the Content Type.
-        if ($definition !== null && $definition->has('title_format')) {
-            if (self::isSuitable($content)) {
-                $names = self::getFieldNames($definition->get('title_format'));
-            } else {
-                $names = $definition->get('title_format');
-            }
-
-            $namesCollection = Collection::wrap($names)->filter(function (string $name) use ($content): bool {
-                if ($content->hasFieldDefined($name) === false) {
-                    throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf(
-                        "Content '%s' has field '%s' added to title_format config option, but the field is not present in Content's definition.",
-                        $content->getContentTypeName(),
-                        $name
-                    ));
-                }
-
-                return $content->hasField($name);
-            });
-
-            if ($namesCollection->isNotEmpty()) {
-                return $namesCollection->values()->toArray();
-            }
-        }
-
-        // Alternatively, see if we have a field named 'title' or somesuch.
+        // Check if we have a field named 'title' or somesuch.
         $names = ['title', 'name', 'caption', 'subject']; // English
         $names = array_merge($names, ['titel', 'naam', 'kop', 'onderwerp']); // Dutch
         $names = array_merge($names, ['nom', 'sujet']); // French
@@ -121,4 +93,27 @@ public static function guessTitleFields(Content $content): array
 
         return [];
     }
+
+    public static function getFieldBasedTitle(Content $content, string $locale = ''): string
+    {
+        $titleParts = [];
+
+        foreach (self::guessTitleFields($content) as $fieldName) {
+            $field = $content->getField($fieldName);
+
+            if (! empty($locale)) {
+                $field->setCurrentLocale($locale);
+            }
+
+            $value = $field->getParsedValue();
+
+            if (empty($value)) {
+                $value = $field->setLocale($field->getDefaultLocale())->getParsedValue();
+            }
+
+            $titleParts[] = $value;
+        }
+
+        return implode(' ', $titleParts);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/templates/content/listing.html.twig b/templates/content/listing.html.twig
index 4f28f35d4..f6259d587 100644
--- a/templates/content/listing.html.twig
+++ b/templates/content/listing.html.twig
@@ -41,17 +41,8 @@
       :csrftoken="{{ csrf_token('batch')|json_encode }}"
     ></listing-select-box>
 
-    {# Set `titleField` and `titleLabel`, but only if we have records #}
-    {% if records|first %}
-        {% set titleField = records|first|title_fields|first %}
-        {% set titleLabel = contentType.fields[titleField].label %}
-    {% else %}
-        {% set titleField = '-' %}
-        {% set titleLabel = '-' %}
-    {% endif %}
-
     {% set filterOptions = {
-        'id': "Id", (titleField): titleLabel, 'author': 'Author', 'status': 'Status', 'createdAt': 'Created date',
+        'id': "Id", 'title': 'Title', 'author': 'Author', 'status': 'Status', 'createdAt': 'Created date',
         'modifiedAt': 'Modified date', 'publishedAt': 'Published date', 'depublishedAt': 'Depublished date'
     } %}
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/display_record_test.feature b/tests/e2e/display_record_test.feature
index c40e6fad5..e289bbb90 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/display_record_test.feature
+++ b/tests/e2e/display_record_test.feature
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 Feature: Test field output
 
+  @javascript
+  Scenario: As a user I want to see how the record title is displayed
+    Given I am on "/test/title-of-the-test"
+    Then I wait for ".title"
+
+    And I should see "74: Title of the test" in the ".title" element
+
   @javascript
   Scenario: As a user I want to see how fields are escaped