diff --git a/DOCS/man/options.rst b/DOCS/man/options.rst
index 389564d489..f97044ceb3 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/options.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/options.rst
@@ -5425,11 +5425,7 @@ Terminal
     line. Expands properties. See `Property Expansion`_.
 
 ``--term-title=<string>``
-    Set the terminal title. Currently, this simply concatenates the escape
-    sequence setting the window title with the provided (property expanded)
-    string. This will mess up if the expanded string contain bytes that end the
-    escape sequence, or if the terminal does not understand the sequence. The
-    latter probably includes the regrettable win32.
+    Set the terminal title.
 
     Expands properties. See `Property Expansion`_.
 
diff --git a/common/msg.c b/common/msg.c
index 4f5444ca6a..2daabbadc2 100644
--- a/common/msg.c
+++ b/common/msg.c
@@ -559,13 +559,13 @@ static void write_term_msg(struct mp_log *log, int lev, bstr text, bstr *out)
     }
 }
 
-void mp_msg_sanitize(bstr *text)
+void mp_msg_sanitize(bstr *text, bool allow_sgr)
 {
     for (size_t i = 0; i < text->len; i++) {
         unsigned char ch = text->start[i];
 
         // Allow SGR escape sequences only, filter anything else.
-        if (ch == 0x1B && i + 2 < text->len && text->start[i + 1] == '[') {
+        if (allow_sgr && ch == 0x1B && i + 2 < text->len && text->start[i + 1] == '[') {
             size_t j = i + 2;
             bool sgr = false;
 
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ void mp_msg_va(struct mp_log *log, int lev, const char *format, va_list va)
         bstr_xappend(root, &root->buffer, bstr0(format));
     }
 
-    mp_msg_sanitize(&root->buffer);
+    mp_msg_sanitize(&root->buffer, true);
 
     // Remember last status message and restore it to ensure that it is
     // always displayed
diff --git a/common/msg.h b/common/msg.h
index 295ffadb8c..d7c003e808 100644
--- a/common/msg.h
+++ b/common/msg.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ void mp_msg_set_max_level(struct mp_log *log, int lev);
 
 // Sanitize text for terminal output.
 struct bstr;
-void mp_msg_sanitize(struct bstr *text);
+void mp_msg_sanitize(struct bstr *text, bool allow_sgr);
 
 // Convenience macros.
 #define mp_fatal(log, ...)      mp_msg(log, MSGL_FATAL, __VA_ARGS__)
diff --git a/player/osd.c b/player/osd.c
index 811a7e1ac1..5e68a00012 100644
--- a/player/osd.c
+++ b/player/osd.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ static void term_osd_update_title(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 
     char *s = mp_property_expand_escaped_string(mpctx, mpctx->opts->term_title);
     bstr title = bstr0(s);
-    mp_msg_sanitize(&title);
+    mp_msg_sanitize(&title, false);
     if (bstr_equals(title, bstr0(mpctx->term_osd_title))) {
         talloc_free(s);
         return;