diff --git a/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmkinfo.cpp b/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmkinfo.cpp
index a2e4e910..fd5e6f24 100644
--- a/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmkinfo.cpp
+++ b/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmkinfo.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ void EBML::MkInfo::parse(Matroska::Properties *properties) const
 
   unsigned long long timestampScale = 1000000;
   double duration = 0.0;
-  String title;
   for(const auto &element : elements) {
     if(const Id id = element->getId(); id == Id::MkTimestampScale) {
       timestampScale = element_cast<Id::MkTimestampScale>(element)->getValue();
@@ -61,12 +60,19 @@ void EBML::MkInfo::parse(Matroska::Properties *properties) const
     else if(id == Id::MkDuration) {
       duration = element_cast<Id::MkDuration>(element)->getValueAsDouble();
     }
-    else if(id == Id::MkTitle) {
-      title = element_cast<Id::MkTitle>(element)->getValue();
-    }
   }
 
   properties->setLengthInMilliseconds(
     static_cast<int>(duration * static_cast<double>(timestampScale) / 1000000.0));
-  properties->setTitle(title);
+  properties->setTitle(parseTitle());
+}
+
+String EBML::MkInfo::parseTitle() const
+{
+  for(const auto &element : elements) {
+    if(element->getId() == Id::MkTitle) {
+      return element_cast<Id::MkTitle>(element)->getValue();
+    }
+  }
+  return String();
 }
diff --git a/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmkinfo.h b/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmkinfo.h
index c381b46a..00f6c0b7 100644
--- a/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmkinfo.h
+++ b/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmkinfo.h
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ namespace TagLib {
       MkInfo();
 
       void parse(Matroska::Properties * properties) const;
+
+      /*!
+       * Returns the segment title, without requiring a Properties instance.
+       * Used when the file is read without audio properties, where the title
+       * is still needed for Matroska::Tag::title().
+       */
+      String parseTitle() const;
     };
   }
 }
diff --git a/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmksegment.cpp b/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmksegment.cpp
index 79de5ca5..453289fd 100644
--- a/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmksegment.cpp
+++ b/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmksegment.cpp
@@ -297,3 +297,8 @@ void EBML::MkSegment::parseTracks(Matroska::Properties *properties) const
     tracks->parse(properties);
   }
 }
+
+String EBML::MkSegment::parseSegmentTitle() const
+{
+  return info ? info->parseTitle() : String();
+}
diff --git a/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmksegment.h b/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmksegment.h
index 3e8f84f1..8634868e 100644
--- a/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmksegment.h
+++ b/taglib/matroska/ebml/ebmlmksegment.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ namespace TagLib {
       std::unique_ptr<Matroska::Segment> parseSegment() const;
       void parseInfo(Matroska::Properties *properties) const;
       void parseTracks(Matroska::Properties *properties) const;
+      String parseSegmentTitle() const;
 
     private:
       std::unique_ptr<MkTags> tags;
diff --git a/taglib/matroska/matroskafile.cpp b/taglib/matroska/matroskafile.cpp
index f542ddbc..c18a5d96 100644
--- a/taglib/matroska/matroskafile.cpp
+++ b/taglib/matroska/matroskafile.cpp
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ public:
   std::unique_ptr<Cues> cues;
   std::unique_ptr<Segment> segment;
   std::unique_ptr<Properties> properties;
+  // Matroska::Tag::title() falls back to this when the file has no TITLE simple
+  // tag, so it is read even when the audio properties are not.
+  String segmentTitle;
 };
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -121,9 +124,7 @@ Matroska::Tag *Matroska::File::tag(bool create) const
 {
   if(!d->tag && create) {
     d->tag = std::make_unique<Tag>();
-    if(d->properties) {
-      d->tag->setSegmentTitle(d->properties->title());
-    }
+    d->tag->setSegmentTitle(d->segmentTitle);
   }
   return d->tag.get();
 }
@@ -474,9 +475,14 @@ void Matroska::File::read(bool readProperties, Properties::ReadStyle readStyle)
 
     segment->parseInfo(d->properties.get());
     segment->parseTracks(d->properties.get());
-    if(d->tag) {
-      d->tag->setSegmentTitle(d->properties->title());
-    }
+    d->segmentTitle = d->properties->title();
+  }
+  else {
+    // The Info element is already in memory, so this costs no additional I/O.
+    d->segmentTitle = segment->parseSegmentTitle();
+  }
+  if(d->tag) {
+    d->tag->setSegmentTitle(d->segmentTitle);
   }
 
   if(readStyle == AudioProperties::Accurate &&
diff --git a/tests/test_matroska.cpp b/tests/test_matroska.cpp
index 7057d52b..bf0bc875 100644
--- a/tests/test_matroska.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_matroska.cpp
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ class TestMatroska : public CppUnit::TestFixture
   CPPUNIT_TEST(testFastReadStyleLargeSegment);
   CPPUNIT_TEST(testAttachedFileDataReadOnDemand);
   CPPUNIT_TEST(testSaveUnrequestedAttachedFileData);
+  CPPUNIT_TEST(testSegmentTitleWithoutAudioProperties);
   CPPUNIT_TEST_SUITE_END();
 
 public:
@@ -1908,6 +1909,24 @@ public:
     }
   }
 
+  void testSegmentTitleWithoutAudioProperties()
+  {
+    // optimized.mkv keeps its title in \Segment\Info\Title and has no TITLE
+    // simple tag, so Tag::title() falls back to the segment title. That fallback
+    // must not depend on whether the audio properties were read.
+    for(const bool readProperties : {true, false}) {
+      Matroska::File f(TEST_FILE_PATH_C("optimized.mkv"), readProperties);
+      CPPUNIT_ASSERT(f.isValid());
+      CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(readProperties, f.audioProperties() != nullptr);
+      CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(String("handbrake"), f.tag()->title());
+    }
+
+    // A file without a segment title still reports an empty title.
+    Matroska::File noTitle(TEST_FILE_PATH_C("no-tags.mka"), false);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(noTitle.isValid());
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(String(""), noTitle.tag()->title());
+  }
+
   void testUnknownSizeSegment()
   {
     ScopedFileCopy copy("no-tags", ".mka");