diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalActions.ts
index 1c7a798b747..6ead524b144 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalActions.ts
@@ -581,6 +581,5 @@ export class RenameTerminalAction extends Action {
 				terminalInstance.setTitle(name);
 			}
 		});
-
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalInstance.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalInstance.ts
index 2909a276483..abf9d69364d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalInstance.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalInstance.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ export class TerminalInstance implements ITerminalInstance {
 	private _isDisposed: boolean;
 	private _onDisposed: Emitter<ITerminalInstance>;
 	private _onDataForApi: Emitter<{ instance: ITerminalInstance, data: string }>;
-	private _onMessageTitleCheck: (message: any) => void;
 	private _onProcessIdReady: Emitter<TerminalInstance>;
 	private _onTitleChanged: Emitter<string>;
 	private _process: cp.ChildProcess;
@@ -77,6 +76,7 @@ export class TerminalInstance implements ITerminalInstance {
 	private _terminalHasTextContextKey: IContextKey<boolean>;
 	private _cols: number;
 	private _rows: number;
+	private _messageTitleListener: (message: { type: string, content: string }) => void;
 
 	private _widgetManager: TerminalWidgetManager;
 	private _linkHandler: TerminalLinkHandler;
@@ -495,13 +495,13 @@ export class TerminalInstance implements ITerminalInstance {
 		});
 		if (!shell.name) {
 			// Only listen for process title changes when a name is not provided
-			this._onMessageTitleCheck = (message) => {
+			this._messageTitleListener = (message) => {
 				if (message.type === 'title') {
 					this._title = message.content ? message.content : '';
 					this._onTitleChanged.fire(this._title);
 				}
 			};
-			this._process.on('message', this._onMessageTitleCheck);
+			this._process.on('message', this._messageTitleListener);
 		}
 		this._process.on('message', (message) => {
 			if (message.type === 'pid') {
@@ -782,15 +782,16 @@ export class TerminalInstance implements ITerminalInstance {
 	}
 
 	public setTitle(title: string): void {
-		const oldTitle = this._title;
-		if (title !== oldTitle) {
-			this._title = title;
+		const didTitleChange = title !== this._title;
+		if (didTitleChange) {
 			this._onTitleChanged.fire(title);
 		}
 
-		// if the title is set via API, unregister the handler that automatically updates the terminal name
-		if (this._process) {
-			this._process.removeListener('message', this._onMessageTitleCheck);
+		// If the title was not set by the API, unregister the handler that
+		// automatically updates the terminal name
+		if (this._process && this._messageTitleListener) {
+			this._process.removeListener('message', this._messageTitleListener);
+			this._messageTitleListener = null;
 		}
 	}
 }