diff --git a/packages/xpub-faraday/app/config/journal/submit-wizard.js b/packages/xpub-faraday/app/config/journal/submit-wizard.js
index 23eb8239987366c78fb0757376d4b15d4d78cb89..8dc2c491eea9cec3fccb21bd46ce730e3baeafe5 100644
--- a/packages/xpub-faraday/app/config/journal/submit-wizard.js
+++ b/packages/xpub-faraday/app/config/journal/submit-wizard.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { declarations } from './'
 import issueTypes from './issues-types'
 import manuscriptTypes from './manuscript-types'
 
-import { requiredBasedOnType } from './wizard-validators'
+import { requiredBasedOnType, parseEmptyHtml } from './wizard-validators'
 
 const min3Chars = minChars(3)
 const declarationsMinSize = minSize(declarations.options.length)
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ export default {
           renderComponent: TitleEditor,
           placeholder: 'Manuscript title',
           title: 'Manuscript title',
+          validate: [parseEmptyHtml],
         },
         {
           fieldId: 'spacing-title',
diff --git a/packages/xpub-faraday/app/config/journal/wizard-validators.js b/packages/xpub-faraday/app/config/journal/wizard-validators.js
index 59ea36b4cbba46d62ca7600aac53afe911dc0c24..05e788aa7ddd976f6373cb754cd4ade4e087de7d 100644
--- a/packages/xpub-faraday/app/config/journal/wizard-validators.js
+++ b/packages/xpub-faraday/app/config/journal/wizard-validators.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const requiredTypes = manuscriptTypes
   .filter(t => t.abstractRequired)
   .map(t => t.value)
 
-const parseAbstract = value => {
+export const parseEmptyHtml = value => {
   if (value && value.replace('<p></p>', '').replace('<h1></h1>', '')) {
     return undefined
   }
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const parseAbstract = value => {
 export const requiredBasedOnType = (value, formValues) => {
   if (
     requiredTypes.includes(get(formValues, 'metadata.type')) &&
-    (isEmpty(get(formValues, 'metadata.abstract')) || parseAbstract(value))
+    (isEmpty(get(formValues, 'metadata.abstract')) || parseEmptyHtml(value))
   ) {
     return 'Required'
   }