diff --git a/core/modules/wiki.js b/core/modules/wiki.js
index 87d78344e..c3f272348 100755
--- a/core/modules/wiki.js
+++ b/core/modules/wiki.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ exports.getTextReference = function(textRef,defaultText,currTiddlerTitle) {
 	if(tr.field) {
 		var tiddler = this.getTiddler(title);
 		if(tr.field === "title") { // Special case so we can return the title of a non-existent tiddler
-			return title;
+			return title || defaultText;
 		} else if(tiddler && $tw.utils.hop(tiddler.fields,tr.field)) {
 			return tiddler.getFieldString(tr.field);
 		} else {
diff --git a/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/test-filters.js b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/test-filters.js
index 18545221b..3103af17a 100644
--- a/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/test-filters.js
+++ b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/test-filters.js
@@ -621,6 +621,8 @@ Tests the filtering mechanism.
 		});
 	
 		it("should handle indirect operands", function() {
+			expect(wiki.filterTiddlers("[{!!missing}]").join(",")).toBe("");
+			expect(wiki.filterTiddlers("[{!!title}]").join(",")).toBe("");
 			expect(wiki.filterTiddlers("[prefix{Tiddler8}] +[sort[title]]").join(",")).toBe("Tiddler Three,TiddlerOne");
 			expect(wiki.filterTiddlers("[modifier{Tiddler8!!test-field}] +[sort[title]]").join(",")).toBe("TiddlerOne");
 			var fakeWidget = {wiki: wiki, getVariable: function() {return "Tiddler Three";}};