diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index aa46594c..572d1815 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ import { invoke } from '@tauri-apps/api/core'
 import { isTauri, mockInvoke } from './mock-tauri'
 import type { SidebarSelection, InboxPeriod, VaultEntry, ViewDefinition } from './types'
 import type { NoteListItem } from './utils/ai-context'
+import { initializeNoteProperties } from './utils/initializeNoteProperties'
 import { filterEntries, filterInboxEntries, type NoteListFilter } from './utils/noteListHelpers'
 import { openNoteInNewWindow } from './utils/openNoteWindow'
 import { isNoteWindow, getNoteWindowParams, getNoteWindowPathCandidates, findNoteWindowEntry, type NoteWindowParams } from './utils/windowMode'
@@ -545,9 +546,7 @@ function App() {
   })
 
   const handleInitializeProperties = useCallback(async (path: string) => {
-    const filename = path.split('/').pop()?.replace(/\.md$/, '') ?? 'Untitled'
-    await notes.handleUpdateFrontmatter(path, 'type', 'Note', { silent: true })
-    await notes.handleUpdateFrontmatter(path, 'title', filename)
+    await initializeNoteProperties(notes.handleUpdateFrontmatter, path)
   }, [notes])
 
   const handleRemoveNoteIcon = useCallback(async (path: string) => {
diff --git a/src/utils/initializeNoteProperties.test.ts b/src/utils/initializeNoteProperties.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a7903a6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/initializeNoteProperties.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import { initializeNoteProperties } from './initializeNoteProperties'
+
+describe('initializeNoteProperties', () => {
+  it('seeds only the Note type without creating a title field', async () => {
+    const updateFrontmatter = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+
+    await initializeNoteProperties(updateFrontmatter, '/vault/plain-note.md')
+
+    expect(updateFrontmatter).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(updateFrontmatter).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      '/vault/plain-note.md',
+      'type',
+      'Note',
+      { silent: true },
+    )
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/utils/initializeNoteProperties.ts b/src/utils/initializeNoteProperties.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16fb4e01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/initializeNoteProperties.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+export type UpdateFrontmatter = (
+  path: string,
+  key: string,
+  value: string,
+  options?: { silent?: boolean },
+) => Promise<void>
+
+export async function initializeNoteProperties(
+  updateFrontmatter: UpdateFrontmatter,
+  path: string,
+): Promise<void> {
+  await updateFrontmatter(path, 'type', 'Note', { silent: true })
+}