diff --git a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/helpers.rs b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/helpers.rs
index a10686acb5..c3def5e245 100644
--- a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/helpers.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/helpers.rs
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@ pub(super) fn permission_profile_to_metadata_value(
 pub(super) enum ThreadMetadataName {
     Explicit(String),
     Legacy(String),
-    Cleared,
 }
 
 pub(super) fn thread_metadata_name(metadata: &ThreadMetadata) -> Option<ThreadMetadataName> {
@@ -189,7 +188,7 @@ pub(super) fn thread_metadata_name(metadata: &ThreadMetadata) -> Option<ThreadMe
         ThreadName::Explicit(name) => {
             return Some(ThreadMetadataName::Explicit(name.clone()));
         }
-        ThreadName::Unnamed => return Some(ThreadMetadataName::Cleared),
+        ThreadName::Unnamed => return None,
         ThreadName::LegacyUnknown => {}
     }
 
@@ -208,7 +207,6 @@ pub(super) fn apply_thread_metadata_name(thread: &mut StoredThread, name: Thread
     match name {
         ThreadMetadataName::Explicit(name) => thread.name = Some(name),
         ThreadMetadataName::Legacy(name) => set_thread_name_from_title(thread, name),
-        ThreadMetadataName::Cleared => thread.name = None,
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/read_thread.rs b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/read_thread.rs
index ec7de2361c..aa92408b5d 100644
--- a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/read_thread.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/read_thread.rs
@@ -310,7 +310,6 @@ async fn stored_thread_from_sqlite_metadata(
 ) -> StoredThread {
     let name = match thread_metadata_name(&metadata) {
         Some(ThreadMetadataName::Explicit(name) | ThreadMetadataName::Legacy(name)) => Some(name),
-        Some(ThreadMetadataName::Cleared) => None,
         None => find_thread_name_by_id(store.config.codex_home.as_path(), &metadata.id)
             .await
             .ok()
@@ -899,10 +898,28 @@ mod tests {
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn read_thread_uses_legacy_thread_name_when_sqlite_title_is_missing() {
         let home = TempDir::new().expect("temp dir");
-        let store = LocalThreadStore::new(test_config(home.path()), /*state_db*/ None);
+        let config = test_config(home.path());
+        let runtime = codex_state::StateRuntime::init(
+            config.sqlite_home.clone(),
+            config.default_model_provider_id.clone(),
+        )
+        .await
+        .expect("state db should initialize");
+        let store = LocalThreadStore::new(config.clone(), Some(runtime.clone()));
         let uuid = Uuid::from_u128(213);
         let thread_id = ThreadId::from_string(&uuid.to_string()).expect("valid thread id");
-        write_session_file(home.path(), "2025-01-03T12-00-00", uuid).expect("session file");
+        let rollout_path =
+            write_session_file(home.path(), "2025-01-03T12-00-00", uuid).expect("session file");
+        let mut builder =
+            ThreadMetadataBuilder::new(thread_id, rollout_path, Utc::now(), SessionSource::Cli);
+        builder.model_provider = Some(config.default_model_provider_id.clone());
+        builder.cwd = home.path().to_path_buf();
+        let mut metadata = builder.build(config.default_model_provider_id.as_str());
+        metadata.first_user_message = Some("Hello from user".to_string());
+        runtime
+            .upsert_thread(&metadata)
+            .await
+            .expect("state db upsert should succeed");
         codex_rollout::append_thread_name(home.path(), thread_id, "Legacy title")
             .await
             .expect("append legacy thread name");