diff --git a/src/MainWindow.vala b/src/MainWindow.vala
index eace3dc76e..d072057b8a 100644
--- a/src/MainWindow.vala
+++ b/src/MainWindow.vala
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ namespace Terminal {
             string? command = null,
             bool create_new_tab = false
         ) {
+
             /* This requires all restored tabs to be initialized first so that
              * the shell location is available.
              * Do not add a new tab if location is already open in existing tab */
@@ -781,6 +782,7 @@ namespace Terminal {
             terminal_widget.child_exited.connect (on_terminal_child_exited);
             terminal_widget.notify["font-scale"].connect (on_terminal_font_scale_changed);
             terminal_widget.cwd_changed.connect (on_terminal_cwd_changed);
+            terminal_widget.foreground_process_changed.connect (on_terminal_program_changed);
             terminal_widget.window_title_changed.connect (on_terminal_window_title_changed);
         }
 
@@ -788,6 +790,7 @@ namespace Terminal {
             terminal_widget.child_exited.disconnect (on_terminal_child_exited);
             terminal_widget.notify["font-scale"].disconnect (on_terminal_font_scale_changed);
             terminal_widget.cwd_changed.disconnect (on_terminal_cwd_changed);
+            terminal_widget.foreground_process_changed.disconnect (on_terminal_program_changed);
             terminal_widget.window_title_changed.disconnect (on_terminal_window_title_changed);
         }
 
@@ -797,12 +800,13 @@ namespace Terminal {
                 // TabView already removed tab - ignore signal
                 return;
             }
-             if (!tw.killed) {
+            if (!tw.killed) {
                 if (tw.program_string != null) {
                     /* If a program was running, do not close the tab so that output of program
                      * remains visible */
                     tw.program_string = null;
                     tw.active_shell (tw.current_working_directory);
+                    check_for_tabs_with_same_name ();
                 } else {
                     if (tw.tab != null) {
                         notebook.tab_view.close_page (tw.tab);
@@ -1119,16 +1123,21 @@ namespace Terminal {
             int j = 0;
             for (i = 0; i < notebook.n_pages; i++) {
                 var term = get_term_widget (notebook.tab_view.get_nth_page (i));
-                string term_path = term.current_working_directory;
-                string term_label = Path.get_basename (term_path);
-                if (term_label == "" ||
-                    term.tab_label == TerminalWidget.DEFAULT_LABEL) {
+                string term_path, term_label;
+                if (term.program_string != "") {
+                    term.tab_label = term.program_string;
                     continue;
+                } else {
+                    term_path = term.current_working_directory;
+                    term_label = Path.get_basename (term_path);
+                    if (term_label == "" || term_label == "/") {
+                        term.tab_label = TerminalWidget.DEFAULT_LABEL;
+                        continue;
+                    } else {
+                        term.tab_label = term_label;
+                    }
                 }
 
-                /* Reset tab_name to basename so long name only used when required */
-                term.tab_label = term_label;
-
                 for (j = 0; j < notebook.n_pages; j++) {
                 var term2 = get_term_widget (notebook.tab_view.get_nth_page (j));
                     string term2_path = term2.current_working_directory;
@@ -1153,6 +1162,11 @@ namespace Terminal {
             save_opened_terminals (true, false);
         }
 
+        private void on_terminal_program_changed (TerminalWidget src, string cmdline) {
+            src.program_string = cmdline;
+            check_for_tabs_with_same_name (); // Also sets window title
+        }
+
         private void save_opened_terminals (bool save_tabs, bool save_zooms) {
             string[] zooms = {};
             string[] opened_tabs = {};
diff --git a/src/Widgets/TerminalWidget.vala b/src/Widgets/TerminalWidget.vala
index 1a2caa88e3..71aede57ad 100644
--- a/src/Widgets/TerminalWidget.vala
+++ b/src/Widgets/TerminalWidget.vala
@@ -28,12 +28,13 @@ namespace Terminal {
         internal const string DEFAULT_LABEL = _("Terminal");
         public string terminal_id;
         public string current_working_directory { get; private set; default = "";}
-        public string? program_string { get; set; default = null; }
+        public string program_string { get; set; default = ""; }
         static int terminal_id_counter = 0;
         private bool init_complete;
         public bool resized {get; set;}
 
         GLib.Pid child_pid;
+        GLib.Pid fg_pid;
 
         public unowned MainWindow main_window { get; construct set; }
 
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ namespace Terminal {
         private double scroll_delta = 0.0;
 
         public signal void cwd_changed (string cwd);
+        public signal void foreground_process_changed (string cmdline);
 
         public TerminalWidget (MainWindow parent_window) {
             Object (
@@ -236,7 +238,7 @@ namespace Terminal {
 
             selection_changed.connect (() => copy_action.set_enabled (get_has_selection ()));
             size_allocate.connect (() => resized = true);
-            contents_changed.connect (check_cwd_changed);
+            contents_changed.connect (on_contents_changed);
             child_exited.connect (on_child_exited);
             ulong once = 0;
             once = realize.connect (() => {
@@ -718,7 +720,7 @@ namespace Terminal {
                 warning (e.message);
             }
 
-            check_cwd_changed ();
+            on_contents_changed ();
         }
 
         public void run_program (string _program_string, string? working_directory) {
@@ -796,6 +798,16 @@ namespace Terminal {
             }
         }
 
+        public string get_pid_name (int pid) {
+            try {
+                string cmdline;
+                GLib.FileUtils.get_contents ("/proc/%d/cmdline".printf (pid), out cmdline);
+                return cmdline;
+            } catch (GLib.Error e) {
+                return "";
+            }
+        }
+
         protected override void increase_font_size () {
             font_scale += 0.1;
         }
@@ -939,13 +951,21 @@ namespace Terminal {
             }
         }
 
-        private void check_cwd_changed () {
+        private void on_contents_changed () {
             var cwd = get_shell_location ();
             if (cwd != current_working_directory) {
                 current_working_directory = cwd;
                 tab.tooltip = current_working_directory;
                 cwd_changed (cwd);
             }
+
+            int pid;
+            try_get_foreground_pid (out pid);
+            if (pid != fg_pid) {
+                var cmdline = get_pid_name (pid);
+                foreground_process_changed (cmdline);
+                fg_pid = pid;
+            }
         }
     }
 }