diff --git a/src/compile/axis/parse.ts b/src/compile/axis/parse.ts
index 36c83070e5d..e4cf3d6e440 100644
--- a/src/compile/axis/parse.ts
+++ b/src/compile/axis/parse.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import {Axis, AXIS_PARTS, AxisEncoding, isAxisProperty, VG_AXIS_PROPERTIES} from '../../axis';
 import {POSITION_SCALE_CHANNELS, PositionScaleChannel, X, Y} from '../../channel';
-import {FieldDefBase, toFieldDefBase} from '../../fielddef';
+import {FieldDefBase, title, toFieldDefBase} from '../../fielddef';
 import {keys} from '../../util';
 import {AxisOrient, VgAxis, VgAxisEncode} from '../../vega.schema';
 import {getSpecifiedOrDefaultValue, mergeTitleFieldDefs, numberFormat, titleMerger} from '../common';
@@ -152,6 +152,25 @@ function mergeAxisComponent(merged: AxisComponent, child: AxisComponent): AxisCo
   return merged;
 }
 
+function getFieldDefTitle(model: UnitModel, channel: 'x' | 'y') {
+  const channel2 = channel === 'x' ? 'x2' : 'y2';
+  const fieldDef = model.fieldDef(channel);
+  const fieldDef2 = model.fieldDef(channel2);
+
+  const titles = [
+    ...(fieldDef && fieldDef.title ? [fieldDef.title] : []),
+    ...(fieldDef2 && fieldDef2.title ? [fieldDef2.title] : [])
+  ];
+
+  if (titles.length > 0) {
+    return titles.join(', ');
+  } else if (fieldDef && fieldDef.title !== undefined) { // explicit falsy value
+    return fieldDef.title;
+  } else if (fieldDef2 && fieldDef2.title !== undefined) { // explicit falsy value
+    return fieldDef2.title;
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
 
 function parseAxis(channel: PositionScaleChannel, model: UnitModel): AxisComponent {
   const axis = model.axis(channel);
@@ -168,7 +187,7 @@ function parseAxis(channel: PositionScaleChannel, model: UnitModel): AxisCompone
         // both VL axis.encoding and axis.labelAngle affect VG axis.encode
         property === 'encode' ? !!axis.encoding || !!axis.labelAngle :
         // title can be explicit if fieldDef.title is set
-        property === 'title' && value === model.fieldDef(channel).title ? true :
+            property === 'title' && value === getFieldDefTitle(model, channel) ? true :
         // Otherwise, things are explicit if the returned value matches the specified property
         value === axis[property];
 
@@ -242,7 +261,8 @@ function getProperty<K extends keyof AxisComponentProps>(property: K, specifiedA
       const fieldDef2 = model.fieldDef(channel2);
       // Keep undefined so we use default if title is unspecified.
       // For other falsy value, keep them so we will hide the title.
-      const specifiedTitle = fieldDef.title !== undefined ? fieldDef.title :
+      const fieldDefTitle = getFieldDefTitle(model, channel);
+      const specifiedTitle = fieldDefTitle !== undefined ? fieldDefTitle :
         specifiedAxis.title === undefined ? undefined : specifiedAxis.title;
 
       return getSpecifiedOrDefaultValue<string | FieldDefBase<string>[]>(
diff --git a/test/compile/axis/parse.test.ts b/test/compile/axis/parse.test.ts
index 2bdc022e54f..5f3c516c241 100644
--- a/test/compile/axis/parse.test.ts
+++ b/test/compile/axis/parse.test.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,25 @@ describe('Axis', function() {
         assert.equal(axisComponent['x'][0].explicit.title, val as any);
       }
     });
+    it('should store the fieldDef title value for x, x2 if title = null, "", or false', function () {
+      for (const channel of ['x', 'x2']) {
+        for (const val of [null, '', false]) {
+          const model = parseUnitModelWithScale({
+            mark: "point",
+            encoding: {
+              [channel]: {
+                field: "a",
+                type: "quantitative",
+                title: val as any // Need to cast as false is not valid, but we want to fall back gracefully
+              }
+            }
+          });
+          const axisComponent = parseUnitAxis(model);
+          assert.equal(axisComponent.x.length, 1);
+          assert.equal(axisComponent.x[0].explicit.title, val as any);
+        }
+      }
+    });
 
     it('should store fieldDef.title as explicit', function () {
       const model = parseUnitModelWithScale({
@@ -146,6 +165,27 @@ describe('Axis', function() {
       assert.equal(axisComponent['x'][0].explicit.title, 'foo');
     });
 
+    it('should merge title of fieldDef and fieldDef2', function () {
+      const model = parseUnitModelWithScale({
+        mark: "bar",
+        encoding: {
+          x: {
+            field: "a",
+            type: "quantitative",
+            title: 'foo'
+          },
+          x2: {
+            field: "b",
+            type: "quantitative",
+            title: 'bar'
+          }
+        }
+      });
+      const axisComponent = parseUnitAxis(model);
+      assert.equal(axisComponent['x'].length, 1);
+      assert.equal(axisComponent['x'][0].explicit.title, 'foo, bar');
+    });
+
     it('should store both x and x2 for ranged mark', function () {
       const model = parseUnitModelWithScale({
         mark: "rule",